If you can't straighten the neck is there anything that can be done?

mrleon83

I've been trying to get my bass easier to play (and get the intonation sorted).

it's a 5 string Ibanez bass, I'll post some pics later, the truss road is as tight as it will go (without force) but there's still quite a forward bow.. the action is super high which I think might be making the fretted notes are slightly sharp (the saddles are all the way back so hoping that's what it is)..

The strings are standard gauge  (low b is a .125) , restringed a couple of weeks ago..

Any ideas? It's bolt on, during a moment of madness I threw the bass at the end of a gig but there doesn't seem to be any cracks or anything like that...

RandallFlagg

Is the neck seated in the pocket fully, are the screws tight? (assuming it's a bolt on)

mrleon83

Yes it's bolt on and in does seem to be well seated, but I will double check... I was wondering if the neck would need to be shimmed.. I wouldn't know how to to do that though..

andrewaward

Was it perfectly playable before you threw it?

merciful-evans

I would remove the strings and try to free up the truss rod. If the nut is seized on, you might need a squirt of penetrating oil on it. WD40 might work too.

Anyway, you may as well try to loosen the truss rod. Just go easy in quarter turns and see what happens.

mrleon83

andrewaward said:

Was it perfectly playable before you threw it?

I'm not sure.. the intonation may have been a little out.. tbh I think it changed when I changed the strings, so maybe they were super light..

mrleon83

merciful-evans said:

I would remove the strings and try to free up the truss rod. If the nut is seized on, you might need a squirt of penetrating oil on it. WD40 might work too.

Anyway, you may as well try to loosen the truss rod. Just go easy in quarter turns and see what happens.

Yeah I can loosen it no problem, I totally slackend the strings off too..

andrewaward

The heavier the strings the more the forward bow will be apparent . On a guitar you can unscrew the trussrod nut and slip a washer or 2 over the threaded rod, sometimes that gives you the extra turn you need. Never had any experience doing that on a bass. Again on a guitar if the washer trick doesn't work, a skillfull refret can work , or planing the fretboard then refret. Can get pricey though.

Some people use heat to remove bows but I think once wood decides to grow a certain way it can be hard to coax it otherwise.

merciful-evans

mrleon83 said:

merciful-evans said:

I would remove the strings and try to free up the truss rod. If the nut is seized on, you might need a squirt of penetrating oil on it. WD40 might work too.

Anyway, you may as well try to loosen the truss rod. Just go easy in quarter turns and see what happens.

Yeah I can loosen it no problem, I totally slackend the strings off too..

I presume that has made no difference to the neck bow?

I'm wondering whether the trussrod is working or damaged?

Maynehead

Do you think the truss nut has reached the end of the thread, or is it just fighting against the tension of the neck?

If it's the former, you can add a washer under the nut to give you more adjustment range.

If it's the latter, you can try to take some pressure off by straightening the neck by hand (or using clamps) and see if you can tighten the nut some more.

ICBM

In difficult cases I do it by clamping the bridge end of the body to the workbench with the neck hanging over into the air, press down on the headstock until the neck is well beyond the point you need it to go to, then tighten the nut. This usually gains you a lot more movement than you can by tightening the nut directly, even with the strings off.

(This is the essential procedure for pre-1985 Rickenbacker rods by the way - there's a good chance of damaging the rods if you do it the 'normal' way.)

I've just got a very warped old Fender P-Bass neck to move a bit further like that, as well as putting a couple of washers under the nut since I thought it was possibly bottoming out - the adjuster was already about 1/8" below the surface of the wood.

prowla

Viagra?

mrleon83

Thanks everyone, I’ve tightened it as much as it feels good while holding the neck back , just restringing it so fingers crossed 

mrleon83

Looking good, now a tuning peg has broke doh! Hopefully buying a Warwick this week ....

mart

mrleon83 said:

Looking good, now a tuning peg has broke doh! Hopefully buying a Warwick this week ....

Good call on buying a Warwick. Just, whatever you do, don’t read this thread:
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/154543/warwick-bass-truss-rod-piece-of-poo#latest

mrleon83

mart said:

mrleon83 said:

Looking good, now a tuning peg has broke doh! Hopefully buying a Warwick this week ....

Good call on buying a Warwick. Just, whatever you do, don’t read this thread:
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/154543/warwick-bass-truss-rod-piece-of-poo#latest

So I clicked it and ... WOW that’s some serious work!

mart

I should add, I’ve had 6 or 7 Warwicks over the last 20 years, and never had a single truss-rod issue,

mrleon83

mart said:

I should add, I’ve had 6 or 7 Warwicks over the last 20 years, and never had a single truss-rod issue,

Thanks for settling my mind ! 

poopot

mrleon83 said:

Looking good, now a tuning peg has broke doh! Hopefully buying a Warwick this week ....

Don’t let my thread put you off Warwick... @bill_the_bass is a Ham fisted gimp and that particular bass had been gigged and mistreated loads...

meltedbuzzbox

Everyone knows if you want a bass you should buy a musicman stingray

mrleon83

meltedbuzzbox said:

Everyone knows if you want a bass you should buy a musicman stingray

Alas, old german Warwick's are far cheaper...