The Dreaded Affinity Neck Warp

SMPTE · #1 05-05-2006, 10:02 AM

Squire Affinity P-Bass ('01)

So I was having a problem with fretting up in the uppers (14+ fret is).... didn't matter what I did to the action couldn't get it to work right. Took it into the local good guitar shop (not GC), and yep the neck is crap.

I'm suprised it took this long from the posts I read about the same problem.

I'm left with a judgment call:

1. Just buy another Squire. The replacement neck for it from Fender is $150, the nice guys at the shop said they'd sell me a WHOLE BASS for that.

1a. Just because we could we put them next to each other:

'01 Affinity PBass: Deeper contour cuts, just "Squire" on the neck bolt plate, "Made in Indonesia", "Squire by Fender" decal with the fender just a type font, big tuner pegs (same size as all the other regular fenders in the shop), regular big a$$ gears. Alder body.

'05/6 Affinity PBass: Very shallow contour cuts, "Squire by Fender" on the neck bold plate, "Made in China", "Squire by Fender" decal with the Fender logo, tuner pegs much smaller ("dainty"), small enclosed tuners (looked cheap). Body felt light, but probably same as mine.

To be honest my bass was better except for the neck, IMO.

2. Buy a Warmoth/Ed Roman's/Moses replacement neck (i.e. a really nice high quality one) and put it on. Tele headstock, Jazz profile/ make my own decal $300ish?
2a. Get a $90 neck that's "good"?

3. Go look for a nice $300 bass and forget my attachment to the tuxedo PBass.
Assuming that the current body et al. with a very nice neck wouldn't be better than a whole new one....

Any opinions from folks that have gone through the same thing?

or just have while day dreaming

Thanks!

Kronos · #2 05-05-2006, 10:35 AM

Get a new bass that's better than the squire. To quote Roddy Piper from "They Live", putting a new neck on that squire is like "..putting perfume on a pig".

Eilif · #3 05-08-2006, 12:28 PM

Buy this neck for 40 bucks...

http://www.rondomusic.net/spbneck.html

It's the neck from the SX series (TEAM makes SX) you may have to sand the neck or the pocket a bit to make the fit exact, but it shouldn't be too much work, and the tuners and string retainer from your old neck should fit just fine. I've had SX's and a squire affinity p-bass, and the SX neck is sure to be superior to the Squire neck you had. Putting anything better than that on an affinity is probably just turd polishing.

After you have done that, go out and buy yourself a better bass. If you have 300 bucks, there are quite alot of choices out there, especially if you buy used. I'm particularly fond of vintage USA made peavey (t-40, fury, foundation, etc) in that pricerange, but you can get a used MIM fender for around that also.

steveb98 · #4 05-08-2006, 12:41 PM

Get a decent bass if you plan to keep playing. For $300 you can get a good used bass.

SMPTE · #5 05-08-2006, 09:34 PM

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Due to an increase in funding my CFO has authorized me to "Buy whatever !@#$ bass I want". So I'm working on trying to decide what's gonna replace my well loved Squier. No kiddin' it was a darn decent bass to begin on, and I may just hang it on the wall for sentimental attachment.

SMPTE

TheSuzie · #6 05-10-2006, 01:48 AM

What is the exact problem with your neck? A slight neck heel rise can sometimes be fixed with a bit of fret filing and/or neck shimming along with a readjustment of the truss rod and action. Sounds like you may have nothing to loose. There are a lot of things that can be finagled, especially on a bass with a bolt on neck.

I play a Squier Affinity P-Bass just like yours. I bought it for a song several years back partially because the neck looked like a ski ramp. I slowly brought it back to straight by making small adjustments over a period of a few weeks. The neck has been quite stable ever since. I think I have adjusted the truss rod once since 2003. I can easily adjust the action as low as I want. I play a couple of tunes that use notes and triads on frets 12 through 20 with no problems at all. Maybe I just lucked out.

Peace,
S

SMPTE · #7 05-10-2006, 10:18 PM

There's major heel rise on the neck, to the point that past the 13th/14th past. I can't adjust the truss rod any tighter, it's maxed out. Other than steaming the wood and bending it back then reinserting the truss rod to lock it down, I don't think it's recoverable, but thanks for the advice I'll give it a shot.

For 40$ the SX neck is probably the way I'll go for now. That AND a new bass

)

SMPTE

TheSuzie · #8 05-10-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMPTE

For 40$ the SX neck is probably the way I'll go for now. That AND a new bass

)

SMPTE

Sounds like a plan. Do consider finishing the SX neck with a coat of poly or something else to prevent moisture from entering or exiting the maple. The sanding sealer coat that comes on the SX/Team bass replacement necks will not block moisture and the neck will likely be unstable if you don't finish it.

My guess is that the too thin satin finish is actually a major part of the problems with the Affinity series necks.

Best of luck,
S

SMPTE · #9 05-12-2006, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

Sounds like a plan. Do consider finishing the SX neck with a coat of poly or something else to prevent moisture from entering or exiting the maple. The sanding sealer coat that comes on the SX/Team bass replacement necks will not block moisture and the neck will likely be unstable if you don't finish it.

My guess is that the too thin satin finish is actually a major part of the problems with the Affinity series necks.

Best of luck,
S

Yeah we have wild humidity swings here from season to season that may be worsened by the neck coating (or lack of). I've heard that Minwax works pretty well.

Thanks!
SMPTE

SMPTE · #10 05-19-2006, 10:11 PM

ok just to finish off the saga here,

I found a used Mini-Mite Jazz neck, and it slipped right in. Restrung with some nice Rotosound flats and wow does it sound nice.

Thanks everyone.

SMPTe

Trevorus · #11 05-19-2006, 10:15 PM

There you go. No need to let a bass die.

SMPTE · #12 05-19-2006, 10:19 PM

Yeah there was something in my engineer's psyche that wouldn't let it go.

Trevorus · #13 05-19-2006, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMPTE

Yeah there was something in my engineer's psyche that wouldn't let it go.

Definitely. I can't let an instrument die, no matter what the problem... usually.

SMPTE · #14 05-19-2006, 10:24 PM

Next problem is printing out a decal with a name for it.