Problems with neck stability and temperature changes

[Gervais Cote]

Your Mexican Fender has a wood neck that is not reinforced so it will move with humidity changes. If this neck was made of roasted maple instead of standard wood, it would be more stable.

Your American has a composite rods reinforcement in the neck making it more stable.

If you want something even more stable than your American, you would have to use a Warmoth neck made of roasted maple with steel reinforcement. This is the most rigid, resonant and stable neck I came across.

I never tried any aluminum or carbon fiber neck though.

 

[Ritter667]

My two dirt cheap budget Ibanez Mikro basses have really stable necks, and as good as never require truss rod adjustments, so definitely not a matter of quality.

One of them features a Rosewood fretboard, which is ever so slightly less stiff on an average than Maple, and the other a Jatoba board, which is an extremely stiff wood, stiffer than even Ebony.

Both got a regular Hard Maple neck.

Wood is an organic material, and it is very hard to predict how it is going to react over time, so you will have some budget basses with extremely stable necks, and likewise some high end basses with rubber necks.

Just how it is.

Your Mexican Fender has a wood neck that is not reinforced so it will move with humidity changes. If this neck was made of roasted maple instead of standard wood, it would be more stable.

Your American has a composite rods reinforcement in the neck making it more stable.

If you want something even more stable than your American, you would have to use a Warmoth neck made of roasted maple with steel reinforcement. This is the most rigid, resonant and stable neck I came across.

I never tried any aluminum or carbon fiber neck th.

Reinforced necks are of course relatively more stable compared to non reinforced necks, everything else being equal, but some non reinforced necks will still be extremely stable, even on some budget instruments.

 

[marsquake]

Does hanging them affect this? Mine are always hanging on the wall at home. Seems like every time I take them down to play, they’re out of tune. The Spector Pulse II (not pictured) is rarely out of tune. I’m actually thinking of putting them all in a floor mount rack. But I just like the way they look on the wall too much.

 

[Chuck M]

Recently manufacturers are offering basses with roasted Maple necks. They are reputed to be more stable.

Humidity is the culprit. I work a steady gig on the San Antonio Riverwalk. I have been using an Ernie Ball Bongo 6 that has a painted neck. I have made only one small truss rod adjustment in 7 months. However,Summer brings high temperatures and high humidity and if the Bongo neck becomes unstable I will use my graphite neck G.Gould ggi6.

I once owned a Carvin 6 that had an unstable neck. It refused to settle down and Carvin replaced the bass. The second one was much more stable.

Wood…..it is consistently inconsistent.

 

[pbassnut]

Hello. I have a Fender Mex jazz bass that I really like, but it's giving me some problems. I like to set my action very low, and when the bass experiences temperature changes, the neck gets out of adjustment, bends, and the action increases, making it uncomfortable to play.
This happens every time I take the bass out of my house to rehearse, where it's warmer. I'm thinking about selling it because it's unreliable.
However, I have a Fender Am Pro, and it doesn't happen at all.
Is this the difference between a higher-end bass and a cheaper one?
The Am Pro has graphite reinforcement on the neck. Do all US Fenders have that type of reinforcement?
Maybe I'll sell my Fender Mex and buy another american one. Regards.

Neck stability is a total crapshoot. All things being equal, a higher end Fender with a graphite reinforced neck is going to be more stable, but nothing is assured. How high the tension is on the strings you use can have a bearing on neck stability ... especially if you like particularly low action with little or no fingerboard relief in your setup. One thing is for sure, it really helps to have easy truss rod access even if your bass neck tends to be pretty stable. Having to remove a neck to make truss rod tweaks is a total show stopper for me ... it's just WWWAAAYYY too much of a hassle for a regular maintenance activity.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

IME, Warmoth necks are much more stable because they use stiffening bars. While it does make the neck a little heavier the season shifts are minimal and they hold tune for longer.

 

[klattman]

IME, Warmoth necks are much more stable because they use stiffening bars. While it does make the neck a little heavier the season shifts are minimal and they hold tune for longer.
View attachment 7183232

My warmoths need a slight tweak every 6 months.
I had a couple basses (Epiphone and an Ibanez) that needed adjustment every other week, I no longer own them.

A truss rod adjustment is not too bad only if the rod is easy access (my fenders always frustrate me).

 

[klattman]

Neck stability is a total crapshoot. All things being equal, a higher end Fender with a graphite reinforced neck is going to be more stable, but nothing is assured. How high the tension is on the strings you use can have a bearing on neck stability ... especially if you like particularly low action with little or no fingerboard relief in your setup. One thing is for sure, it really helps to have easy truss rod access even if your bass neck tends to be pretty stable. Having to remove a neck to make truss rod tweaks is a total show stopper for me ... it's just WWWAAAYYY too much of a hassle for a regular maintenance activity.

Yeah I got out the dremel and made a body channel on a couple of my fenders.