What to do with a bass with a warped neck?

[Leisure Weaver]

Looking for a little advice please. Here's a little backstory. I have a 1999 Warwick Thumb Bolt-On 4-string with a warped neck. It has more relief on the bass side than the treble side. No amount of truss rod twiddling will fix this. I recently sent it off to a luthier that performed a heat treatment to straighten the neck, and when I got it back it seemed great upon reassembling the bass. However, after about 48 hours it reverted to how it was previously.

I spoke with the gentleman on the phone who was super knowledgeable and helpful. He said it was a tricky neck to fix. He said I really need to engage the truss rod to get the neck into place. I had done so when I first reattached the neck and set it up, but only about a 1/2 turn, as I usually do and then turn some more as needed after a day or two. I tried this after 48 hours, but the warp was back. He stated that I needed to put way more tension than just a small turn, and I did give it some more and then maxed it out. The status is the same. It seems like the treble side responds as expected and will even go convex, but the bass side just always has too much relief, and the action is way too high for my liking. I have also adjusted the bridge, saddles, and nut in every which way trying to find balance.

The luthier said the next steps may be to have it re-fretted and the fretboard planed. I had also got a quote from Warwick to replace the neck about a year ago. I could do either of those things but they both seem like pretty expensive options. When I was considering replacing the neck a year ago, I just ended up buying a new bass (boutique short scale) which has become my new main bass. The Thumb has some sentimental value as it was my main bass for twenty-something years. I also have always absolutely loved the way it sounds. Nothing else in my collection, past or present, has ripped like the Thumb. But now it's just sitting in its case, taking up room, and making me sad.

Here are my options as I see them. Let me know what you recommend or what I may be missing:

1. Spend upwards of $2000 for a new neck (with shipping of the bass).
2. Sell it privately with full disclosure (I don't even know what the value would be in this condition).
3. Trade it in to Guitar Center towards something to fill the Thumb-sized hole in me.
4. Try to have it re-fretted and planed (but the fretboard wood on the treble side has deteriorated a bit, so I don't know if that's worth it).
5. Leave it under the bed and treat it like a dirty secret for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can lend. I am online sporadically so my apologies if I do not respond right away.

 

[Iridescentone]

I spoke with the gentleman on the phone who was super knowledgeable and helpful. He said it was a tricky neck to fix. He said I really need to engage the truss rod to get the neck into place. I had done so when I first reattached the neck and set it up, but only about a 1/2 turn, as I usually do and then turn some more as needed after a day or two. I tried this after 48 hours, but the warp was back. He stated that I needed to put way more tension than just a small turn, and I did give it some more and then maxed it out.


Thanks in advance for any advice you can lend. I am online sporadically so my apologies if I do not respond right away.

Can't help with a solution for your situ, but I've had a couple bolt-on necks straightened. When I got them back, I was advised to max the truss rod, forcing the neck into a backbow state before stringing up. Once strung to tension, back off the truss rod little by little until the neck becomes straight, or has the desired relief. Doing that hadn't occurred to me, but it makes perfect sense.

 

[Leisure Weaver]

Can't help with a solution for your situ, but I've had a couple bolt-on necks straightened. When I got them back, I was advised to max the truss rod, forcing the neck into a backbow state before stringing up. Once strung to tension, back off the truss rod little by little until the neck becomes straight, or has the desired relief. Doing that hadn't occurred to me, but it makes perfect sense.

Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I was not given that (or any) advice when I got the neck back, and I didn't know any better. He said I may have undone the work he did by not putting enough tension on it right away. That left me a bit defeated.

 

[bodollar]

Check out warpedneck.com. I've used them in the past with good results. Search TB for feedback from others who have used them.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Yes, warpedneck.com has a good reputation on here with a few folks saying their necks are still good several years on.

 

[waynobass]

5. Leave it under the bed and treat it like a dirty secret for the rest of my life.

I vote for option 5.

 

[urkel3000]

I had this happen, and I really loved my bass, it was my only bass for like fifteen years. I bought a hoxey aluminum neck for it and I couldn't be happier. I vote replace the neck

 

[slap2much]

Yes, warpedneck.com has a good reputation on here with a few folks saying their necks are still good several years on.

