a neck bend later, the tuning's out!!

felytone · #1 03-19-2006, 10:49 AM

i got myself a set of new strings for my bass just recently. all was well but wen i tried to do a neck bend ala billy sheehan, the tunings all screwed up.
it wasnt like this before, even wen i changed strings. i did pull n tighten the strings to let em sit in.
now before i splashed some money or waste time doing a bass autopsy, can anyone suggest the possible reasons why my bass acted dis way? the patient is a yammy attitude limited 1.

fenderx55 · #2 03-19-2006, 11:41 AM

How long ago did you put those strings on? I'm sure you thought of this, but you probably just went a little too hard, I'd say tune up and go again.

felytone · #3 03-20-2006, 06:39 AM

the strings been on for a week now, n stil no improvements.
cud it be the truss rod is failing or the tuners?

from my observation, the neck's still straight, action still the same.

**Vorago** · #4 03-20-2006, 06:41 AM

hmm, my guess it's the trussrod, but I'm not sure.

Free bump anyway.

bannedwit · #5 03-20-2006, 02:04 PM

If you watch BassDay 97' with Billy Sheehan, he explains how much of a pain those neck bends were for him...

He said he would do one and all of a sudden the bass would be a bear to play and the action would be all high and whatnot.

He used to put picks and crap in the groove and stand on the bass body and tighten and retighten his p bass' neck screws over and over...

Looks like you are feeling his pain. Truss rod adjustment and check your neck screws. Check the intonation, how is that now?

fenderx55 · #6 03-20-2006, 04:36 PM

wait, what do you mean by neck bends?

felytone · #7 03-21-2006, 05:19 AM

yeah, i heard billy used to stand on his bass (his pbass), but im not sure of that technique tho. n i din expect this to happen on the yammy attitude! well its a pain in the ears at the moment!

while we're at it, wat's the proper wat of dismantling the neck and assemble it back again? i've done that before but i just wanna be sure.

fenderx55@yahoo, how i did neck bending was pushing my bass (strap on) away from my body using my left hand(at the neck) n my right hand ( any part of the body) while a note is still sustaining. so my neck acts as a pivot in that sense. it has a tremolo effect, the neck will sorta bend abit n go back to its place when u release it. its best while playing harmonics loud!!i like to stretch my bass to the limit abit but the problem is im not endorsed by yammy, haha!!

62bass · #8 03-21-2006, 07:25 AM

You might also check the screws holding the neck to the body. They may have bent, stripped threads out of the wood or the holes through the body may have enlarged.

I had a guitar player friend who did this all the time on his Strat and constantly had problems. I finally replaced the screws with machine bolts and threaded inserts. It solved most of the problem.

If that's it, it's a pretty easy fix.

Fo' Shizzle · #9 03-21-2006, 10:51 AM

Or............stop bending the neck.

bannedwit · #10 03-21-2006, 11:34 AM

You bend the neck so that it goes from E to D...

1.) Get a hipshot "D-Tuner" tuneing key where it does that for you
2.) Get those machine screws that are more sturdy
3.) Buy a Yamaha Attitude bass
4.) Tune to Drop D
5.) Stop doing it on the Fender

fenderx55 · #11 03-21-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felytone

fenderx55@yahoo, how i did neck bending was pushing my bass (strap on) away from my body using my left hand(at the neck) n my right hand ( any part of the body) while a note is still sustaining. so my neck acts as a pivot in that sense. it has a tremolo effect, the neck will sorta bend abit n go back to its place when u release it. its best while playing harmonics loud!!i like to stretch my bass to the limit abit but the problem is im not endorsed by yammy, haha!!

Okie dokie, that's what i thought.

Bruce Lindfield · #12 03-22-2006, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fo' Shizzle

Or............stop bending the neck.

Yup ...Man visits his doctor :

"Doctor, it really hurts when I do this...."

Doctor : "Well stop doing it then!!"

Techmonkey · #13 03-23-2006, 11:13 AM

Apparantly when Jaco used to this it really damaged his necks... The reason why he's using a P-bass neck in Modern Electric Bass is because his jazz was being repaired for this very reason - it failed after bending.

This is just what I've heard though.

felytone · #14 03-24-2006, 07:41 AM

aww tech monkey, wat horror story u told abt jaco!

i went to the guitar repair shop, n amazingly it behaved well!! i really the bass stay this way now!!

ohh, i emailed billy sheehan abt my neck problem. amazingly he replied he has not encountered such problem n wished me gd luck! now isnt that strange!!

WillBuckingham · #15 03-24-2006, 11:49 AM

I think if you do this technique gently, like without putting more strain on the neck than it gets from leaning against a wall or being jossled around in it's case, you shouldn't have any problems. In the Jaco video, it looks like he's doing it pretty gently.