Calling all Experts - Maxed truss rod and neck bow repair

Please I really could use your expert advice. I am not feeling confident with this repair as I am concerned the larger issue is the neck's bow is placing too much of a force on the truss rod.

I received a G&L neck that has a forward bow. Currently there is NO tension on the neck, there is .024" relief measuring at the 9th fret between 1st fret and the 21st fret.
Is the .024" relief (credit card thickness) too strong of a bow for a truss rod to hold near straight?

In addition, the truss rod was overtightened resulting in a bump with two hairline cracks between the string nut and 1st fret in the rosewood fretboard .
It was overtightened..this assume is why the bullet truss rod nut nearly exploded through the fretboard. Or could the bow be too strong a force pushing fretboard outward at the nut?

The good news is the truss rod works and the threads are fine. I prepared a few steel washers to be placed before the bullet-style nut, these washers easily slide on/off the truss rod.

I have the liquid super glue and the new gel super glue for the cracks in the rosewood.
Is the liquid super glue a better choice for this repair?

I got an idea that I may try..that is packing the truss rod cavity with plastic wrap to protect the rod in case any glue seeps through the crack into the cavity.

Thanks - Richard

 

I had searched Talkbass forums, the internet, and asked local Luthiers before posting here. This is real.
When I proceed in repairing the neck I'll be watching for a fretboard explosion .

-Richard

 

I agree.
The dry heat method does work but the glue must be malleable. This is a 24 yr.old neck so the glue may have turned to dust years ago.

Are you guys saying then the neck's bow is too far gone heating is the only reasonable option? sorry, if I am dense this morning.

A circle of local Luthiers believe I can handle this job alone. I realize it be too expensive to pay either of them and there would be no guarantee of a repair. They are not sure if the neck is too far askew at this point to not attempt to use the truss rod. They say I should go for it and keep them in the loop. Oh I am prepared to accept the worst outcome - no bitching but enjoy the experience.

I appreciate the replies. Please keep'em coming. Brainstorms are welcome!

-Richard

 

I want to make it known I did not create this mess. This is the condition of the neck in which I received.


-Richard

 

The cracks are with the grain. They are not visible under low light and the bump is tiny.

Dry heating - the glue between the neck and fret board would need to have the capacity for adaptive change. Do you know that the glue will not deteriorate under high heat? I have to emit I don't know how much heat will be used, so my opinion is restringing and truss adjustments do not compare to altering the wood & glue under heat. EDIT: Sometimes I can be hardheaded. I just finished reading about clear 250w heat lamps applying them to necks. lethargytartare, I see the light[pun].. Heating could be correct the way to fix it. I must read more on the subject.

The repairmen never said they don’t know if it is fixable. They have seen it. What they don’t know is that the truss rod will hold the neck straight.

If they had to work on it they would
1st. Repair the cracks in the fret board.
2nd Add a washer to the truss rod. Adjust the truss, if the truss rod can’t straighten the neck …
3rd Clamping + Heating, if that does not work….
4th. Remove the frets and the fret board, replace the truss rod, glue the fret board back on and clamp the neck straight. Afterwards they add frets. There was one person that said he would not fully remove the fret board from the neck.

Yep -- why wouldn’t the damage reoccur? This is why I am not comfortable with just adding a few washers to get more room for adjustment. You're the first person beside myself to ask this question.

+1, I like Xylem's fresh idea. I clamp it straight and tighten the nut. Then add a little pressure after each 24hr period.

Pics will be posted.. I'm now gathering the materials for my homebrew jig/clamp.

Thanks for your replies and take care,

-Richard

 

2 hairline cracks in the fretboard.. The longest crack stretches from the nut to the 1st fret the other crack is a half-inch long. Both are difficult to see under low light.

That is plain plastic-wrap seen inside the rod cavity. I wrapped it around the threads of the truss rod and packed the cavity as protection from the glue.

 

Here is the bow. I placed a straight edge along frets 1-21, the pic shows only the gap between frets 5 - 12.

 

Just a few materials for the job.

 

I found some (4) 4mm stainless steel washers at the HD. I bored them out to 10/24" so they slide on/off the truss rod.

 

found the rubber at the HD in the plumbing aisle. this will be used as a cushion between the clamp block and neck. Halves are glued together to increase the thickness.

 

A homebrew jig/clamp. it works well. those are black rubber dampers i found. I cut them to size on a band saw.

 

a straight edge placed along the board to check for a straight neck

 

I should have made this thread a poll... as I would have 2 votes for removing the fretboard.