Snapped Neck!!

lukelad · #1 10-14-2007, 06:25 PM

I just finished a gig and the strap of my bass bag broke resulting in the neck snapping! I am still in shock but want some advise about the possiblility of repair. The neck hasn't just snapped off the body, it is basically snapped in half with a long kind of splinter about half way up. Can this be glued as a temporary messure or will I need to buy a whole new neck? What kind of glue should be used if possible and how much is a new neck to buy and have fitted? I will post pictures tomorrow morning.

Please help! I feel like one of my best friends has just died!

Luke

lowendgenerator · #2 10-14-2007, 06:33 PM

What kind of bass is it? Pics are definitely advised, it's hard to say if it's fixable without visuals. Most snapped necks can be salvaged though.

lukelad · #3 10-14-2007, 06:45 PM

Its a boosey and hawkes golden strad from the 70's. By no means an expensive bass but I love it! I have lots of gigs this week so if I can do some sort of temporary fix and get a new neck fitted after then it would be amazing! Will post pictures tomorrow morning after I have writen a stern letter to the manufactures of my bass bag and calmed down a bit.

Phil Rowan · #4 10-14-2007, 11:15 PM

I'm not a luthier by any means, but if there are any "temporary" fixes I have no idea what they would be. I would think that you'd want to have it done right so it would be strong and be able to hold up against the tension of the strings. Worst case scenario is that you'd need to have a new neck put on, but I don't think that's too big a deal, so to speak.

PocketGroove82 · #5 10-14-2007, 11:42 PM

I think it cost me 600 bucks to get my neck reattached, and that was the less expensive solution. He used an 8inch bolt and glue to fix it without damaging the fingerboard.
Thankfully, I went to a talented guy and mine snapped in a place where this method could be done. If the break is in the wrong spot you might have to spend ALOT.

The other option costs around 2,000 bucks, and that involves getting a whole new neck.

There is nothing wrong with the old bolt and glue method, infact, call me crazy but I think my bass came back sounding better after the break.

Jake deVilliers · #6 10-15-2007, 01:34 AM

Get thee to a luthier! Pronto!

Seriously, it may be very easily fixable if handled correctly by someone with some experience in the field of bass repair. Preferably without metal, it's almost never necessary.

jlehmberg · #7 10-15-2007, 01:34 AM

I snapped my neck on an escalator back in June, a week before an audition! The guy I took it to here in Hong Kong just glued it with epoxy--no pin, and it was ready the next day. It cost me about $250 U.S. It's been fine since, and the repair is basically unnoticeable unless you're looking for it. I'm guessing some luthiers might be reluctant to use epoxy since it leaves a visible repair (it's dark, unlike organic glue I guess, so it leaves a thin, feint crack line on the neck). But it's super strong and quick to dry. Anyways, in most cases this is a totally fixable break, so don't worry! And it shouldn't affect the sound of the bass.

lukelad · #8 10-15-2007, 05:38 AM

Thanks for all the replys guys. here are some pictures.

Phil Rowan · #9 10-15-2007, 09:29 AM

It looks like the little part of what's left of the neck on the bass is pretty thin. I'm not sure if or how exactly this would be put back together with only glue if one part of it is so thin. Then again, I'm just a musician, not a luthier. I'm interested in what the TB resident luthiers have to say about this repair though.

Jake deVilliers · #10 10-15-2007, 10:52 AM

Hey Luke, that's a good one! A careful alignment check, hot glue and some cauls & clamps should have you playing your baby 48 hours later.

