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Geddy Lee jazz needs constant truss rod adjustments

#21
I had a similar experience and this is how I fixed it. I live in South Florida, however, I was visiting my brother who lives in Jackson, Wyoming. He had purchased a 2012 MIM Geddy Lee Jazz Bass with the intent of learning to play. He then placed the bass in an Ultimate Guitar stand (one of the neck hanging ones), the bass then sat there unplayed for the next 7 years. I am from South Florida so to me it felt like 1-2% humidity. The neck was bowed quite a bit, but I was able to straighten it with the Truss Rod.
After some other routine maintenance, he decided to give me the bass as he doesn't play it. The gig bag it came with was not to be found, so I bought a hardshell case so he could ship it to me in FL.
Once in FL the Truss Rod adjustments (always tightening) continued for a few weeks, but the neck would bow again in about 48 hours or so. It didn't take long until the truss rod was maxed out.
I can't remember if it was here on TB or it may have been the gear page but I found a thread regarding a warped AND twisted bass neck that was fixed using clamps and heat over several days. One of the thread responses claimed to be able to fix the neck using a technique his father taught him (who was a cabinetmaker). Anyway, his site was warpedneck dot com or something very similar. I took the neck off, backed off the truss rod (to reset its position) and shipped it to him (he was in Denton, TX) he called a couple days later and said he could fix it for $75. I gave the go ahead, and about a week and a half later I received the neck, I used a straightedge to check it and it was dead on straight. I put it back on the Geddy Lee bass and strung it up with .045-.105 EB Hybrid Slinkys. Next day it needed about an eighth of a turn to be perfect. Since then it has been quite stable, only needing the occasional adjustment.
The Geddy Lee MIM neck is thin to be sure, I had to tune down a half step for a song my band was trying and the neck moved a fair amount, returning to standard pitch corrected this quickly. So glad I spent the money I love that bass (her name is Claire btw). Good Luck to you!
 
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#23
Back when I had my (CIJ) Geddy, I remember the neck needing more adjustments than my other basses, though not as much as the OP. I figured it was because of the thinner neck. I have noticed that my less expensive basses do require more adjusting than my more expensive ones, the exception was a G&L L2500 tribute...that thing didnt move in the slightest in all the time i had it. My Squier VM fretless is a pretty thin neck and needs tweaking several times a year. My Wal on the other hand, hasnt moved much if at all in the time that ive owned it.
 
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#25
corganmurray said:
Hey guys, I got a MIM GL jazz bass 2 years ago, and I am constantly dealing with the neck and adjusting the truss rod to fix the relief (reducing the action or height of the strings). I assumed it was just a summer problem due to high humidity where I live, but now it's the middle of the winter and I still find myself having to tighten the truss rod about a quarter turn once or twice a week. I get it feeling good again, have a few nice days of practice, and then I wake up to find the strings are too high at the 12th and need to be lowered. I've had it setup by a pro, the action/intonation is great when the (maple) neck is freshly adjusted, but then it starts to lift again.

I have 3 other basses that don't have this problem, including a Stingray special (strong, roasted neck) and a cheapy MIM P-bass (maple neck), so my only theory is that it's related to how thin the neck on this J-bass is.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue on a similar model, or have any advice to share? I'm nervous one of these days I'm going to break the truss rod or something.
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This sounds like the problem I had and it was nothing to do really with how slim the neck was. I bought a 1996 RI '62 American Jazz several years ago and had the same problem. I brought it to two different luthiers, the first told me it was a soft neck put washers behind the truss rod nut which MIGHT fix it but it bowed again. The second also told me the neck was a soft one and couldn't be fixed since it has already had the washer treatment done and told me to buy a new neck. I took it off and bought a new Am Pro Jazz neck, that fixed the problem. The wood is soft at the other end of the truss rod and will keep giving as you tighten it, mine was the same as yours, it would be OK for a couple of days then bow, on and on. It's a known Fender problem although it's the only one I've owned that did that. My suggestion is stop wasting your time with it as it won't stop and buy a new neck.
 
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#26
corganmurray said:
Hey guys, I got a MIM GL jazz bass 2 years ago, and I am constantly dealing with the neck and adjusting the truss rod to fix the relief (reducing the action or height of the strings). I assumed it was just a summer problem due to high humidity where I live, but now it's the middle of the winter and I still find myself having to tighten the truss rod about a quarter turn once or twice a week. I get it feeling good again, have a few nice days of practice, and then I wake up to find the strings are too high at the 12th and need to be lowered. I've had it setup by a pro, the action/intonation is great when the (maple) neck is freshly adjusted, but then it starts to lift again.

I have 3 other basses that don't have this problem, including a Stingray special (strong, roasted neck) and a cheapy MIM P-bass (maple neck), so my only theory is that it's related to how thin the neck on this J-bass is.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue on a similar model, or have any advice to share? I'm nervous one of these days I'm going to break the truss rod or something.
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Yep, it’s just something to deal with. Of six bass’s I own, two are fenders and one a Squier from Japan, Mexico and Indonesia respectively. They are the only instruments that need quarterly adjustments. The others have rods in the neck that keep’m stabilized.
I’ve just resigned to it knowing that the temperature/humidity fluctuations are going to have an effect.

Don’t know what your methods are and I’m guessing there is more than one way to gauge a setup but measuring at the 12th fret is not where I would go for gauging when setting relief on the neck. Twelfth fret measure I use for string height (action). I did have a problem with the saddle screws drifting on the P Bass thereby effecting the action.
 
