replacing a neck

wingnut · #1 01-20-2009, 09:17 AM

I've searched the forums and can't find any specifics on HOW to replace a neck. It's an Eastman 3/4 and the head is broke off. I did the bolt, dowel, brace and glue dance and it just isn't working. So I'm going to have to replace the whole neck.
Thanks everyone.

kurt ratering · #2 01-20-2009, 09:31 AM

neck sets involve chalk fitting the neck heel into the mortise. depending on how clean the old neck came out, you may have to fit spruce into the mortise to give your self something to fit into.
when fitting the neck you must keep an eye on three planes: side to side for centering, neck angle and overstand, . when i set a neck, i set the projection to 153-155mm to accomodate settling and the overstand about 35mm depending on the arch. oh yeah, and a fourth, neck length, which will vary depending on whether you have a D or a Bb neck.
you'll need a sharp chisel long enough to reach the bottom of the mortise, chalk, a long straight edge, ruler(metric) a strong four letter word vocabulary, and butt loads of patience. good luck

wingnut · #3 01-20-2009, 09:46 AM

The neck isn't out ...yet. I've never removed a neck before and don't want to damage anything, if it's a major PITA I'll just buy the neck and have a luthier do it. However it is just a 1000.00 dollar Eastman...
Thanks.

arnoldschnitzer · #4 01-20-2009, 10:43 AM

You cannot just "buy a neck" and have it installed. Replacement necks are a huge block of maple with a pre-made scroll at the top. The luthier turns it into a neck by reducing, fitting, carving and finishing it. That is, unless Eastman will sell you a "factory" replacement neck that requires little work to make it fit. This is not a DIY project unless you are an accomplished woodworker with access to lots of advice.

wingnut · #5 01-20-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnoldschnitzer

You cannot just "buy a neck" and have it installed. Replacement necks are a huge block of maple with a pre-made scroll at the top. The luthier turns it into a neck by reducing, fitting, carving and finishing it. That is, unless Eastman will sell you a "factory" replacement neck that requires little work to make it fit. This is not a DIY project unless you are an accomplished woodworker with access to lots of advice.

That's the info I was looking for, thanks Arnold. Time for another upright.

forester · #6 01-20-2009, 10:19 PM

you have nothing to lose at this point..except $1000. clean the joint..or hopefully joints!..reglue using accur-glass(brownel.com),clamp,let it sit 24hrs... split,broken, and shattered student model eastman necks and peg boxes seem commonplace,many break flush with the top so there is only one surface to glue...the stuff works..the instruments usually returns after a seasons rental... broken elsewhere.

ps. clean all smudges and glue smears
normal disclaimer applies:

vejesse · #7 01-21-2009, 06:39 AM

Are you talking about acraglas? This is epoxy glue used for bedding gun recievers into gunstocks - available from Brownell's the gunsmith supply company. If you're going to use epoxy for a neck repair on an inexpensive bass I would use System Three T-88. It's cheaper, available locally, just as strong and it cleans up with vinegar instead of lacquer thinner so you can save the varnish and do a clean repair.

wingnut · #8 01-21-2009, 08:25 AM

Okay, I'll unbolt everything and give it another try. The bolts and braces and gorilla glue obviously aren't working, holds great until you tune up. I'm using real low tension slappers from Barefoot Larry, by the next day the head is working loose again. Thanks again you guys...I'll let you know.

Cyrus Pansch · #9 01-21-2009, 08:46 AM

Using gorilla glue is where your problem is. If you can clean that @#$% up and still have a solid mortise joint try cooking up hide glue and re-gluing. Only use the T-88 Epoxy if your joint is shot! (good stuff by the way)

vejesse · #10 01-21-2009, 09:15 AM

I can't believe you used Gorilla glue. Unless you can figure out a way to clean out all the Gorilla glue forget it. The wood used on those low end Eastman necks is pithy and soft to begin with. I'd say call Eastman and see if they happen to have a neck but even if they do you'll still have a softwood neck and plenty of work ahead of you. Is it under warantee? At this point, if you want to save the bass take it to a luthier. There may be a clever way to save the neck otherwise have a new machine carved neck installed.

