Is it possible for neck reinforcement rods to bend from damage?

[Top-L]

Returning that Jackson Soloist. On the box there is an original label that it shipped from Fender warehouse. Don't know if I believe it is the original box, if this was B-stock, whatever.

Before I boxed it up, I measured the neck. Using notched straight edge, when the bass side is made flat, the treble side has significant backbow and see-sawing. With bass side flat, the treble side has about 1.5mm see-saw, or the height of a jumbo fret. Its not just a single fret that is pulled up, but the entire board.

I'm trying to figure out how that could even happen on a new guitar? If a wooden neck receives a blow, could it bend the internal reinforcement or truss rod?

This is the worst neck I have ever encountered. There aren't any signs of damage, but also there aren't any QC stickers on the guitar. Does Fender sell B-stock/C-stock items through back channels to get rid of them? How did this happen?

 

[Mincer]

Someone may have just returned it, and it didn't happen at the factory. I wouldn't believe what the retailer says- they just want to push it off on someone.

 

[GuitarDoc]

What you describe has nothing to do with the truss rod/reinforcing rods getting bent. That can't happen. It is more likely caused during the shaping/finishing process of the neck. It probably was accidentally oversanded/machined and rather than just junk the neck, they sent it on. Could be due to poor quality control or desire to make more money.