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Back bow after neck heat straightening

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Apr 10, 2011
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#1
I bought a 79' japanese Greco p-bass on ebay as junk. The neck had a bad upbow, with truss rod tight as possible.
So i decided to try fixin it myself via heat clamping with air grill, my Laney rb2 amp and all books i could find)). The results: neck is in the back bow now, i cant fit a credit card between 8th fret, and strings are buzzing(
What should i do?
Thanx
Nikita
 

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#9
well congrats, you have proof that your process works
banana.gif


if you really have nothing to lose here but time, try reversing the process, but more gently.
 
#10
You need to figure out a way to control the bow or straightness of the neck prior to heating, AND afterwards while it cools.

From your pics it looks like you just heated it, then piled weight on it and let it cool. It cooled with a backbow, and that's why you can't get no relief, said the joker to the thief.
 
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#11
Update:
Heat and weigh really works! After another heating session I managed to get some better results, I can fit a business card between 8th fret(string moves), with the truss rod loose. I will leave it with the strings tight for some time, to see how it goes.
 
#15
I've done similar heat sets using a steam radiator and long bar clamps and, yes, heat works! Using the bar clamps enabled me to dial in exactly how much back bend I was trying to establish, although it was still pretty inexact.

Now that you've got it where you want it, I suggest making sure that the truss rod isn't just loose in there; snug it up so it's just barely tight. The strings will pull against it and the neck should settle in right where it is.
 
#16
Lo-E said:
I've done similar heat sets using a steam radiator and long bar clamps and, yes, heat works! Using the bar clamps enabled me to dial in exactly how much back bend I was trying to establish, although it was still pretty inexact.

Now that you've got it where you want it, I suggest making sure that the truss rod isn't just loose in there; snug it up so it's just barely tight. The strings will pull against it and the neck should settle in right where it is.
Click to expand...

Thanx, I did that. How much relief should I aim, business card on 8th fret?
 
#17
It's a matter of personal preference. That's a good starting point, as a lot of people use that as their reference.

I like to capo at the first fret and fret the 13th fret, measuring .004" with a feeler gauge at the 6th fret. That's me. You should use whatever method gets you the action you like.
 

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