Fender '68 P neck trouble!!

[bassmann2]

Hi! I just bought a '68 P, with a bow in the neck around 17'fret, that I can't adjust with the truss rod. Is it possible to straighten this part of the neck by placing it under pressure for a longer period of time? Anyone here with this kind of experience??

[GlennW]

Pressure alone won't work. I tried hanging 50-60 pounds from one for a week or two and it did nothing to correct the bow. You'll need a heat lamp and a way to secure the heel and apply pressure while the light is on. I made a jig to do this (not necessary, but it was cold at the time and I wanted to do it inside). Notice the two (you can only see one) little strips of leather to protect the fretboard at the heel in the picture with the neck.

You could also secure it to a stable workbench and come up with another way to control the pressure.

Edit: If you want to try this yourself I'll go into more detail on how I did it. It isn't difficult, but you'll need to dedicate about 6-8 hours for monitoring how it acts.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by bassmann2

Hi! I just bought a '68 P, with a bow in the neck around 17'fret, that I can't adjust with the truss rod. Is it possible to straighten this part of the neck by placing it under pressure for a longer period of time? Anyone here with this kind of experience??

I've done it successfully with a number of basses and guitars, but heat is also needed. Pressure alone won't do it. This isn't something to try on your own without good mechanical aptitude, experience and proper clamps and a jig and a heat source. It's easy to ruin a neck for good.

But a 68P is getting to be a valuable bass so take it to a real pro for this. It's worth the cost.

[Slater]

Originally Posted by bassmann2

Hi! I just bought a '68 P, with a bow in the neck around 17'fret, that I can't adjust with the truss rod. Is it possible to straighten this part of the neck by placing it under pressure for a longer period of time? Anyone here with this kind of experience??

17th fret!

You're not going to move anything in the 17th fret area of the neck by adjusting the truss rod.

[jrfrond]

Fender necks don't bow at the 17th fret. The truss rod is doing almost nothing at that point.

What you have there is a common condition called "rising tongue". Sometimes you can level the frets to compensate (that is, if it is causing a problem), Or, in extreme cases, pull the upper 8 frets, plane and sand the fingerboard level, and do a partial refret. This is the repairman's call.

[bassmann2]

Originally Posted by jrfrond

Fender necks don't bow at the 17th fret. The truss rod is doing almost nothing at that point.

What you have there is a common condition called "rising tongue". Sometimes you can level the frets to compensate (that is, if it is causing a problem), Or, in extreme cases, pull the upper 8 frets, plane and sand the fingerboard level, and do a partial refret. This is the repairman's call.

Well, the bow really starts about 15'fret, and yes, I'm aware that it cant be influenced by truss rod adjusting. And yes, it is an actual problem, the action is now not REALLY high, but higher than I like it, and still, the 17 fret on D-string does not play at all. (17' and 18' sound the same..) The D-string is much worse than the others anyway, so it seems like a partial refret might be the right thing. hm.. So you would not recommend a pressure/heating to fix the bowing problem?

[202dy]

So far you've received some good advice. What is needed is some specs on your setup. String heights at the twelfth and last fret (bass and treble) and a relief measurement at F7-8 will allow for a more accurate analysis of the condition of this instrument.

[jrfrond]

Originally Posted by bassmann2

..... So you would not recommend a pressure/heating to fix the bowing problem?

No. You have a vintage axe with a real problem. Take it to a pro.

[dgrambo]

Originally Posted by jrfrond

No. You have a vintage axe with a real problem. Take it to a pro.

meanwhile, maybe shim it forward and readjust. (lower the saddles and tighten the truss)