Musicman

[HADGE]

Hi all you fellow bass men i wondered if any of you can help me .I just bought a musicman of Milky616 who is by the way a top man and he told me when he takes the bass to a outside gig the kneck moves that much it is unplayable i was wondering if any of you lads as ever encountered this as i know you are a lot more knowgable than me thanks .

[Ou7shined]

Yeah some necks are balls - the woods are susceptible to temperature or humidity change... best case it just needs set up - worst case it needs set up and you can't leave the house with it (or get a new neck).

Why did you buy the bass if he told you it was unplayable under such conditions?

[HADGE]

Good point 07 the reason i bought it was it was really cheap so i expected to spend a bit on it and it was left handed and left handed guitars are hard to come by thanks for your info cheers mate

[stingrayPete1977]

Mine are normally a shade sharp when I take them out their cases, after a few minutes they revert back to being in tune and are rock solid. I have never seen one that bad, what does it Rich, porous grain or something?

[4 Strings]

My '79 is a stable as anything, never any issues even in our cold church and freezing fingers, well apart from the freezing fingers making any bass virtually unplayable!

My Jaydee has always been great except for one week recording in a basement and it became unplayable after 3 days (didn't seem to be that cold) so I can vouch for necks moving. Released tension a touch and it was fine. A week after being home had to nip the tension back up.

Try it outside for yourself to see how badly it moves, if at all, perhaps the truss rod is rather loose and a little nip up will bring the neck 'under control'.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1322587657' post='1453209']
... what does it Rich, porous grain or something?
[/quote]
Yeah that's my guess. Just wood that's a little less dense than normal reacting to jumps in temperature and expanding in directions that for us ain't too handy.
I've heard of maple boarded necks with the finish chipped or missing can also suffering from this - I guess the natural oils in rosewood and ebony etc. help protect against moisture ingress in those that would normally be susceptible to it.

[stingrayPete1977]

Would treating it to a fresh coat of gunstock oil help do you think?

[Ou7shined]

I've just noticed that this thread is about a MM.
I'd noticed that the OP was looking for an Ibby Musician the other day and my dyslexia read it as the same word.
Re : my earlier post I'm not suggesting that all MM necks are balls... although mine is my only bass that needs a seasonal tweak.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1322602787' post='1453505']
Would treating it to a fresh coat of gunstock oil help do you think?
[/quote]

It couldn't harm eh. Just make sure that moisture isn't being trapped in.

[stingrayPete1977]

That would be my first plan then, neck off, airing cupboard, 1200 grit wet and dry all the playing area of the neck, back in the airing cupboard then liberal coat of gunstock oil. Check the wheel of fortune works in [i]both[/i] directions using a long straight edge then refit and see how it goes

[JTUK]

Mine was rock-solid which what was so great about it.

I generally have to tweak my current basses twice a year so when the weather turns colder ( around about now ) and some time in the spring
Just one turn of the rod just about does it...

[HADGE]

Got to say you lads are really helpfull and knowlegable thanks to you all for your help .

[4 Strings]

Just a note about my Jaydee, the neck is mahogany coated in lacquer and the fingerboard ebony - which sinks in water. There are no scratches or breaks in the lacquer but the neck still moved. Clearly the wood still changed with temperature and moisture regardless of a finish, in my case anyway, which surprised me.

Its normally kept in the music room which is only heated when I'm in it and can be freezing at other times, but no issues (with any basses).

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1322604602' post='1453549']
That would be my first plan then, neck off, airing cupboard, 1200 grit wet and dry all the playing area of the neck, back in the airing cupboard then liberal coat of gunstock oil. Check the wheel of fortune works in [i]both[/i] directions using a long straight edge then refit and see how it goes
[/quote]

A sound plan.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1322610037' post='1453635']
Just a note about my Jaydee, the neck is mahogany coated in lacquer and the fingerboard ebony - which sinks in water. There are no scratches or breaks in the lacquer but the neck still moved. Clearly the wood still changed with temperature and moisture regardless of a finish, in my case anyway, which surprised me.

Its normally kept in the music room which is only heated when I'm in it and can be freezing at other times, but no issues (with any basses).
[/quote]
Yep there are many factors which can cause it and we've only touched upon 2 of them and not all basses are susceptable... although your fluctuating temps in your music room would be a good starter. If you could maintain a steady temp in there you might see big improvements.

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm guessing the Jaydee could of had a neck made of wood not fully seasoned and dry, once it's lacquered and water tight it would be stuck in there? Basically like the vacuum trick with a pop bottle how they swell or crumple up in various atmospheres.

(see EBMM roasted necks!)

[GeeCee]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1322639035' post='1453718']
I'm guessing the Jaydee could of had a neck made of wood not fully seasoned and dry, once it's lacquered and water tight it would be stuck in there? Basically like the vacuum trick with a pop bottle how they swell or crumple up in various atmospheres.

(see EBMM roasted necks!)
[/quote]

My guess would be the ebony fretboard; ebony seems to suck up and release moisture so depending on the humidity in the basement (damp and high or heated and low) the bass may just have been re-equilibrating and requiring a new set up.

[stingrayPete1977]

I will stick to my maples then in typical Squier fashion that's my only rosewood boarded electric bass and it's always perfect!

[4 Strings]

I was re-equilibrating at the time.

[GeeCee]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1322690834' post='1454676']
I was re-equilibrating at the time.
[/quote]

[swanbrook]

A quick twist of he trust rod about 4 times a year on my stingray 5, my 25 th Ann was much worse but my 93 maple neck never need adjusting !

The trust rod whel adjuster is a life saver, but I don't find my fenders move as
Much and the Dingwall has not been with me to long enough to tell yet.

[4 Strings]

The necks shouldn't move on any bass, the incident with the Jaydee in the basement studio is isolated in my experience (which made it all the more surprising) and apart from a tweak whenever I get a guitar I have rarely had to revisit any truss rod.

This doesn't excuse the poor design of some Fenders requiring the neck to be removed to make the adjustment, what a pain, especially for incremental adjustment! There's no excuse for this apart - from a slight increase in return to their shareholders.

However, its worth noting that miniscule movements will alter the action on your bass and, regardless of wood movement, the truss rod is steel (or ally in some Rickies) and so will expand and contract with temperature.

[Linus27]

I bought a brand new 3EQ Stingray back in 1998 and the neck would never settle. It would constantly be going out of tune and was just unplayable. I contacted Musicman who asked me to take it to Strings and Things. They looked at it and said the maple was too soft and just replaced the neck there and then. Never had a problem since.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1323776090' post='1466795']
I bought a brand new 3EQ Stingray back in 1998 and the neck would never settle. It would constantly be going out of tune and was just unplayable. I contacted Musicman who asked me to take it to Strings and Things. They looked at it and said the maple was too soft and just replaced the neck there and then. Never had a problem since.
[/quote]
Out of interest was it an unfinished (ie. no varnish on the rear) neck?

[Linus27]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1323776825' post='1466805']
Out of interest was it an unfinished (ie. no varnish on the rear) neck?
[/quote]

Yes, unfinished.