I believe if an Eastman dealer calls Eastman with this problem then Eastman tells the dealer to send the bass back. Then they'll send it to China for repair - at least I know of one case where this has happened. Does anyone know if this is the general policy? If it is it's a giant waste of resources and an insult to local repair folks. This kind of thinking is part of the reason why the USA is in the trouble it's in. Grab the money now and forget about the long term health of an industry. I'm seeing in real time what this kind of thinking is doing to the tool and die/moldmaking industry here. Loss of interesting, challenging family supporting types of jobs and loss of quality in the products. We've got to break the cycle.

kurt muroki · #11 01-21-2009, 09:51 AM

now I know that I have a bad sense of humor, but (please bear (or gorilla) with me)...

1) gorilla glue... is that hide glue made from gorillas?

2) isn't gorilla glue only to be used for holding 2 gorillas together?

1a) I am trully sorry for this... I will try to restrain myself in the future.

2a) You can blame my mother

kurt

**Damon Rondeau** · #12 01-21-2009, 10:08 AM

Hey: Barefoot Larry! There's a name we haven't heard from around here in a long time. I hope he hasn't gone and gotten any shoes or anything like that.

dchan · #13 01-21-2009, 10:10 AM

I believe his Eastman's neck joint is fine - it's his scroll and/or pegbox that are broken. So if he has to replace his neck, he actually has to take off the neck at the neck joint first.

That said, how hard is it to actually repair the pegbox and/or scroll? Wingnut, give us some pictures to work with here.

**Damon Rondeau** · #14 01-21-2009, 10:10 AM

The Gorilla Glue people do a lot of good marketing, getting their name out there and the perception that they've got some kind of real Magillah Gorillah product. I've tried their glue (together with that type of glue) several times though and I just don't see the point. Hate the foam. No experienced woodworker I know uses the stuff on any kind of regular basis.

wingnut · #15 01-21-2009, 12:45 PM

The Gorilla glue was actually recommended by a someone here in Vegas (won't listen to him anymore...). And yes, it is the head/scroll the is broken off right at the nut. I no longer have a digital camera (thanks guitard). But I will do my best to describe what has been done.
1. I cleaned up all of the rough edges from the break and sanded it.
2. I glued everything back together.
3. I placed screws on the side of the head at the neck under the tuning covers for re-enforcement.
4. I fashioned a metal brace and bolted it to the back of the head bridging the break to keep it from pulling forward under tension.

Obviously this didn't work. I thought about drilling a hole into the head and into the neck and fitting a metal bar into the two peices and then gluing it together again.
Any other ideas? I really can't afford a lot right now and I have gigs coming up pretty quickly here...

Jake deVilliers · #16 01-21-2009, 01:10 PM

Clean off that **** and epoxy it back together, then put some maple/birch dowel through the join, again with 24 hour epoxy. It won't be pretty but it should work. The only problem is that polyurethane crap contaminating the joint, otherwise you'd have been good for years.

wingnut · #17 01-21-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Clean off that **** and epoxy it back together, then put some maple/birch dowel through the join, again with 24 hour epoxy. It won't be pretty but it should work. The only problem is that polyurethane crap contaminating the joint, otherwise you'd have been good for years.

Thanks jake, I'll give the dowell idea a go when I get home.

Jake deVilliers · #18 01-21-2009, 02:12 PM

Good luck wingnut. I only wish you'd asked before using that Gorilla stuff.........

wingnut · #19 01-21-2009, 02:48 PM

Well, as always, live and learn. Seems I'm ALWAYS learnin' something! That's what happens when you're a redneck... So far I've learned two things today. One, don't buy Eastman basses, and two NEVER use Gorilla Glue on your bass!

Jake deVilliers · #20 01-21-2009, 04:32 PM

That's almost right. It should really be 'Never use Gorilla Glue"!