I also had a good experience with a neck that was both bowed and twisted. I was told it was pretty bad and required 2 separate treatments. I got it back, reinstalled, set the tension to get the action I was looking for and it’s been stable since (about 6 months now).

 

[Bob_Ross]

I recently sent it off to a luthier that performed a heat treatment to straighten the neck, and when I got it back it seemed great upon reassembling the bass. However, after about 48 hours it reverted to how it was previously.

Yes, warpedneck.com has a good reputation on here with a few folks saying their necks are still good several years on.

I didn't use warpedneck.com but I did have a local luthier do the heat-treatment thing to straighten warped necks on two of my basses.
I still own one of those basses, and the neck is still perfectly and wonderfully straight, 27 years later.
(I sold the other bass ~10 years ago, but at that time its neck was also still perfectly and wonderfully straight.)

 

[JIO]

Check out warpedneck.com. I've used them in the past with good results. Search TB for feedback from others who have used them.

Yes, warpedneck.com has a good reputation on here with a few folks saying their necks are still good several years on.

I used them recently for a late '60s vintage 34" scale Japanese bass neck with a compound-warp. They got it straight enough so I could set it up with medium action/no buzzing or warp. Whether you have them do it or as Bob-Ross described above, having a local Luthier do it - it's probably your best and cheapest route. They will tell you if they can't straighten it but it sounds like they have a good record of success.

 

[Alembic83]

I’ve also had pretty good results with warpedneck but might have to send the latest I got for a re-heat. It’s a neckthrough bass so it may be a little trickier, I’m not sure. Anyway I’ve sent about 8 or 9 to warpedneck over the years and it has definitely saved most of the from being the dirty secret under the bed!

I wonder why more luthiers or techs don’t offer this type of service? Could it be considered too much of a “dark arts” of a repair thing? Or maybe they think they might lose out on more lucrative repair jobs (such as replace and refret the neck)?

 

[DanAdams]

Option 6:
Set up saved searches on eBay for -Warwick thumb bass [Condition] parts or repair, and Warwick thumb bass neck [catagory] guitar parts
Then exercise Option 5 until the sweet auto-emails start rolling in.

 

[robbyray]

Option 6:
Set up saved searches on eBay for -Warwick thumb bass [Condition] parts orrepair, and Warwick thumb bass neck [catagory] guitar parts
Then exercise Option 5 until the sweet auto-emails start rolling in.

Do this! But don’t sell our secrets! XP

 

[Leisure Weaver]

Check out warpedneck.com. I've used them in the past with good results. Search TB for feedback from others who have used them.

That is where I sent the neck for repair, based on TB reviews. I know a lot of people have had great success, and I didn't want to mention him by name since I did not get the desired results, especially if I inadvertently ruined the fix by not being aware that I had to put a bunch of tension on the truss rod upon reinstalling. He was very nice and accommodating on the phone, and I do believe he does good work, but alas here I am.

 

[Leisure Weaver]

Option 6:
Set up saved searches on eBay for -Warwick thumb bass [Condition] parts or repair, and Warwick thumb bass neck [catagory] guitar parts
Then exercise Option 5 until the sweet auto-emails start rolling in.

Not a bad idea. Thanks!

 

[DanAdams]

Not a bad idea. Thanks!

It can be quite effective.
For example, Bartolini briefly made a replacement humbucker designed exclusively to fit a 1970s Ibanez Musician bass.
Talk about a limited market huh???
I set up a search for it, completely forgot about it, and a couple years later that exact ultra rare pickup showed up for $40.
I also amassed a giant junkyard of whole old broken dirt cheap Ibanez Musician basses over a decade using the technique. LOTS of parts and projects for me.

 

[SomewhatHarmles]

Do this! But don’t sell our secrets! XP

Wait, you can do this?!

 

[SomewhatHarmles]

I'm totally the opposite of Bruce (that guy has mad skills), but agree with all the above.

