Neck removal/re-install questions......help please

[g4string]

OK........My bass's body needs to be refinished. The problem is my bass has a fresh setup, just the way I like it. Needless to say, I dont want to disassemble the bass. The deal is if I sent the whole bass and had the company who is doing the refin job disassemble and reassemble the bass before and after painting, it will cost me an additional $125. Pat Wilkins & Co. will be doing the refin, so I am certain they will do an excellent job w/ the reassemble job if I go that route..........ntm, it would be the most conveinient method for me give all I have to do is ship the bass.

However, what if I want to just ship him the body. I know how to solder and have skills with a screwdriver.....so removing the electronics and hardware shouldnt be a problem. By doing the disassemle/reassemble myself I can save myself $125. The only thing that concerns me is the neck, mainly re-installing the neck...........

My 1st question is the torque on the neck screws......how tight is too tight?? What is a good method to properly torque neck screws??

My next quetsion is do I need to put any type of glue, lock-tite, or adhesive on the screws when I re-install them???

3rd question, when I reinstall the neck, should everything realign itself. All I know how to do is adjust the releif of the neck. I am assuming all I would need to do is re-screw the neck and everything should be golden (assuming the neck is not shimmed). Is this correct??

Any pointers or advise I N2K would be appreciated. Thanks!

[J.D.B.]

Likely going to need a set-up one way or another. Hard to avoid, given complete dis-assembly.

Josh

[draftsmann]

You're worrying too much.

Adhesive is the last thing you need on the screws - on the contrary I'd suggest running the threads over a candle to lube them a little.

For a reassembly the screws should "tell" you when they are tight enough. Make sure that there isn't a gap between neck and body when you insert the screws (having a helper to hold them together would do no harm).

You may find the neck isn't a tight fit in the pocket. You obviously need to ensure the neck is aligned correctly (you don't want the top or bottom string hanging off the edge of the fingerboard). I suggest using nothing more high-tech than nylon string tied to the tuners and fed over the bridge saddles and secured by whatever means is appropriate for the kind of bridge. Obviously you only need to do this where the top and bottom strings go. And you only need enough tension for the dummy "strings" to act as straight edges, so as to align the neck correctly.

Conversely, if the neck is a tight fit in its pocket, be careful how you ease it back in when the body comes back from its refinish - the last thing you want to do is crack the finish!

None of this is rocket science - it's all common sense.

Adrian

[ByF]

Originally Posted by J.D.B.

Likely going to need a set-up one way or another. Hard to avoid, given complete dis-assembly.

Josh

I agree--the neck is going to sit slightly differently in the pocket, and the bridge will be a little higher or lower, depending on what they do to the finish. And of course you'll be adjusting the pickups--sounds like a set-up to me.

But after you assemble it and string it up, you may as well wait a day or so before you adjust the truss rod, because it will take time for the neck to settle in.

What I have done in the past to make the neck sit straight in the pocket is to put a feeler gage in the gap between the neck and the body to keep the neck from rotating while I tighten the screws.

Good luck. Post pictures.

Ed

[draftsmann]

Originally Posted by ByF

What I have done in the past to make the neck sit straight in the pocket is to put a feeler gage in the gap between the neck and the body to keep the neck from rotating while I tighten the screws.

Good tip - I've used a low-tech strip of card to similar effect.

[Pilgrim]

The questions you ask indicate that you have very limited experience with this kind of process. I suggest you let them do all the work - then they're responsible for the result. They can do a setup for you, and you may or may not need to have it tweaked when it comes back.

Pay the man.

[g4string]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

......Pay the man.

Words of wisdom right there You're right, I might be in a tad over my head on this guy. Best to have someone else do the work.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

The questions you ask indicate that you have very limited experience with this kind of process. I suggest you let them do all the work - then they're responsible for the result. They can do a setup for you, and you may or may not need to have it tweaked when it comes back.

Pay the man.

Ay-greed!