What should I do with my neck?

[RobJF]

I got a used Warwick Streamer LX a few years ago but never got into playing it and it lay in its gig bag in an unheated room for a long time. Recently I got it out and found it had developed a badly bowed neck. I took it to a local guitar tech who says the truss rod was loose but the neck's too far gone to be corrected using it. Then I contacted a Warwick dealer who says it might be worth trying to straighten it by clamping and steaming, otherwise it will need to be replaced. However, given typical prices in the used Warwick market, I'm doubtful whether that would be a sensible use of the money, though I haven't actually had a quote yet. I'm fairly ignorant about all this sort of stuff and would appreciate any comments.

[neepheid]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1212342' date='Apr 27 2011, 09:37 AM']I got a used Warwick Streamer LX a few years ago but never got into playing it and it lay in its gig bag in an unheated room for a long time. Recently I got it out and found it had developed a badly bowed neck. I took it to a local guitar tech who says the truss rod was loose but the neck's too far gone to be corrected using it. Then I contacted a Warwick dealer who says it might be worth trying to straighten it by clamping and steaming, otherwise it will need to be replaced. However, given typical prices in the used Warwick market, I'm doubtful whether that would be a sensible use of the money, though I haven't actually had a quote yet. I'm fairly ignorant about all this sort of stuff and would appreciate any comments.[/quote]

I'll buy it for a fiver

Seriously though, am I getting the story right here? It was stored for ages with strings at tension and a loose truss rod? Meaning you have some major forward bow?

The first thing I'd try is slackening off the strings and tighten up that truss rod, see what happens. It sounds like you can't make it any worse by trying.

[lemmywinks]

You could try to pick up an old Streamer Standard bolt-on, they usually go for around £200 and have a proper Ovangkol/Wenge spec neck. Then stick the body/pup/wiring on eBay to make some money back along with the original neck/tuners as a spares/repairs job

I have a feeling that a replacement neck from Warwick will cost a fair bit more!

[geoffbyrne]

I agree with Neepheid - it's worth giving the neck a go.

I think I'd try keeping the trussrod loose, then clamp the neck straight - or even with a tiny bit of backbow, then tightening up the trussrod to meet the tension of the clamped neck - the way you do with Ricky 4001s.

It's certainly worth a go.

G.

Edited April 27, 2011 by geoffbyrne

[RobJF]

[quote name='neepheid' post='1212365' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:01 AM']I'll buy it for a fiver

Seriously though, am I getting the story right here? It was stored for ages with strings at tension and a loose truss rod? Meaning you have some major forward bow?

The first thing I'd try is slackening off the strings and tighten up that truss rod, see what happens. It sounds like you can't make it any worse by trying.[/quote]

Yes, you have the story right. If only I'd tightened up the truss rod or slackened the strings! But I didn't intend to store it so long, I just got mesmerised by other guitars. (Due to the demise of a relative, for a time I had more money than sense. Now they're better balanced. Though I still have an almost unused fretless Am Std Jazz bass, whose strings I think I'll slacken soon.)

But I'm inclined to believe the professional when he says it's beyond normal adjustment.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1212366' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:01 AM']You could try to pick up an old Streamer Standard bolt-on, they usually go for around £200 and have a proper Ovangkol/Wenge spec neck. Then stick the body/pup/wiring on eBay to make some money back along with the original neck/tuners as a spares/repairs job

I have a feeling that a replacement neck from Warwick will cost a fair bit more![/quote]

You mean put the Std neck onto the LX? Interesting. It's been suggested that a new neck might be in the region of £300, which is not a lot less than what I paid for the thing in the first place.

[neepheid]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1212383' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:21 AM']But I'm inclined to believe the professional when he says it's beyond normal adjustment.[/quote]

Of course, but as I said - you can't make it worse by trying. The conversation suggests that this bass is bolt on, so at least you have that get out of jail for a price card

[RobJF]

[quote name='neepheid' post='1212387' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:29 AM']Of course, but as I said - you can't make it worse by trying. The conversation suggests that this bass is bolt on, so at least you have that get out of jail for a price card [/quote]
I wouldn't rule out having a go myself, I do enjoy a bit of diy now and again, but most of my efforts could be classified as bodge-jobs, and I've never tackled anything like an instrument currently at £1799 RRP! (According to [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/warwick-streamer-lx-4-string/7465"]GAK[/url].)

