Got a question for you guys about a 97 modulus flea bass I just picked up. It needs a new preamp, but the guy that worked on it noticed a little bit of a bow in the neck. I played around on it for a while after he showed it to me and I don't notice anything out of whack. I like the way it plays, there's no fret buzz and no intonation issues. He said I should send it back from whence it came, but it doesn't really seem to bother me. If I like how it plays, is there any reason to still get rid of it? Is it likely that the bow will get worse over time or that any other issues will come from it?
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Modulus neck bow
- Thread starter pudgalvin
- Start date
Turnaround
Commercial User
Nope. If you like the way it plays and sounds, then it's right for you.
It might get worse. How old is the bass? Generally, if a bass is going to "go off", it will do so for a while, then settle down. The settling point may be so far off that it's seriously bad, or it may be minor. But over time, basses just don't keep getting worse and worse. So it might be possible to talk about the likelihood of things getting worse if we know how long the instrument has been around.
It's a 97 he said so I figure its all just humid-dry, cold-hot cycling now and the resulting minor seasonal adjustments from here on out.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
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- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
Not sure about a 97, but some of the earlier Modulus basses had no truss rod (the Geoff Gould basses and Moses necks do). If you have a bit of a forward bow or too much relief you could try a light set of strings and that will probably relax the forward bow. If it's a bolt-on like the Flea you could also shim the neck to change the action a bit (I would recommend that a good repair/technician do this). A back bow might be dealt with by a heavier set of strings. I would be concerned if there was a twist in the neck. Climate/humidity has no effect on a graphite neck (one of it's advantages).
How much bow / relief is present? The earlier non-rodded Modulus necks did a pretty good job of keeping their shapes and a nominal amt. of inherent relief will only enhance playability...IMO.
Riis
Riis
