Anyone have experience with Gotoh side adjuster?

[Brock Little]

I've got a friend's guitar for the weekend for a bit of attention, and it's giving me grief. It's a Warmoth parts build, and it has one of those Gotoh side adjustment truss rod setups. It seems to bring the neck back ok, but won't bring it forward, it just unscrews from the side of the neck. I've checked out all of the literature on these things, and the 'reset' steps don't change anything. It seems like a good idea, and the parts all seem to be functioning, perhaps it's just a piece of piss poor engineering?

Cheers
Brock

[Jazz P Bass]

You may be using the side adjuster the wrong way.

It is for 'slight' adjustments.

The heel screw, as in all other setups, is used for the main adjustments.

[Brock Little]

I managed to get the side adjustment screw and the end adjustment screw out of the mechanism, and it just looks like poor quality control. The side adjustment screw is missing threads about half way down its length. No filings in the hole etc, and there is even oil bluing on the shaft, so it wasn't stripped during operation. Whoever put this in at the factory would have had to be blind.
I'll just stick with the end adjustment until I can get a replacement. I'm not impressed with the fact that it's not a dual truss rod, and that they didn't just set it up as a worm and pinion gear in the first place.
I still think it's shitty engineering

B

[Jazz P Bass]

The threads don't go all the way down.

[Brock Little]

Yep. I know this. But this screw is really screwed. I managed to find a detailed pic of one in good condition, and whilst the thread doesn't go all the way to the tip, it is supposed to have threads where this has none. Trust me

B

[Jazz P Bass]

Bummer.