[mojobass]

i had a similar thing a while ago with a warwick of mine, the truss rod was maxed out but still had too much of a bow (plus i snapped the rod while trying to get a few more turns!!) anyhow took it along to howard (the bassdoc) and he very kindly (and brilliantly) removed the fretboard, installed a new rod, replaced the fretboard and hey presto neck was MUCH straighter and the rod fully adjustable again!! and all for a measly £120!! well worth it!! I roed to contact warwick for a price for a new neck but never got any replies!!

[Ou7shined]

I'm not aux fait with Warwicks so this might not work but you can sometimes eek out a few extra turns from a maxed out trussrod by slipping a washer or 2 under the adjuster nut.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1212383' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:21 AM']If only I'd tightened up the truss rod or slackened the strings![/quote]It was recommended on here in recent weeks, to slacken the rod off before storing; it was a new one on me, and the direct opposite of what I'd always been told. I said so at the time but didn't get any back-up.

If it's new territory to you check out the recommended luthiers section for one in your area. Worth a try before taking things too far.

[RobJF]

Got the bass back from the local guitar tech yesterday, and he'd stripped the threads, unfortunately. If I'd spent some time reading basschat before giving it to him, instead of after, I'd have tried tightening the truss rod gradually over a period. So the plan now is to order a new truss rod from Warwick and meanwhile clamp the neck to something like an angle iron (with padding to protect the frets) to try to straighten it out.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1213596' date='Apr 28 2011, 10:16 AM']Got the bass back from the local guitar tech yesterday, and he'd stripped the threads, unfortunately. If I'd spent some time reading basschat before giving it to him, instead of after, I'd have tried tightening the truss rod gradually over a period. So the plan now is to order a new truss rod from Warwick and meanwhile clamp the neck to something like an angle iron (with padding to protect the frets) to try to straighten it out.[/quote]
I hope you kicked him in the nuts for screwing up your tr.

I'm not sure clamping the neck to something is going to help much.

[neepheid]

Not saying you should buy this as it's a little dear for a one-off fix, but it might give some ideas on how to try to resolve the situation without truss rod removal or neck replacement:

[url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_...Rescue_Kit.html[/url]

[geoffbyrne]

I honestly can't understand how Stewmac can justify those kinds of prices.

G.

[lettsguitars]

i wouldn't take any opinions as true. just try and fix it and if it can't be fixed, chuck it. i'd be very surprised if truss rod + a fretboard level and refret wouldn't work. guitars are 'stored' in tension for decades with no problems.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1213596' date='Apr 28 2011, 10:16 AM']Got the bass back from the local guitar tech yesterday, and he'd stripped the threads, unfortunately.[/quote]

This guy sounds like a f****** idiot, total amateur. I would be pretty angry here and pushing for him to compensate you - looking at trading standards if necessary, because they clearly are not competent at what they're doing. A skilled tech or just a decent carpenter would likely have been able to sort this, and definitely wouldn't have stripped the threads. I'm sorry to hear that this has happened to you!
Name and shame? I certainly want to avoid this person.

[RobJF]

[quote name='neepheid' post='1213688' date='Apr 28 2011, 12:01 PM']Not saying you should buy this as it's a little dear for a one-off fix, but it might give some ideas on how to try to resolve the situation without truss rod removal or neck replacement:

[url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_...Rescue_Kit.html[/url][/quote]
Looks interesting, but it's for 'a single steel rod 3/16" in diameter with a 10-32 thread', and wouldn't Warwick use metric sizes? I need to have a look at it but I'm a bit busy with work stuff right now, and away on holiday from early next week.

