tross rod completely loosened, yet no relief

goodweather · #1 05-26-2007, 03:38 PM

Hi everyone,

Following some helpful advice I received in this forum a couple of day ago, I waited for my bass' neck to settle and now report back.

I have the tross rod as loosened as it will go before the nut will come loose. Yet, measuring relief with the method indicated in the sticky thread (barre at 1st fret, elbow strings below end of neck, measure distance between 8th fret and A string) I have almost no relief at all (much less than the suggested credit card thickness) [and buzz in the higher frets].

Is this bad? Ever since I got this bass one month ago I only loosened the truss rod twice, and only one quarter of a turn each of those times. Isn't it strange that the truss rod nut became completely loose after only loosening the truss rod that little bit (and still I get no relief)?

Thank you for any help,

Confused M

shwashwa · #2 05-26-2007, 03:48 PM

this is the very reason i always mention in my threads the need for me to have basses with dual action truss rods. sounds like you may be on the verge of a backbow. what kind of bass is it?

goodweather · #3 05-27-2007, 01:25 AM

Hi Shwashwa,

This is a Yamaha BB415.

Thanks for any advice

M

ehque · #4 05-27-2007, 03:01 AM

try strings with higher tension to pull the neck forward.

shwashwa · #5 05-27-2007, 03:40 AM

i'm no luthier, so you may want to wait till people with experience post, but the only other thing i can think of would be to tighten up your strings extra tight and hope the neck comes forward. this could take a while and the neck could go right back where it was when you re-tune. i'm not an expert on setup, so i'd definately wait for more advice. if it's a new bass i'd definately write the store or manufacturer and see if it's under warentee for such a problem, then i'd put a warmoth or a carvin neck on it

goodweather · #6 05-27-2007, 05:43 PM

Thank you for your advice. So the only thing I can try is to put a good deal of tension into the strings and let the bass rest like that for a while in the hope that the neck will bend forwards?

It is outside of the warranty, I am afraid. What can a repairshop do about this?

Thanks... : /

m

MooseLumps · #7 02-01-2011, 04:37 PM

Bump. Thread from the dead. Having the same problem

Diogenes · #8 02-01-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooseLumps

Bump. Thread from the dead. Having the same problem

Nice way to dredge up a dead thread. (if you hadn't have searched you know what our response would have been... just can't win, can you?)

What bass is it? Does your truss rod nut loosen up completely as well? (trying to determine if you have a dual action truss rod in there).

MooseLumps · #9 02-01-2011, 09:20 PM

Fender roscoe beck v. Single action rod. no neck shim. took the nut off a little while ago. all seems well. with no string tension on, the neck is backbowed just the slightest amount around the 4th fret

bcbassman · #10 02-04-2011, 09:39 AM

The higher string tension should work to bring the neck forward particularly if the rod is completely loose. If the neck is still stubborn, and some pieces of wood are going to back bow naturally, I would use a clamping system to bend the neck forward and then apply heat from a photography lamp for about 24 hours.

I did this to a Mighty Mite Precision Neck that I got for very cheap because it was backbowed. It worked great an the neck is still in use today about 15 years later.

MooseLumps · #11 02-09-2011, 02:28 AM

a bump and a clarification.
My Roscoe Beck v neck is backbowed. There is no shim under the neck heel or any such trickery. The truss rod is completely loosened, and i had the nut off the rod once and inspected. The rod seems to work, but it's a one way rod (I did not take the string nut off the neck)
I've had the string tension up 4 steps for 2 days now, and it shows no change. the clamping solution is looking like my only option. Before I do anything that drastic, is there anything else I should try? Is there a trick to these one piece necks with carbon fiber rods?

JLS · #12 02-09-2011, 08:17 AM

There is no shim under the neck heel or any such trickery.

A shim wouldn't have anything to do with the neck being bowed, or not. It would only change the angle of the neck & body.

is there anything else I should try?

As another poster suggested, heat.

prd004 · #13 02-09-2011, 08:32 AM

A credit card is way too thick, a buisiness card is closer to an accurate measurment. But buy some feeler guages they are only a few bucks. Also, a straight edge is much more accurate than the capo/string fret method. You can get a straight edge metal ruler and a set of feeler guages for under ten bucks at Lowes and get a professional measurment! (PS I got a beefy 36 metal ruler for three bucks and I had to cut it down a few inches)

Tune your bass to pitch, lay the rulers edge the length of the fingerboard and measure at the seventh fret. .015-.020 is the relief you want.

If your bass is way off, you may have to take it to a pro. A good tech will loosen the truss completely, and use a special clamp to relive the bow on the neck and then tighten the truss! You can't rely soley on the truss to correct sereous bow issues. You are in big danger of stripping/breaking the truss.

Diogenes · #14 02-09-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooseLumps

... I've had the string tension up 4 steps for 2 days now, and it shows no change. the clamping solution is looking like my only option. Before I do anything that drastic, is there anything else I should try? Is there a trick to these one piece necks with carbon fiber rods?

I think your best bet would be the heat and clamp method. As for carbon fiber rods... their purpose isn't necessarliy to stiffen a neck, they are more for ensuring a more consistent curve in the neck when setting relief. A tapered wooden neck with a variance in grain will tend to bend more at the thinner end or where the grain is not as tight, consistent or where there is runout.

JLS · #15 02-09-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prd004

A credit card is way too thick, a buisiness card is closer to an accurate measurment. But buy some feeler guages they are only a few bucks. Also, a straight edge is much more accurate than the capo/string fret method. You can get a straight edge metal ruler and a set of feeler guages for under ten bucks at Lowes and get a professional measurment! (PS I got a beefy 36 metal ruler for three bucks and I had to cut it down a few inches)

Tune your bass to pitch, lay the rulers edge the length of the fingerboard and measure at the seventh fret. .015-.020 is the relief you want.

If your bass is way off, you may have to take it to a pro. A good tech will loosen the truss completely, and use a special clamp to relive the bow on the neck and then tighten the truss! You can't rely soley on the truss to correct sereous bow issues. You are in big danger of stripping/breaking the truss.

Note that he's concerned with a backbow...

MooseLumps · #16 02-11-2011, 01:48 AM

^that

Chrisk-K · #17 02-13-2011, 01:22 AM

Buy a humidifier.