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Need help with a neck issue

MrZMess

MrZMess

May 6, 2013
19
0
#1
Hey all. Been building a bass. I got the neck all together and it was way too thick. So I got the spoke shave out and whittled it down, and I broke through I to the truss rod cavity. Pics below. ImageUploadedByTalkBass1368220107.905810.jpgImageUploadedByTalkBass1368220126.115517.jpg

Any suggestions for how to fix this? I have a few ideas, but curious as to what you all think.

Thanks!
 
#4
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I can't imagine a fix that would be both visually appealing AND have the kind of structural integrity you'd need to support the rod tension.

Unfortunately you may need to start over again - to avoid the problem in the future use a radiusing depth gauge from the hardware store to help you figure out how close you can get to the truss rod channel.

Lonnybass
 
#5
I'm wondering.. if the fretboard was not attached yet, or removed, would it be an option to rip that neck in half on a table saw, clean it up, and redo that middle laminate?

(Of course, with the TR removed... I'm not trying to kill anyone...:ninja:)

Just thinking aloud. Maybe if he's happy with the neck so far, it could be salvaged.
 
#7
I did that the first time I tried to shave a neck down when I was a teenager.

I repaired it by adding a 2 or 3 inch ebony skunk stripe to the otherwise maple neck.
Looks funny but it's my beater bass and I'm really happy with the neck profile now.

I don't think there's an elegant fix for this. Maybe you can do something like shave the back of the neck flat and add another piece of wood which can then be shaped to the profile you want (slowly).
 
#9
Its happened to many of us. My first was around age 17, my second (and last - knock on wood) around age 30, when I really should have known better. I spent hours trying to repair both of them, but now I know if it ever happens again, junk it and start over... :)
 
#10
I kinda figured that there wasn't much I could do to fix it. At least not in a pretty way. This is by no means going to be my primary (or secondary) bass for that matter. Just something I can play every now and then.

It is a thru neck design. Any chance I could just lop off the neck and make it a bolt on neck? (This is my first major build if you can't tell)
 
#11
Sure you could. You'd just need to make a neck pocket in place of the neck/body join. Just be careful that you don't whack a blade or router bit on the truss rod or any carbor fiber strips in the neck. It would be...bad.

Lonnybass
 
#13
Chop it off and hang it in your shop as a reminder to never do that again :)

There isn't much you can do to fix it. Just out of curiosity, what truss rod are you using?
 
#15
MrZMess said:
I'm using one the hot rod truss rods from stew mac
Click to expand...

There is your problem. I hate those rods, they require a deeper rout than a standard rod, and a different router bit that Stewmac over charges for.

I would highly recommend the rods from Bestbassgear.com or grizzly.com. They are much more inexpensive, work great, and don't require the deep channel as the hot rod.
 
#18
Hopkins said:
There is your problem. I hate those rods, they require a deeper rout than a standard rod, and a different router bit that Stewmac over charges for.

I would highly recommend the rods from Bestbassgear.com or grizzly.com. They are much more inexpensive, work great, and don't require the deep channel as the hot rod.
Click to expand...

+1 Bazillion. I switched over to the BBG rods from the Stewmac Hot Rods about a year ago. I'd say the StewMac channel depth requires an extra 30 to 40 percent deeper slot over the BBG rod. MUCH less margin for error if you're like me and want a relatively thin flat neck profile.

Lonnybass
 

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