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Bad neck

Fletz

Fletz

Jan 16, 2009
4,658
3,007
New Jersey
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Hartke artist
#1
Hi all -

Just after I was praising and basking in the fond memories of my 1993 Fender Jazz Bass (the last year of the Long Horn or Boner basses), I realized I had some fret buzz around the 14-16 frets. Brought it to my favorite local guitar shop and they said the hex nut on the truss rod is stripped. They tried to remove the truss rod to no avail. He said I either have to (a) use heat to un bow the neck - not going to do that or (b) replace the neck. Wait, this story is going somewhere, I promise.

So, my question is, can I replace this neck with a 20 fret neck as opposed to the 22 fret one that it came with? I ask because (a) they are cheaper and (b) easier to come by.

What do you all think?

Thanks!
 
#6
I'm pretty sure that if you replace your 22 fret neck with a 20 fret neck you'll change the scale length of the instrument. I asked my luthier friend about your neck issues and essentially it goes like this... if you really want to fix that neck, it can be done. The fret board gets removed, the truss rod gets repaired and/or replaced, the fret board get restored. No, it ain't cheap, but then getting a new neck will cost some $ as well, so you'll have to run the numbers and see what works best for you.
 
#8
22 fret necks come up on Ebay occasionally. I bought one and installed it but had to deepen the length of the neck pocket. If you put a 20 fret neck on, you could make a filler block to adjust the length. The 22 fret neck is about 1 1/4" longer. I would repair what you have, but the trussrod is not under the fretboard it's in a channel on the back of the neck. If you can remove the nut, there are tools to rethread the damaged threads on the truss rod.
Rocky
 
#12
Is the truss rod adjuster a hex nut? Or is it a bullet adjuster that takes an Allen wrench (i.e. a hex-shaped hole)?

If it's the latter (which is what I suspect it is), don't just take your guitar shop's word for it that it cannot be gotten out. When I bought my G&L, I took it to my tech for a setup and he said the truss rod bullet adjuster was stripped and he couldn't do anything with it. He told me I also needed a new neck. I got the bass back from him, used the proper tools, took the "stripped" adjuster out myself, got a new bullet adjuster from StewMac and took it back to him to put the adjuster in and do the setup.

If the truss rod had not then broken, my neck would have been fine....

Here's the thread about it:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=658993

If you skip down to the end, you should be able to find the info on what tools I used to get the adjuster out. It was really pretty easy - with the right tools (which were not expensive at all).
 
#16
So I guess they tried to pull the truss rod out but it wouldn't come? Why didn't they quote you for removing the fingerboard and pulling it out that way? If they're not capable of that sort of repair take your bass to someone who is.

You shouldn't have to replace the whole neck just because the truss rod bust and it's got a bow that needs sorting out. And to replace that neck is going to be expensive, so an "expensive repair" should work out cheaper.
 
#17
kevteop said:
So I guess they tried to pull the truss rod out but it wouldn't come? Why didn't they quote you for removing the fingerboard and pulling it out that way? If they're not capable of that sort of repair take your bass to someone who is.

You shouldn't have to replace the whole neck just because the truss rod bust and it's got a bow that needs sorting out. And to replace that neck is going to be expensive, so an "expensive repair" should work out cheaper.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I will be on the lookout for a good "second opinion." Anyone know any good guitar repair shops in NJ?
 
#20
I think you first need to assess if the truss rod is stripped or broken, or if the nut is adjusted as much as it will go and is simply "maxed out". Because if you clamped and heated the neck to straighten the bow without fixing the rod situation, it might very well work...for awhile. But then youre relying on the neck wood alone to work against the string tension.

A decent luthier should be able to repair a damaged truss rod. Depending on where it is (in a channel behind a skunk stripe, or below a RW fingerboard) they could remove it and replace it.

It requires a little surgery though due to the way truss rods are installed.

If the neck really means something to you the best solution IMO is to have the truss rod removed, clamp and heat the neck if it is a really bad bow (there are instructions online for this) to straighten it out, and have a new truss rod installed. If it has a ski jump type of bow near the higher frets, a luthier can remove the frets in that area and plane down a bit of the rosewood and refret.

You oughta get an estimate before you jump into that work though.

You could try Norio Imai in NYC. He used to work for Roger Sadowsky and I completely trust his judgement. His work is more costly but you know youre getting the best repair and best advice.
 

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