Hoping to get some help/opinion on this one, picked up a cheap bass a few weeks back (my first bass), 84 Westone Thunder 1-A. It's a lovely bass, love the different sounds you can get from the pickup configurations.
Neck is really nice, The problem is there's a noticeable bow which is stopping me getting the action as low as I want. You can see how high the action is in the picture below and hopefully make out how pronounced the bow is. It is playable but I want to get it a lot better.
So, I've changed the bridge saddles to new Wilkinson ones as the old ones were unadjustable. I thought after buying it I might be able to sort the bow out by adjusting the truss rod but there's already tension on the truss rod so that bow is there despite the truss rod being tightened. As the the bow is quiet pronounced a shim isn't going to do the trick I think, I did have a try but it made the higher frets unplayable although admitted I haven't give the bass a fret dress yet which it does need!
I see my options as:
- Live with it
- Shim the neck, fret dress and see if I can improve the action
- Buy a new neck and replace the current one!
- Try straightening the neck!!
I do fancy trying to get it straightened first so having watched the following video on youtube I was just wondering has anyone successfully straightened a neck using this method, if so, how long did you leave the neck clamped and did you use heat or an oven at low temperature as I saw on another video I can't find the link for right now? I don't know if this complicates things but as you can see in the picture below this is a three piece maple neck
cheers
Comments
If the neck itself is reasonably straight, a shim in the neck pocket will improve the action height.
If the neck is bowed, the Dan Erlewine video pretty much describes what needs doing.
You can try taking off the adjustment nut and putting a washer/spacer there, but if there's an underlying issue (ie. the other end of the truss rod is compromised, or it's broken) then that might just make things worse and it'll need surgery to fix it.
If you try taking the action down or shimming whilst the neck is bowed, then you may end up in the situation where you can play the higher and lower notes, but the middle ones just snag on the top fret.
The first step is to get the neck bow sorted.
also, try loosening the rod before tightening... sometimes they seize a bit and feel tight, then end up broke because someone tries forcing them. Loosening it first prevents this and will give you a feel for how much tension it already has on it.
they are well made, so I suspect it will be fine
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(Do it while holding the guitar in the playing position, not flat on its back!)
The advice from WezV and SteveRobinson is good. I'd also get a set of feeler gauges so you can see exactly what the relief is. The bass looks like a Fender scale, so a typical starting number is 12thou clearance measured at the 8th fret with a capo on the first fret and the string held down at the last fret.
You won't need to shim the neck unless you run out of downward adjustment on the bridge saddles before getting the action low enough.
*I don't know how well it can be made out but there seems to be a back bow up around the 1st few frets. The bow that's causing the action to be so high is around the 12th!
So, at the risk of disgusting the respected luthiers on here, this is my makeshift clamp for the neck. I loosened the truss rod up, clamped the neck in the area I think the bow is happening at until there was a light back bow then tightened up the truss rod until it was snug. My plan is to leave it overnight to settle. Let me know if what I've done is completely the wrong thing to do and I'll get it out of the clamp. Apart from that I'll put it back on in the morning and see if there's any improvement.
1. Neck bow.
2. String height...
2.a Bridge.
2.b Shim, if required.
2.c Repeat.
3. Nut (if it's too high).
4. Intonation.
If none of the above has worked so far, I presume the truss rod is working, but has not got the strength to put in some back bow in to the neck. If it's a one-way rod remove the nut and the washer. Then, if possible, put at least one or two extra washers on the rod. Then put the nut back on but don't tighten it.
Presuming you haven't got one of these http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Jigs_and_Fixtures_for_Guitar_Building_and_Repair/Erlewine_Neck_Jig.html
as this would make the job a whole lot easier, if you know guitar tech who's got one, it might be worth a phone call to see if he would sort it for you.
Now for the kill or cure.
Clamped the neck to a bench, see photographs below. Now pull another clamp on the headstock, making sure you protect the wood, then slowly close the claim down so the neck bends backwards. Now tighten the truss rod no real pressure just so it comes to a stop, then about a quarter turn. I would then leave it overnight, next morning give the rod about another quarter turn. Remove the clamps and with any luck the neck will have some back bow, I still wouldn't use the neck for a few days. If this procedure doesn't work then you may well have to have a new neck.
If that works then its just a case put it back together and reset it up the best of luck.
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Thanks All