Strat Bowed Neck Prob

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

I have a 2004 Fender USA Deluxe Stratocaster .
The neck is slightly bowed- that is the relief is high - & therefore
the action is higher than I would like.
This is with the Truss rod tightened up to max.
Its not unplayable but is annoying.

I brought it used some years back - Ebay-
The original owner described it as 'new' virtually unplayed.
I found this to be so.
I suspect it had laid unused for years with the fairly heavy - 12's ? on it
& the Truss rod not tightened.
Thus it acquired the bow.

I always use 9's & the bow/relief has reduced slightly since I got it.

I know there is a method by removing the wooden plug at entrance
to the truss rod with a hot soldering iron to melt the glue then
add a washer to the front of the nut to increase its tightening.

I heard some (very expert people) have dealt with badly arched (bent
backwards)
neck by heavily pressing / bending the neck in the opposite direction
(apparently it straightens with a 'crack')

Would forcibly bending this neck straighten it ??
I 'm wondering about leaving it unstrung leaning against a wall with a
weight
pressing on the back centre of the neck . Maybe leave it for weeks
like that.
Thanks for any comments / hints.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (It's OK But Should Be Better)

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

I've now bent it by hand over a sofa arm.
Held at 1st & top frets.
Pumping it up & down.

I tried this before but only a few times.
This time I really worked at it repeatedly & it has lessened the bow
its nearly 'right' - that was yesterday & the improvement is still there.

The curse here is that originally I tightened the nut right up to the point
where the truss rod tip is right up to the end of the nut - so I can't get
the Hex tool (yes its a square head one) to grip .

The best plan was to undo the nut & do my pumping over the sofa arm
then with the neck held under slight arched back tension
tighten the nut up again.
But its so tight I can't get it to undo.
When I did last adjust it I noticed it felt very stiff.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (Stupid Design)

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

Here is a mad approach to curing bowed or arched necks.
I have not tried it.
But have never seen mention of the method any where.

Take off strings.
Get 2 (maybe 3) thick strings (any old things - 40 + gauge)
thread them through the bridge in reverse ...that is from the top so they
come out the
back of the guitar.
Thread these up the back of the guitar & neck. Then over the sides of the
headstock
and fix them to the tuners like usual.

Get a piece of wood (or whatever) a few inches thick & push it under the
strings
at the back centre (sixth fret) of the neck .
Cushion it with (say) an old sock .
Now tighten the tuners so the neck has pressure applied to it back centre.
Put one string on the top of the neck - fitted like usual -will show the
extent
of the pressure applied by looking at its action height.

With an arched neck its particularly easy (sorta) by putting that piece o
wood
in the neck centre (sixth fret) of the as usual fitted stings.
This would make a compact assembly that could be left any where convenient.
Yes ???
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (Straight Out The Back Of His Head)

[Tezza]

Post by Trimble Bracegirdle
I have a 2004 Fender USA Deluxe Stratocaster .
The neck is slightly bowed- that is the relief is high - & therefore
the action is higher than I would like.
This is with the Truss rod tightened up to max.
Its not unplayable but is annoying.
I brought it used some years back - Ebay-
The original owner described it as 'new' virtually unplayed.
I found this to be so.
I suspect it had laid unused for years with the fairly heavy - 12's ? on it
& the Truss rod not tightened.
Thus it acquired the bow.
I always use 9's & the bow/relief has reduced slightly since I got it.
I know there is a method by removing the wooden plug at entrance
to the truss rod with a hot soldering iron to melt the glue then
add a washer to the front of the nut to increase its tightening.
I heard some (very expert people) have dealt with badly arched (bent
backwards)
neck by heavily pressing / bending the neck in the opposite direction
(apparently it straightens with a 'crack')
Would forcibly bending this neck straighten it ??
I 'm wondering about leaving it unstrung leaning against a wall with a
weight
pressing on the back centre of the neck . Maybe leave it for weeks
like that.
Thanks for any comments / hints.