Edited April 29, 2011 by RobJF

[RobJF]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1214337' date='Apr 28 2011, 11:11 PM']This guy sounds like a f****** idiot, total amateur. I would be pretty angry here and pushing for him to compensate you - looking at trading standards if necessary, because they clearly are not competent at what they're doing. A skilled tech or just a decent carpenter would likely have been able to sort this, and definitely wouldn't have stripped the threads. I'm sorry to hear that this has happened to you!
Name and shame? I certainly want to avoid this person.[/quote]
For reasons I won't go into here, I take great pains to avoid getting angry these days. Think of it as a blood pressure type of thing and you won't be too far off.

As for naming and shaming, that seems a bit drastic. I'm in the repairs business myself, computers rather than guitars, and I occasionally make mistakes, which I'd be horrified to see publicised, with no mention of the hundreds or thousands of good jobs I've done for each mistake.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1214609' date='Apr 29 2011, 09:43 AM'].......As for naming and shaming, that seems a bit drastic. I'm in the repairs business myself, computers rather than guitars, and I occasionally make mistakes, which I'd be horrified to see publicised, with no mention of the hundreds or thousands of good jobs I've done for each mistake.[/quote]
Do you make your customers pay for your mistakes though?

[lettsguitars]

just out of interest. what wood is it?
a stripped rod is not the end of the world. i would try and find an alternative to stewmac. they are great people if you want quality tools that you will use regularly, but theres usually a 'b&q' alternative to most of their stuff.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1214656' date='Apr 29 2011, 10:19 AM']Do you make your customers pay for your mistakes though?[/quote]

Any decent professional repairer in most businesses would try and rectify their mistakes, and in a lot of cases carry insurance to cover for them as well.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1214762' date='Apr 29 2011, 11:58 AM']Any decent professional repairer in most businesses would try and rectify their mistakes, and in a lot of cases carry insurance to cover for them as well.[/quote]
Agreed.
That's why this "local guitar tech" shouldn't bugger up this guy's tr* and hand it back to him and send him off to the manufacturer for a replacement. Sounds like a total cowboy to me.

* unless (if under duress) he specifically said "ok I'll do what you are asking me to to do but it might not end well".

[RobJF]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1214656' date='Apr 29 2011, 10:19 AM']Do you make your customers pay for your mistakes though?[/quote]

To give him his due, he didn't charge me.

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1214732' date='Apr 29 2011, 11:29 AM']just out of interest. what wood is it?
a stripped rod is not the end of the world. i would try and find an alternative to stewmac. they are great people if you want quality tools that you will use regularly, but theres usually a 'b&q' alternative to most of their stuff.[/quote]

The wood is ovangkol. I'm now in contact with bassdoc and hoping to let him look at it next week.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1214762' date='Apr 29 2011, 11:58 AM']Any decent professional repairer in most businesses would try and rectify their mistakes, and in a lot of cases carry insurance to cover for them as well.[/quote]

I'm going to email him, asking him to look at this thread.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='RobJF' post='1214968' date='Apr 29 2011, 02:51 PM']To give him his due, he didn't charge me.[/quote]
That was noble of him.

What I meant was, prior to visiting this guy you had an intact tr which was in all probability simply maxed out. The only way to strip a tr nut is by forcing it to turn more that it physically can due to the threaded section filling the sealed end nut - noob mistake. Not only that he is willing to send you on your way knowing that you now have an unplayable guitar and that you now have to rectify (and [b]pay[/b] for) his mistake. Had he tried what I'd mentioned above (with the washers or similar such fixes) he may have been able to get more turns out of it and you'd be a happy bunny right now.

[xilddx]

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1214173' date='Apr 28 2011, 08:47 PM']i wouldn't take any opinions as true. just try and fix it and if it can't be fixed, chuck it. i'd be very surprised if truss rod + a fretboard level and refret wouldn't work. guitars are 'stored' in tension for decades with no problems.[/quote]
Truth.

I have never understood why people keep advising other people to slacken truss rods and strings before storage or shipping. It's absolute crap. If you play an instrument constantly for 50 years it doesn't suffer from a correctly tensioned truss rod and strings tuned to normal pitch, and it doesn't when in normal storage. Just leave the bass as it is - playable, that's what it was designed for.