New Neck

[Jeff29361]

Hi all 

 

My 92 Mexican jazz's neck is a bit warped and the truss rod isn't what it used to be, I'm thinking about getting new neck but I'm not sure what to get, I've seen this but it seems too cheap to be decent, is there anything decent that looks the same or any necks you'd recommend?

 

[Boodang]

Well, the neck in the picture has holes for 6 tuners so I'm guessing it for a guitar. 

Now I'm not recommending Warmoth custom guitar parts but they do look good and I was hoping someone here would get one so they could say what they're like. Not cheap though.

[Bunion]

Don’t buy that for your jazz bass 

[Jeff29361]

Oh god, I'm full of cold and my brain isn't working, ignore the picture, I was considering a warmouth or a status.

[Boodang]

  On 29/01/2022 at 10:41, Jeff29361 said:

Oh god, I'm full of cold and my brain isn't working, ignore the picture, I was considering a warmouth or a status.

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Lots of tasty options with a Warmoth. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I'm not sure what you mean by the current neck being warped and the truss rod not being what it used to be.

 

Have you had the neck checked out by anyone?

 

- How is the neck warped? – is it Back bow, forward bow or twisted?

- How is the truss rod different to how is was previously?

[Jeff29361]

  On 29/01/2022 at 11:27, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

I'm not sure what you mean by the current neck being warped and the truss rod not being what it used to be.

 

Have you had the neck checked out by anyone?

 

- How is the neck warped? – is it Back bow, forward bow or twisted?

- How is the truss rod different to how is was previously?

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Yeah, local luthier looked at it, the truss rod is at its limit, you could drive under there

[Bassassin]

Have you taken off the nut & stuck a stack of washers under it? Should give a fair bit more adjustment. If the neck's got a natural forward bow without strings on - well - you'd be amazed at the capacity for persuasion the average neck has...

 

 

Bend it (to your will), clamp it in place then abandon it for a week or two, no food or water.

 

Then it'll learn to behave itself.

[Boodang]

  On 29/01/2022 at 13:03, Bassassin said:

Have you taken off the nut & stuck a stack of washers under it? Should give a fair bit more adjustment. If the neck's got a natural forward bow without strings on - well - you'd be amazed at the capacity for persuasion the average neck has...

 

 

Bend it (to your will), clamp it in place then abandon it for a week or two, no food or water.

 

Then it'll learn to behave itself.

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If you can 'persuade' a neck to behave itself then all well and good, but if you're at a stage of having to use shims I would venture to suggest it's time to put it out of its misery. 

[Bassassin]

  On 29/01/2022 at 13:45, Boodang said:

If you can 'persuade' a neck to behave itself then all well and good, but if you're at a stage of having to use shims I would venture to suggest it's time to put it out of its misery. 

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 Why? When lack of truss adjustment is simply a consequence of having run out of thread, why wouldn't you liberate more thread? I can think of two basses & a guitar where I've used this approach, the issues were corrected and the necks remained stable.

 

One of those was a rather valuable through-neck bass. I suppose I should have just lobbed it in a skip.

[Boodang]

  On 29/01/2022 at 14:04, Bassassin said:

 Why? When lack of truss adjustment is simply a consequence of having run out of thread, why wouldn't you liberate more thread? I can think of two basses & a guitar where I've used this approach, the issues were corrected and the necks remained stable.

 

One of those was a rather valuable through-neck bass. I suppose I should have just lobbed it in a 

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If it's just that the truss rod has run out of thread, then replace the rod. My neck thru Sei had this issue, so got my local luthier to replace and set up... now good as new. 

[lownote]

Twice I tried to save a maxed out trussrod with washers. Not worth the hassle and soon had to revert to skip idea anyway. 

[Bassassin]

  On 29/01/2022 at 14:18, lownote said:

Not worth the hassle and soon had to revert to skip idea anyway. 

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I've had success with it and there was no hassle involved - apart from having to root around a bit to find washers that would fit down the truss channel.

 

Seems strangely defeatist to dismiss a potentially functional solution as not even worth trying.

 

 

[lownote]

  On 29/01/2022 at 14:56, Bassassin said:

 

I've had success with it and there was no hassle involved - apart from having to root around a bit to find washers that would fit down the truss channel.

 

Seems strangely defeatist to dismiss a potentially functional solution as not even worth trying.

