I broke a Fender neck by taking the strings off

[bobyoung53]

Good video.

 

[Indiana Mike]

We need a sticky Fender bashing thread and confine the nonsense to there.

declutter the forum.

 

[mrjim123]

Why did you loosen the truss Rod in the first place? I’ve had maybe a hundred basses in my life, and I never had cause to loosen a truss Rod. Adjust yes, a 1/4 to 1/2 turn at most.

It's common practice to remove the neck before shipping - smaller box, less shipping cost. Once removed there is no tension on the neck to counteract the truss rod tension. If you don't loosen the truss rod the neck could become permanently bowed.

 

[blowinblue]

What's all the fuss about? My first (and only) bass teacher broke the neck on his Fender P by laying it down behind his vehicle in the parking lot after a gig and then backing over it. This unfortunate lapse of situational awareness resulted in only a broken neck (and case). So he replaced the broken neck with a fretless neck (source unknown). Which is why I took up fretless. So I could somehow understand what he was showing me during our lessons.

P.S. What this has to do with the OP's dilemma has suddenly escaped me.

M. M.

 

[two fingers]

Real dumb if it’s the case but is the buyer tightening it and it’s straight and the strings aren’t lowering? It’s very likely the neck pocket doesn’t match the neck and he needs a shim?

This. The neck didn't sit well with the buyer's bass body. He/she tried to compensate with grinding away on the truss rod.

 

[Engle]

As others have mentioned, and I put in the OP I just sold the neck. No bass or even tuners attached.
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The buyer emailed me within a few hours of getting it home. Said the truss rod would no longer tighten. The luthier, who I don't know personally but has a good reputation seemed to go through the same experience.

I'm going to inspect it when the buyer brings it back before giving a refund. If there's no signs of physical damage I'll take it back. If it's a case of I can fix this than I will.

I work retail so I see just how cheaply everything is made now. It's just how capitalism works. I'm willing to say I broke the neck, I even put it in the title. The conclusion thus far is it's my fault. I'm just blown away by how I broke it. Makes sense though. Quality doesn't really exist in the market anymore. Not until you spend real money so that someone actually sources quality materials and takes the time to install them properly.

But I've had 2 Fender necks go on me, both because of the truss rod. That's enough for me to call it quits on the brand.

I cannot see how loosening the truss rod could cause any damage.

 

[FRoss6788]

I cannot see how loosening the truss rod could cause any damage.

...or properly tightening it to adjust the relief.
The title of this thread seems purposefully misleading.

 

[funkinbottom]

Thanks. I assume unrepairable means not worth it. It'd be a process to remove the fretboard, replace the truss rod, and re-install the fretboard. Cost-wise that's probably only worth it on a vintage and high-value instrument. Not a basic MIM Fender neck.

I'm gonna check out that video, thanks for posting that.

If it's a case of I can fix this than I will.

Actually, replacing a truss rod isn't that difficult, and a rod is like $10 to $15, cheap. I think it's just scarier, than is difficult to do. I know it was for me, but I went ahead anyway, to a successful repair (with crude tools no less). I laid an iron on a steel ruler for about five minutes or so to soften the glue, then used your basic putty knife to carefully pry under the fretboard working my way down the neck until it became difficult . Then put the iron back on for a few minutes and proceeded with the process, reapplying heat when needed. Replaced rod and glue board back on. I used rubber clamping bands so it aligns the board side to side. Her's a couple pics, and of course, youtube is your friend.

 

[TjMetalhead]

I bought a 2019 MIM Player jazz neck by it's self and slapped it on a Warmoth body two years ago. I have adjusted the truss rod multiple times after several string and bridge swaps and never had this issue. I also worked in a used instrument shop for 2 years doing setups and maintenance on every guitar in the store so idk what the buyer did to it.

 

[JW56789]

I always suspect that the people saying that they can't tighten the truss rod don't know what they are talking about.