If you just need a replacement neck, I don't think it's too crazy to just buy another (used) one.
Otherwise, you could ask a luthier buddy to build you a new neck.

I dunno about $2k for just a neck! Dang.

 

[SomewhatHarmles]

Looking for a little advice please. Here's a little backstory. I have a 1999 Warwick Thumb Bolt-On 4-string with a warped neck. It has more relief on the bass side than the treble side. No amount of truss rod twiddling will fix this. I recently sent it off to a luthier that performed a heat treatment to straighten the neck, and when I got it back it seemed great upon reassembling the bass. However, after about 48 hours it reverted to how it was previously.

I spoke with the gentleman on the phone who was super knowledgeable and helpful. He said it was a tricky neck to fix. He said I really need to engage the truss rod to get the neck into place. I had done so when I first reattached the neck and set it up, but only about a 1/2 turn, as I usually do and then turn some more as needed after a day or two. I tried this after 48 hours, but the warp was back. He stated that I needed to put way more tension than just a small turn, and I did give it some more and then maxed it out. The status is the same. It seems like the treble side responds as expected and will even go convex, but the bass side just always has too much relief, and the action is way too high for my liking. I have also adjusted the bridge, saddles, and nut in every which way trying to find balance.

The luthier said the next steps may be to have it re-fretted and the fretboard planed. I had also got a quote from Warwick to replace the neck about a year ago. I could do either of those things but they both seem like pretty expensive options. When I was considering replacing the neck a year ago, I just ended up buying a new bass (boutique short scale) which has become my new main bass. The Thumb has some sentimental value as it was my main bass for twenty-something years. I also have always absolutely loved the way it sounds. Nothing else in my collection, past or present, has ripped like the Thumb. But now it's just sitting in its case, taking up room, and making me sad.

Here are my options as I see them. Let me know what you recommend or what I may be missing:

1. Spend upwards of $2000 for a new neck (with shipping of the bass).
2. Sell it privately with full disclosure (I don't even know what the value would be in this condition).
3. Trade it in to Guitar Center towards something to fill the Thumb-sized hole in me.
4. Try to have it re-fretted and planed (but the fretboard wood on the treble side has deteriorated a bit, so I don't know if that's worth it).
5. Leave it under the bed and treat it like a dirty secret for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can lend. I am online sporadically so my apologies if I do not respond right away.

Man, I really wonder what Bruce would say about this.

With my limited brainpower (got a head cold from my kid), I can think of the following:
1. If you have a twisted neck/fretboard, a truss rod won't help. The truss rod helps with relief over one plane, and will help with a bent or saggy neck...not a twisted one.
2. I dunno how the gentleman can fix things.
Gently heat it and stick it in a clamp fixture? That will temporarily work, but the humidity will cause thigns to revert once it equalizes with your environment. Without some sorta reinforcement, I don't see this working long term...but I'm a hack.
3. Have you considered just refretting it and planing it yourself? With the help of a luthier buddy?
Maybe I'm too stupid to be scared, but I'm not thinking of resale value at this point. Looking at a number of internet threads, this is the "plan B" that warwick recommended to someone who didn't want to buy a new neck. (post #6)

Neck replacement

I just purchased a 2001 Corvette Standard 4 fretless sight unseen. Overall, a very nice instrument but for two problems. First, I'm having trouble getting the neck straight. Truss rod is pretty tight and still about 1.5 mm relief. Not a big issue. The second problem is that the neck has a...

forum.warwickforum.com

If you're scared to use a handplane, you can simply glue some sandpaper to a flat object (like aluminum extrusion, etc). Move carefully, and you'll likely end up with a nice compound radius (trick I learned from a Flamenco guy in Oakland).

If you wanna tackle this, try posting on the luthier forum.
They're super nice people

 

[RSBBass]

You don't say how big of a difference there is. A bit more relief on the bass side can be a good thing. If the issue is in need of moderate attention,getting the board planed and doing a re-fret would be standard procedure and should cost about 1/4 of the price of a new neck. Heat treatment is usually called for when the planing and fretting route isn't workable (i.e. the difference is more than can be planed out).