Serious Ric Cheyenne neck problem help help

[rdhbass]

Hi, im setting up this ric cheyenne bass and with no tension the neck is flat. with strings on you anytime when you try and tighten the rod for a setup, the first four/five frets go into a "dead-flat" or a backbow (when tightening further) and rest of the neck does not straighten and saddles are lowest they can go and action too high. What I am saying is I think this is an "s" curved neck??, When string tension or the like is put on it. Again, strings off....straight., with tension and adjustment...S curve..help me...

 

[tZer]

Take it to a pro, bro.

If you ever get to St. Louis, visit Skip Goez in Maplewood. He'll get it right for you.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

One thing is that you should never adjust the truss rod with the strings up to tension unless you are clamping the neck to get it where you want it. The rods aren't made to move the neck, just keep it there.

In the old instructions that came with the 4001 basses, they showed to bend the neck over your knee while someone else tightens the rods!

What I do is to clamp the neck against a straight edge with a shim to bow it forward or back if needed. I do this with the strings at tension, and then I tighten the rod.

Here's a diagram of the general idea from Dan Earliwine's book.

 

[Ewo]

Gary Willis had a quick 'n' dirty trick for tightening a trussrod in his 101 Tips book. Won't handle an s-bend situation, but OK for a normal neck with too much relief.

He said sit in a chair and stand the bass upright in front of you, on edge between your legs. Position your feet on both sides of the body, at the floor. Put one knee behind the body, and gently pull back on the headstock.

Having taken the pressure off the trussrod, you can give the nut a quarter turn of tightening.

It's worked well for me.

But I'd agree with earlier posters: if you've got a neck that's not acting normal, take it to a pro.