Wrong neck bow?

RiverFunk · #1 07-14-2008, 08:12 AM

Does my new bass' neck bow incorrectly? (visual explanation attached)

When loosening the truss rod, instead of getting a bow towards the headstock, this bass gets a bow at the center of the neck, (like a smile line).

This makes for a lot of fret noise and strange sounding notes, I think I can see why.

Tightening the truss rod only makes the smile more straight, but it can't get the body-end of the neck straight.

This is a custom bass - could the chosen neck wood not be strong enough? Weak truss rod? The neck is pretty slim, maybe it is too slim? Or is this behaviour ok and I am missing something?

Thanks,

loend68 · #2 07-14-2008, 08:24 AM

Maybe you need to get it as straight as possible then shim the neck pocket? Might be worth taking it to a reputable guitar repair guy for a set up. If it's new, I'd bring it back to wherever you got it and have them get it set up for you.

Bruce Lindfield · #3 07-14-2008, 08:25 AM

That neck does look very thin and it is not laminated either - looks like one-piece..? I would be very worried that it wasn't strong enough?

But I'm no luthier - so would defer to any experts..?

RiverFunk · #4 07-14-2008, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loend68

Maybe you need to get it as straight as possible then shim the neck pocket? Might be worth taking it to a reputable guitar repair guy for a set up. If it's new, I'd bring it back to wherever you got it and have them get it set up for you.

I can get the neck fully straight, but would then shimming add the necessary curve (towards the headstock)? The bass is fresh from the luthier, I will get it back to him, but I want to validate with other people as well. Thx

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

That neck does look very thin and it is not laminated either - looks like one-piece..? I would be very worried that it wasn't strong enough?

Yes it is thin and not laminated. But before that - do you think that bow is really wrong then? Thx

Bruce Lindfield · #5 07-14-2008, 09:35 AM

I always liked a straight(flat) neck - I only had one bass that bowed like that and it did make it very difficult to play. I felt that adjusting the truss rod made it better, but not how I wanted and I ended up selling it cheaply...

Ron W. · #6 07-14-2008, 09:56 AM

check this out.

http://www.fender.com/support/basses.php

Zooberwerx · #7 07-14-2008, 10:52 AM

Don't shim anything; it will not affect neck relief and only complicate the issue. Your illustrations are spot-on. Relief is usually more pronounced at the 7th fret and gradually diminishes. Have you checked it betweenst the 17th and 24th frets?

Riis