Please, no epoxy, its not removeable from the wood/joint when the time comes for further repairs.

lukelad · #11 10-15-2007, 11:06 AM

I have managed to do a fairly good repair job on it. It looks quite strong, and hopefully it will last until I can afford to replace the neck. I didn't get your message about epoxy until it was too late though. I don't think it will matter since any further repairs will have to be a complete new neck, so the areas I applied the epoxy shouldn't affect this. Here are some photos:

Silversorcerer · #12 10-16-2007, 10:21 AM

I just restored a Goya G10 classic guitar. The most difficult and frustrating part of the job was removing a tube of JB Weld epoxy from the bridge and top of the poor victim. Admittedly, the worst damage to the instrument was the epoxy repair attempt. I repaired a split and warped top, loose brace, re-attached the bridge. All with 480 gram strength flake hide glue. I just put the neck back on an Ovation that had been repaired with bondo. Another case of several hours of undoing a poor repair before actual repair can begin. Of course epoxy was the right adhesive on the Ovation, but not bondo.

When I was looking at your split neck, I was thinking there is so much surface area there due to the long thin splinter that a nearly invisible repair with hot hide glue would have been possible. On the epoxy job, it looks like there winds up being a lot of unecessary filler that creates a poor fit along the glue line. I have seen neck breaks that required epoxy, but I think that one could have been done with hide glue almost invisibly.

There are so many different epoxies. Which one did you use?

lukelad · #13 10-16-2007, 01:12 PM

Not sure what epoxy i used, will have to check the tube. I have been recording with it all day today and it was holding out ok but then towards the end of the day some cracks began to appear in the glue along the seam and it became clear that the epoxy wasn't holding it enough. Not really sure what to do now. a new neck i suppose. How much is a cheap neck in the UK?

toman · #14 10-17-2007, 01:22 AM

I've seen breaks like that repaired with a dowel into the block; I always wondered if there was any added benefit to it. Aside from the lovely dot it leaves on the fingerboard. Doesn't seem to me like the dowel would add much strength on top of a good glue up.

Silversorcerer · #15 10-18-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukelad

Not sure what epoxy i used, will have to check the tube. I have been recording with it all day today and it was holding out ok but then towards the end of the day some cracks began to appear in the glue along the seam and it became clear that the epoxy wasn't holding it enough. Not really sure what to do now. a new neck i suppose. How much is a cheap neck in the UK?

Well, the hide glue comes off with warm water....

On the Goya and the Ovation, I had to chisel that **** off before I had good gluing surfaces, what a pain ....

Silversorcerer · #16 10-18-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toman

I've seen breaks like that repaired with a dowel into the block; I always wondered if there was any added benefit to it. Aside from the lovely dot it leaves on the fingerboard. Doesn't seem to me like the dowel would add much strength on top of a good glue up.

With that much clean surface area, you are right, the dowel doesn't add much. In fact the grain running at right angles could actually weaken the join.

Silversorcerer · #17 10-18-2007, 11:11 AM

Methyl ethyl ketone removes most epoxies. It is dangerous stuff to touch or breath. Beware, it will also remove any finish it comes in contact with it also.

NaOH also breaks down epoxy. It is also dangerous (maybe even more dangerous) to touch or breath.

These may fall into the "don't try this unless you are a chemist" category.

Jake deVilliers · #18 10-18-2007, 12:57 PM

Hey Silver, I didn't know that MEK will pull epoxy. Thanks.

Have you tried using hide or even Titebond after removing the epoxy with MEK?
I'm curious; doubtful, but curious.

gnergaard · #19 10-18-2007, 01:30 PM

And I've done similar damage to my bass once as well.
I suggest that some glue and dowels/or metal reinforcements at the heel could take care of this just fine.
My break was a "cleaner" break at the heel without the strip of wood traveling up the back of the neck. I actually had to fix it twice- the original repair started failing during a particularly cold and dry winter in Chicago. My repair was done by both A440 and later by Mark Sonksen (the 2nd time). It is holding and seems to be better than ever. Mark used Steel instead of aluminum or wooden dowels for added strength.
This repair will involve removing the fingerboard and will probably cost more like $700- maybe more if any re-sanding of the neck needs to be done after the glue sets.
Sorry my Friend! It happens to everybody eventually.

**Matthew Tucker** · #20 10-18-2007, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnergaard

It happens to everybody eventually.

Don't say that!