I am also suspicious of what a "luthier" means, because a luthier can fix a broken truss rod. There is no such thing as an unrepairable neck, just one that isn't worth the cost of repairing.

Sorry about your bad luck. I've never owned one personally. Dan Erlwine just recently posted a video on this topic with StewMac.

Just for once and for all: A 'luthier' is a from-a-pile-of-lumber builder, who may or may not do repairs as a sideline. A 'guitar repairman' does just that, though some I knew would build wonderful parts guitars. These are two different things that I think often get incorrectly used interchangeably around here.

 

[BBassBassington]

For the record I'm not here to "Fender bash." I own 4 Fender basses, 2 Squier guitars, a Mustang Micro, Rumble Studio, and Rumble 210. I've owned a dozen other Squiers (probably more) and even a 90's MIM Fender J (perfectly fine) and a MIA Fender Strat (great). I lead the Fender Dimension club and wear Fender shirts in public. Generally speaking I love Fenders.

I'm just dumbfounded by this whole experience. I should have an update from the luthier on Monday when they open. I'm expecting to get the neck back on Wednesday where I'll give it an inspection before refunding the buyer. If it's just user incompetence then we're all fine, I'll get the neck fixed and save it for one day when I may build another bass. If it's borked and needs a new truss rod perhaps I'll replace it myself one day but more likely it'll sit on the wall.

My biggest takeaway from this is that selling stuff just isn't worth while and I'm glad I don't have to do it to make up for a lack of income. I had a customer who builds guitar bodies and necks and just gives them away. They're worth real money, he does great work but instead of adding a PITA to his hobby he added more joy. That's what I'm gonna do in the future. If I need space for a new bass or guitar I'll find someone in need of a guitar or bass and give them an old one first.

 

[James Collins]

Just for once and for all: A 'luthier' is a from-a-pile-of-lumber builder, who may or may not do repairs as a sideline. A 'guitar repairman' does just that, though some I knew would build wonderful parts guitars. These are two different things that I think often get incorrectly used interchangeably around here.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets annoyed by this. The people working behind the counter at your local guitar store are not luthiers. Many people that make fun instruments are also not luthiers. There is a difference.

 

[MAFbass1992]

One of the most comfortable necks I’ve ever played was a Mexican road worn jazz. Felt wonderful in my hands. It was also the most unstable piece of wood I’ve ever encountered.

mine's a 2009 ? RW P-bass and it's one of the most stable necks I've had.

 

[Durham52]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets annoyed by this. The people working behind the counter at your local guitar store are not luthiers. Many people that make fun instruments are also not luthiers. There is a difference.

Very true, (though I would never assume "all are not", I know of at least one luthier who runs his own guitar shop, so he works behind the counter...)

A luthier is a builder of stringed instruments, although I have built from scratch since the 1970's, I call myself a guitar/bass builder, because I don't build hollow body acoustic instruments. That's just my choice, both in what I build and what I call myself. I might not build every instrument from scratch, depending on what a customer wants, but for preference I build through or set neck solid bodies of my own design.

I generaly find that people who post here, who build parts basses, or use perhaps pre made bodies, or necks, as part of a build, are respectful and will most refrain from claiming "luthier" status. While many of us buy premade tuners, bridges, pots, capacitors, etc. the line is sort of drawn at necks and bodies. ( I know some luthiers make their own bridges and quite a few make pickups, but I don't know of anyone, including large scale manufacturers who make their own tuning machines, pots, jacks, or capacitors... Not even the likes of Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, or Ibanez.

Having said all that, don't disrespect all music shop repair people, some of them have built up a vast bank of knowledge and skill over many years. A good repair person will also refuse some jobs, because they may not be worth doing due to price of the work versus the value of the instrument. The really good ones might refuse a job, because they feel it involves something beyond their current level of experience, or is an issue they've never encountered. Much better than someone being money or ego driven enough to risk botching as job on your much loved instrument, rather than saying no, I cant/won't take the job.