My '94 American Standard (owned from new) experienced similar problems a
few years back. The only real option suggested by a reputable tech
(Chandlers) was to reprofile the whole neck and refret. An expensive
solution. The general advice/consenus was this was simply a symptom of
the materials used by Fender at that time and trading for a Made in
Japan might be a better economic alternative - i.e. I might be back to
square 1 with adjustment problems in a few years time.

Anyway I was too attached to the guitar and so bit the bullet and did
both. No regrets, the US strat has its own personality (Alder/rosewood,
heavy strings) compared to recently aquired MiJ - a lightweight '57
Ash/maple.

Tezza

[Nathan Grenney]

My new G&L strat had seemed a bit extreme relief-wise. I went up a gauge
from 10s to 11s with a wound 3rd but tuned a semitone lower as I usually
do, Eb-Eb. I too had previously tightened the truss rod and found it
stiff. I think I can now loosen it slightly as the relief is very
minimal now. Seems to have settled and is 'happier' in my home. I do
think that some distributors are a bit lax with how they store guitars
and I know of one company in particular that deals with several brands
and which has had complaints along these lines. It might explain two or
three spots of... ah, what's the word, where metal is apparently
damp-damaged... oxy-something... At any rate the guitar is no longer
causing concern. I'm assuming a guitar strung with 9s needs a bit of
noticeable relief though?

I had a strat-owning friend a while back who was obsessed about buzzing
but had no neck relief at all, low nut slots and action of scarcely
above 1mm. I wasn't about to point out a few things to him as he was
using the skunk a bit too much.

Would a card shim help maybe, in the 'neck pocket' placed in the space
nearest the body? Isn't that supposed to create subtle neck reset-like
effects? The two methods you described sound a bit dangerous for the
guitar, the second less so. I think I'd only try it with a guitar that
seemed doomed though.

Post by Tezza

Post by Trimble Bracegirdle
I have a 2004 Fender USA Deluxe Stratocaster .
The neck is slightly bowed- that is the relief is high - & therefore
the action is higher than I would like.
This is with the Truss rod tightened up to max.
Its not unplayable but is annoying.
I brought it used some years back - Ebay-
The original owner described it as 'new' virtually unplayed.
I found this to be so.
I suspect it had laid unused for years with the fairly heavy - 12's ? on it
& the Truss rod not tightened.
Thus it acquired the bow.
I always use 9's & the bow/relief has reduced slightly since I got it.
I know there is a method by removing the wooden plug at entrance
to the truss rod with a hot soldering iron to melt the glue then
add a washer to the front of the nut to increase its tightening.
I heard some (very expert people) have dealt with badly arched (bent
backwards)
neck by heavily pressing / bending the neck in the opposite direction
(apparently it straightens with a 'crack')
Would forcibly bending this neck straighten it ??
I 'm wondering about leaving it unstrung leaning against a wall with a
weight
pressing on the back centre of the neck . Maybe leave it for weeks
like that.
Thanks for any comments / hints.

My '94 American Standard (owned from new) experienced similar problems a
few years back. The only real option suggested by a reputable tech
(Chandlers) was to reprofile the whole neck and refret. An expensive
solution. The general advice/consenus was this was simply a symptom of
the materials used by Fender at that time and trading for a Made in
Japan might be a better economic alternative - i.e. I might be back to
square 1 with adjustment problems in a few years time.
Anyway I was too attached to the guitar and so bit the bullet and did
both. No regrets, the US strat has its own personality (Alder/rosewood,
heavy strings) compared to recently aquired MiJ - a lightweight '57
Ash/maple.
Tezza

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ***@netfront.net ---

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

Thanks comments.

This topic is also posted in newsgroup
alt.guitar
where it has collected a good number of comments.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (Egg & Chips Need Beans)

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

Old thread.
I'm the OP .
Just to say I continued the back bending over sofa arm from time to time.
The neck has straightened out & the relief is now just about right
(thickness of a thick piece of paper)
Thanks suggestion's.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (Time For Tea)