#27
I had to chime in while reading this at work. My main player in my original band is a 2004 MIJ GL JB and of the 6 years I've owned it, I've only had to touch the truss rod twice, the first time was to verify it worked. It actually has an even thinner neck than the GL my buddy owns. I think your troubles might be from "wet" wood when the bass was manufactured. I have a bass that I personally built that has that same trouble. It'll be good after adjustment but just a few days later it will need a TR adjustment again regardless of temp/humidity. I'd say leave it as a home use only bass until it stabilizes or get another neck (keep the original)
 
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#28
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the responses! Lots of good anecdotes in here, and I'm just glad to know I'm not alone with this issue. I'll try storing it in the case when I'm not playing and see how that helps, as it does get quite cold in the room I keep it in. I know it's best practice to always store them in their cases, but I've always kept one bass out on a stand for easy access, and for the last few months, the Geddy Lee has been that bass. Thanks again!
 
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#29
Brich said:
I had to chime in while reading this at work. My main player in my original band is a 2004 MIJ GL JB and of the 6 years I've owned it, I've only had to touch the truss rod twice, the first time was to verify it worked. It actually has an even thinner neck than the GL my buddy owns. I think your troubles might be from "wet" wood when the bass was manufactured. I have a bass that I personally built that has that same trouble. It'll be good after adjustment but just a few days later it will need a TR adjustment again regardless of temp/humidity. I'd say leave it as a home use only bass until it stabilizes or get another neck (keep the original)
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There’s definitely validity to wood curing but with my 1998 MIM P, I am certain it has reached and surpassed a legitimate curing period yet, still drifts an 1/8-1/4 turn one way or the other through the seasons. No big deal as, there’s an adjustable truss rod.
 
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#30
I had a MIJ GL Jazz that I loved the looks and sound of, but eventually sold because the neck was just too thin for me. I mean toothpick thin, especially at the nut. It was actually THE thinest neck I have ever encountered on any bass in my 30 some years of playing. Having said this, frequent neck adjustment was just part of what that bass was vs. some defect. As others have suggested, try lower tension strings. IMO, if ever a bass in Fenders line-up required reinforcement neck rods, it's the Geddy Lee. Just absolutely pencil neck thin. Awesome bass otherwise!
 
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#31
graphics1988 said:
I have heard this is fairly common with these...YouTuber, Dave's World of Fun Stuff, repairs and sets up guitars and basses in a video blog type media...i recall seeing quite a few of these having to be set up quite often.
To be fair, they aren't the only ones with this issue, but i do recall seeing a commonality on these particular ones. (USA as well).
I have a bass that is in the $5K price range, and it too has frustrating neck movement. Consistent humidity in summer/winter does help, but I think its the nature of the neck itself - likely a flaw in the way it was made.

Edit: found one of his videos from a few years ago - this was a MIJ model...but at the 30 sec mark, he says its his 8th or 10th one he has done...


There are a few vids of him tweaking these...Cheers
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I searched Dave's videos looking for a MIA Geddy Lee and couldn't find one. So I emailed him and asked. He replied that he had never had to work on a MIA Geddy, FWIW. There are a half dozen vids of him cussing the MIM necks. Dude's funny. :D
The black block MIJ/MIM necks and the aged pearloid block MIA(US) neck are different animals.
 
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#32
Black Out Jazz said:
I searched Dave's videos looking for a MIA Geddy Lee and couldn't find one. So I emailed him and asked. He replied that he had never had to work on a MIA Geddy, FWIW. There are a half dozen vids of him cussing the MIM necks. Dude's funny. :D
The black block MIJ/MIM necks and the aged pearloid block MIA(US) neck are different animals.
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Hm, ok I stand corrected - could have swore I watched one with the USA neck - my bad.
He is like that in real life too - what ya see is what ya get. lol Great guy - I make all his DWOFS stickers..so I see him every month or so. :thumbsup:
 
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#35
Buy a cheap hygrometer (?)/thermometer combo so at least you know what the ambient humidity and temperature are for where you bass is stored/primarily played. When you make the truss rod adjustment, use clamps/block to manually adjust the relief and use a straight edge and feeler gauges to measure. When the neck is where you want it, use the truss rod to lock in that adjustment position rather than using the rod as a straightening tool (it is not). I lived just south of Death Valley for 10 years and brought a bass from MD with me. The first couple of years involved a lot of truss rod adjustments as the thing dried out getting used to 7% humidity vs 80%. Eventually, it stabilized, needing adjustment twice a year and getting seriously wonky only when there was a patch of rain during a dry spell. The final fix was to purchase a Gould GGi-5 with a non-wood, synthetic neck. Problem solved.
 
#39
Over three decades, I've had a mix of vintage and new American basses, plus Mexican Fenders and various Asian imports, and of the bunch, almost all have had totally stable necks. The one that doesn't? A 2013 Fender Pawnshop Bass VI, made in Mexico. I have to tighten the neck about three times a year, never loosen. While I can't map the moves to changes in season/heating needs, it's like at points the neck just pops into unacceptable relief, and I have to tighten, maybe a quarter to half a turn, to get the action back down. I don't like the situation and it worries me. I think it may still have warranty coverage as I'm the original owner. If things really went south, I have nightmares about Fender saying the neck is toast and all they've got to replace it are Squier VI necks.
 
#40
The first time I picked up a MIJ GL Jazz I had to buy it. I gigged with it for 2 years. It was a pain in the butt. With the MIJ version you had to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod. I sold the bass because I started thinking the neck can only come off so many times without requiring a major repair.

I wonder if those basses had stiffening rods in the neck.

Now if faced with this situation; I rout out access on the body of the bass. This way I will not have to take the neck off for a truss rod a adjustment.
'
 
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