 

[80jazz]

This thread needs a jump to conclusions mat.

That's the worst idea I have ever heard.

 

[songwriter21]

Dan is the man, but this seems really impractical for anywhere outside of your home/shop. Am I going to bring all of those tools with me to a gig? Uh, no. Why I love truss wheels (EBMM, Fender Elite, etc). Even without that, I just loosen a string enough to get in there, adjust accordingly, then go back to business. If the neck moves again down the line, then I just maintain it in small increments until I hit the sweet spot.

 

[BBassBassington]

Dan is the man, but this seems really impractical for anywhere outside of your home/shop. Am I going to bring all of those tools with me to a gig? Uh, no. Why I love truss wheels (EBMM, Fender Elite, etc). Even without that, I just loosen a string enough to get in there, adjust accordingly, then go back to business. If the neck moves again down the line, then I just maintain it in small increments until I hit the sweet spot.

EBMMs are beautifully easy to setup. I want one so bad, but it's like 2 months salary at least for one. My Dimension does the sound of a single H Ray real well but I need a double H Ray in my life.

 

[B-Mac]

Seems ridiculous right? Wrong.

I own a 2019 Player Jazz. It's always played great but recently I decided to do some neck swaps and the Player Jazz neck was the leftover one. So I loosened the truss rod and put it up for sale. The person who bought it was unable to get the truss rod to tighten again, so we talked and I agreed to pay a repair if he brought it in. Luthier says the neck is unrepairable.

How badly made are these things that taking tension off the neck seems to break it?

This isn't even my first broken MIM neck. I had the truss rod try to jump out the skunk stripe on a Player Precision neck.

At the end of the day I'm not buying another MIM Fender bass. They make them out of spaghetti apparently. And it's a shame because I love Fenders but if a bass can't survive a gentle life with me it doesn't deserve to be on sale.
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I've had basses shipped with the neck removed from the bass in order to package in a smaller box and reduce the cost of shipping significantly. The first time I had this done I was amazed at how much forward bow there was on the neck. However, I just re-attached the neck to the bass body, put on the strings and tuned it up. After an hour or so the bass was fine with a straight neck. Had to tune a few times, but never had to touch the truss rod. I did this with several basses that I had bought as person to person sales (no fleabay or regurge). And these were a lowly brand that many people here poopie on for whatever reason. I guess poopie can be better than spaghetti? YMMV

 

[BBassBassington]

I've had basses shipped with the neck removed from the bass in order to package in a smaller box and reduce the cost of shipping significantly. The first time I had this done I was amazed at how much forward bow there was on the neck. However, I just re-attached the neck to the bass body, put on the strings and tuned it up. After an hour or so the bass was fine with a straight neck. Had to tune a few times, but never had to touch the truss rod. I did this with several basses that I had bought as person to person sales (no fleabay or regurge). And these were a lowly brand that many people here poopie on for whatever reason. I guess poopie can be better than spaghetti? YMMV

I've sold a Donner neck and a few Squiers, where I did the same as I did with this Fender neck. Buyer feedback was extremely positive in all the cheap-neck-cases.

I've also never had truss rod issues outside 3 necks. First was a 70's El Degas P Bass with a stripped nut (truss rod status unknown). Second was my Fender Player Precision neck where the truss rod tried to jump out the skunk stripe one day. And third is this Fender Player Jazz Bass where the truss rod has apparently stopped truss-roding. Seems to be a MIM Fender thing only in my case.

 

[James Collins]

Dan is the man, but this seems really impractical for anywhere outside of your home/shop. Am I going to bring all of those tools with me to a gig? Uh, no. Why I love truss wheels (EBMM, Fender Elite, etc). Even without that, I just loosen a string enough to get in there, adjust accordingly, then go back to business. If the neck moves again down the line, then I just maintain it in small increments until I hit the sweet spot.

I wouldn't think enough change would happen at a gig to require a truss rod adjustment, but I see your point.