Retro fit carbon fiber reinforcement

[ZenBasses]

Hiya everyone..

So after another change in the weather I am finding myself yet again changing the truss rod adjustment on my GB IV... Although I have had it for 15 years and wouldn't change it for the world it does infuriate me how un-stable the neck is..

Just to take note mine was a prototype bass and thus might have not been built from the best sources of timber.

I also have a Shuker Elite Custom which had carbon fiber reinforced bars in the neck construction and within the same room, it hasn't move an mm yet alone an inch...

I was wondering if anyone has had any such work carried out.. If I go for it I will get Jon Shuker to carry out the work.

I was wondering if it had any effect on playability, sustain and tone.. I would imagine not when thinking about it logically rather than subjectively.

Just for knowledge the GB has a 1 piece rock maple neck with an ebony fingerboard.

The Shuker has a 5 piece affair.

I was hoping adding some reinforcement in the neck would help stabilise it.

Of course I might also have a dodgy truss rod...

Any advice / help would be greatly appreciated..

Ben

Edited March 28, 2017 by ZenBasses

[ebenezer]

Not an easy job as fingerboard needs to be removed in order to install graphite rods either side of truss rod....it is do-able!, but would be
costly.
The shuker, being a five piece neck has far better stability than a one piece regardless of graphite rods!...in my opinion, leave well alone

[BassBunny]

[quote name='ebenezer' timestamp='1490794785' post='3268068']
Not an easy job as fingerboard needs to be removed in order to install graphite rods either side of truss rod....it is do-able!, but would be
costly.
The shuker, being a five piece neck has far better stability than a one piece regardless of graphite rods!...in my opinion, leave well alone
[/quote]
Beat me to it.
Probably a new neck would be a better option.

[Saved]

I agree with the above b-chaters.Leave it as is

[Kevin Dean]

I know Mark King wasn't happy with His GB neck , If it's a bolt on I'd ask Jon Shuker to make me another neck He really is a clever chap.

[4000]

I'm afraid carbon fibre may not solve your problem. I've had one carbon fibre reinforced custom - a 6 - and it had hands down the most unstable neck of any bass I've ever owned (and I've owned about 40 or 50 now), certainly for the few years I had it. Indeed Wal stopped using carbon fibre reinforcement because they felt it caused as many issues as it solved. Unfortunately a neck either tends to move or it doesn't, in my experience. I've always found highly figured maple to be problematic, but YMMV.

[rhcp128]

In my experience the only truly 100% stable necks are carbon fibre. I have a graphite reinforced neck on my US jazz and still needs a tweak ocasionally. On the other hand my Modulus NEVER moves... probably possible to retrofit but will be more hassle than anything

[Telebass]

I've an American Special Jazz neck on my bitsa. It has the rods. The truss has never been adjusted, not even on installation. I just checked it wasn't loose, screwed it to the body and refitted the old TI Jazz Flats that were still attached to the bridge. That was early 2015, and nothing has been touched since. I'm dreading having to change the strings!

Edited April 7, 2017 by Telebass

[JoeEvans]

If the wood is dimensionally unstable, adding carbon fibre won't help - the wood will still move, but it will be up against the rigidity of the carbon and will either bend even more or split. Carbon fibre can be designed in to wooden structures to add strength or rigidity, but I don't think that retro-fitting it would be a good idea at all.