Bent neck from hanging on the wall?

[Zephrant]

There is a new/never used bass, but old stock at GC back east. It's exactly what I'm looking for (ESP B-155 in blue), but the GC repair tech says the first three frets are high, due to it hanging on the wall for too long.

He says he sees it all the time, and that the correct repair would be to remove the frets, shave it down, and re-fret. That cost would exceed the new cost of the bass.

But I've got time and tools and love a good deal. If I got it cheap enough, am I asking for problems to do the work myself? Mostly I'm wondering that if I stop hanging it on the wall, will it warp back a little, after I do the work?

 

[tangentmusic]

I have basses & guitars that I hang on the wall in my studio. They've hung for years with no ill effects to the necks at all. They even stay in near perfect tune.
Maybe some brands do, but my Fenders never have.
Maybe it just needs a good TR adjustment & set-up?

 

[Precision_D]

Never heard of that being an issue with any basses or guitars, for that matter. I have several guitars and basses that hang from my wall in my man cave and have had no issues.

 

[Twocan]

No way. Bad info.

 

[pfox14]

I agree. The GC tech has no idea what's he's talking about.

 

[20db pad]

GC rep is full of it, and is gaming you to try and get a completely unnecessary repair fee.

 

[JLS]

Firstly: GC "tech". This one seems particularly clueless.

Second: Sounds like a trussrod adjustment.

 

[Zephrant]

Hmm- The GC tech is actually against the repair. I had to push him to even give me a quote. That doesn't mean he knows what he is talking about, but I don't think he is intentionally misleading me to get a repair. He did say he adjusted the trussrod, but I can't really tell from here of course.

I was ready to buy the bass, then the tech brought up the fret problem when he checked it out. It is already discounted to $220, off of their typical $379, so they do know there is a problem of some kind.

Good to hear that others have not seen this though. Maybe it was just made wrong then?

Still comes back to if I can make the repair, and if it will hold over the long term.

BTW- ESP will not sell a replacement neck, nor will they do a factory repair on it, which does bother me about the entire brand now.

 

[Steve Dallman]

He's wrong and I wouldn't trust him with anything. If the first 3 frets are high, the first thing I'd suspect is the fingerboard coming loose. I've seen a lot of this. It has nothing to do with the bass hanging.

Hard to say anything without seeing the bass. If the fingerboard is loose, work glue into the gap, and clamp. With modern glues, like Titebond II, the repair will be stronger than the wood.

 

[tangentmusic]

Sounds like a lemon. I'd pass.
Find something local you can see & try before buying.
CL?
Pawnshops?
Local GC or Mom & Pop music store?

 

[P Town]

If you hang a bass very high up on a wall, you could get a bent neck just by looking at it.

 

[Means2nEnd]

and this is why about a 5 million guitars are hanging from walls allover the world

Bass needs adjusting the employee needs training the walls are fine.

 

[HeavyRockBasser]

Yep. Doesn't make any sense. The guy at GC is either not a tech, or not being honest. Maybe both.

 

[SirMjac28]

It depends on how high you hang them anything above seven feet expect problems.

-Miley Cyrus

 

[Zephrant]

Very interesting- Guess I won't know for sure what is wrong with it, as I don't want to buy it and find out its something I can't fix.

Thanks a lot for the info!

 

[JustForSport]

Not enough info/pics to identify the problem-
could just need trussrod slacked a bit, or next heavier gauge of strings if the fingerboard in not coming loose.
Then maybe a saddle adjustment.
If you prefer flats, they may cure it with the increased tension req'd.

 

[tedsalt]

If you hang a bass very high up on a wall, you could get a bent neck just by looking at it.

^^^ lol

 

[96tbird]

No way. Bad info.

Yeah, they won't bend. But they'll stretch.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Someone should call Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island and let them know they're ruining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of vintage guitars hanging them on the wall like they do. Record the call and post it.

 

[RustyAxe]

There is a new/never used bass, but old stock at GC back east. It's exactly what I'm looking for (ESP B-155 in blue), but the GC repair tech says the first three frets are high, due to it hanging on the wall for too long.

Never heard of such a thing and believe it to be pure BS. I would believe that it hung on the wall for too long because it has bad fret work.