Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Any time you need to do drastic changes in neck relief you need to first clamp the neck. Then tighten the rod (unless it’s already slack)

Don’t rely on the truss rod. It’s purpose is to keep the neck where you set it. But if you try to use the truss rod to make big moves you can cause damage. I’ve seen rods snap and fretboards become unglued.

Also it sometimes takes a few days for the beck to settle in. As Dan said in the video, a neck that has been pulled too much the wrong way sets that way. You have to coax it back.

You see this a lot when a neck needed adjustment but never got it, and the owner just left the action a mile high. Or in the other extreme a neck that sat for extended periods of time with no strings, and with tension on the rod.


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[Adieu]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Any time you need to do drastic changes in neck relief you need to first clamp the neck. Then tighten the rod (unless it’s already slack)

Don’t rely on the truss rod. It’s purpose is to keep the neck where you set it. But if you try to use the truss rod to make big moves you can cause damage. I’ve seen rods snap and fretboards become unglued.

Also it sometimes takes a few days for the beck to settle in. As Dan said in the video, a neck that has been pulled too much the wrong way sets that way. You have to coax it back.

You see this a lot when a neck needed adjustment but never got it, and the owner just left the action a mile high. Or in the other extreme a neck that sat for extended periods of time with no strings, and with tension on the rod.


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OP's got the opposite problem.

And couldnt possibly make a drastic adjustment at all, since 1) his truss rod isn't actually doing much of anything at the moment, 2) he wants to introduce the most MINISCULE bit of relief

[RorySquier]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

I remember a guy on another forum recommending taking the neck off the guitar and lying it down at an angle and then stand on it to correct warpage. I thought that is a little risky because the neck might break depending on how heavy you are.



;>)/

[Adieu]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

I remember a guy on another forum recommending taking the neck off the guitar and lying it down at an angle and then stand on it to correct warpage. I thought that is a little risky because the neck might break depending on how heavy you are.



;>)/

1) looks like a set neck
2) that "advice" is just trolling... a piece of wood will either hold you or break, to bend it by standing it you'd have to stand there till hell freezes over. And that's before taking the truss rod issue into account

[Silence Kid]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Again - I found it possible to manually manipulate the 'stuck' neck to where it had the proper amount of relief. That said I probably overdid it, since I cracked the finish and lost some of the integrity of the glue. Heating/clamping seem to me a very feasible way of repairing such a neck in some cases. Standing on a neck is probably overdoing it too.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

OP's got the opposite problem.

And couldnt possibly make a drastic adjustment at all, since 1) his truss rod isn't actually doing much of anything at the moment, 2) he wants to introduce the most MINISCULE bit of relief

I’m aware it’s the opposite. But I’d clamp it in a up bow for a day or two and see if that coaxes the neck into keeping some of that relief.

A little heat from a clothes iron can help. But not too much unless you want to remove the fretboard!

Also it’s sometimes possible to fix this by removing the frets and adjusting the slots a little wider.


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[Ayrton]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Dozens. None unsuccessfully, btw.

Truss rod and string tension are near-instant reactions.

I doubt it because you have no idea what you are talking about. Truss rod pressure can move a neck near instantly yes, but in this case, there is no rod pressure. One reason for having the truss rod is to counteract the string pull, and if the strings were not enough to move the wood, the rod would not be needed.

The OP should see if his normal gauge and tuning are enough to pull the neck iunot relieve first. Then we can try other measures if not.

[Adieu]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

I doubt it because you have no idea what you are talking about. Truss rod pressure can move a neck near instantly yes, but in this case, there is no rod pressure. One reason for having the truss rod is to counteract the string pull, and if the strings were not enough to move the wood, the rod would not be needed.

The OP should see if his normal gauge and tuning are enough to pull the neck iunot relieve first. Then we can try other measures if not.

Have you seen a bow or crossbow in action?

Thats what a strung-up neck is....just with MUCH weaker tension. And bigger wood.

Dom't confuse bounce-back (fairly instantaneous) with bending/inducing warpage. One does not work the same as the other

And you really NEVER want to force a laminated composite made of different woods (which is what any neck with a separate fretboard is) to bend permanently, because it'll resist and then stuff will break almost immediately past the bounce back boundary

[Ayrton]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Have you seen a bow or crossbow in action?

Thats what a strung-up neck is....just with MUCH weaker tension. And bigger wood.

Dom't confuse bounce-back (fairly instantaneous) with bending/inducing warpage. One does not work the same as the other

And you really NEVER want to force a laminated composite made of different woods (which is what any neck with a separate fretboard is) to bend permanently, because it'll resist and then stuff will break almost immediately past the bounce back boundary

[gilt.suspect]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Guys,
Thanks for all the advise! I have to admit, having a dead flat neck isn't the biggest problem to have. I was getting a lot of buzzing & dead sounding notes on the middle strings near the middle of the fretboard when I fist strung it up. Since I posted this, I discovered that the saddle radius was something like 20". I didn't measure it exactly but I went ahead and filled and then sanded (with 1000 grit) the string slots on each string saddle (high E, B and low E) to create a 12" radius to match the fretboard and the nut. Now it plays and sounds good! (it actually sounds great) These Chinese Epiphones are well worth the money. It really needed a set up! I think the truss rod will engage with time. If it doesn't in a few months I'll clamp it. As of this morning the fretboard is still flat as a piece of glass and that is not a horrible problem to have. Sorry for the orientation of the photo, I don't know what the heck is going on there. Any advise with that?

[gilt.suspect]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

I try to set my necks dead straight. I don’t like much relief. But you can try clamping the neck in an upbow for a while with the truss rod slacked and see if it fixes it.

I have dual action rods in the guitars I build to avoid this issue.


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For sure a dual action "two way" truss rod would have been great for this!

[gilt.suspect]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

I remember a guy on another forum recommending taking the neck off the guitar and lying it down at an angle and then stand on it to correct warpage. I thought that is a little risky because the neck might break depending on how heavy you are.



;>)/

That's not only a little risky, that's just plain nonsense. I hope he was joking. Maybe he was talking about a $50.00 "Spectrum" Strat copy.

[gilt.suspect]

Re: Creating Upbow on a Backbowed Neck

Just an update on the 339 neck relief. It's been about a month now and I went from having NO relief to having .004" relief between the 5th and 6th fret.
I slide feeler gauges between the fretboard and a notched straight edge to get the measurement.
I call that progress!