 

 

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Try reading the whole thing and not selectively quoting me.  I tried washers.  They were a pain to get on, kept on slipping past the screw and had to be dug out.  Then as a solution it never rfeally worked. If it worked for you great, bully for you. 

[Boodang]

  On 29/01/2022 at 14:56, Bassassin said:

 

I've had success with it and there was no hassle involved - apart from having to root around a bit to find washers that would fit down the truss channel.

 

Seems strangely defeatist to dismiss a potentially functional solution as not even worth trying.

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Not so much defeatist, just that if you've got to a stage where you're using washers and shimes, the bass is obviously not working as intended, so rather than botch it why not find out what the key underlying issue is and fix that. For instance,  truss rod at the end of it's thread, then replace it. 

Just don't like botching things. I'm sure they didn't sell bass with extra washers in case the truss rod run out thread, so in my mind it's a botch. 

[Bassassin]

  On 29/01/2022 at 15:17, lownote said:

Try reading the whole thing and not selectively quoting me.  I tried washers.  They were a pain to get on, kept on slipping past the screw and had to be dug out.  Then as a solution it never rfeally worked. If it worked for you great, bully for you. 

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Well, hang on - that's not a sideways, snidey implication that because Somebody Else lacked the dexterity to perform a simple and functional repair, then I must be lying, is it?  Shirley not!

 

  On 29/01/2022 at 15:18, Boodang said:

Not so much defeatist, just that if you've got to a stage where you're using washers and shimes, the bass is obviously not working as intended, so rather than botch it why not find out what the key underlying issue is and fix that. For instance,  truss rod at the end of it's thread, then replace it. 

Just don't like botching things. I'm sure they didn't sell bass with extra washers in case the truss rod run out thread, so in my mind it's a botch. 

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It's OK, plenty of people who prefer to Get An Expert In in this thread.

 

 

 

[Boodang]

  On 29/01/2022 at 17:27, Bassassin said:

It's OK, plenty of people who prefer to Get An Expert In in this thread.

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Interestingly, as 'easy' as it is to setup a bass (and I've been playing and setting up basses for 40 years) I still can't get it as good as my local luthier, no matter how many tips he gives me.

[Jeff29361]

I appreciate Jon's way of doing things but I don't have the skill also I fancy some blocks and binding on my bass

[Jeff29361]

Is this going to be any good, I love how it looks I don't trust the price

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gloss-Maple-4-string-20-fret-JAZZ-Bass-Guitar-neck-Replacement-rosewood-inlay-/393858501564?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by Jeff29361
Space

[Boodang]

That price doesn't scream quality, not that it isn't but.... in the pictures what's going on under the second fret? 

[Jeff29361]

  On 29/01/2022 at 21:58, Boodang said:

That price doesn't scream quality, not that it isn't but.... in the pictures what's going on under the second fret? 

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Good shout, that doesn't scream great QC

[kodiakblair]

  On 29/01/2022 at 22:02, Jeff29361 said:

that doesn't scream great QC

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No it screams seller pinched the photos from Ali-Ex .

 

Those necks are sold by the wangguitar 1980 store , their eBay shop was "jinwan" . I have a few necks from them , also I've spotted quite a few  used them in TalkBass build diaries.

Decision to go with wangguitar was simple economics . Material for a neck ( maple/fretwire/TR/fretboard etc) cost between £30 to £40 then there is the time involved ; wangguitar were charging £55 per neck inc delivery . My time is worth a damn sight more than £25 🙂

 

Before buying a new neck try straightening it under pressure , tools are just 2 cauls , 3 clamps and a straight edge.

 

If you think the neck is arsed then you've nothing to lose 👍

 

 

[Bassassin]

  On 29/01/2022 at 23:42, kodiakblair said:

No it screams seller pinched the photos from Ali-Ex .

 

Those necks are sold by the wangguitar 1980 store , their eBay shop was "jinwan" . I have a few necks from them , also I've spotted quite a few  used them in TalkBass build diaries.

Decision to go with wangguitar was simple economics . Material for a neck ( maple/fretwire/TR/fretboard etc) cost between £30 to £40 then there is the time involved ; wangguitar were charging £55 per neck inc delivery . My time is worth a damn sight more than £25 🙂

 

Before buying a new neck try straightening it under pressure , tools are just 2 cauls , 3 clamps and a straight edge.

 

If you think the neck is arsed then you've nothing to lose 👍

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That's essentially exactly what I was doing in the pic I posted - the neck in question had a tendency to forward-bow which was only worsened by string tension. After leaving it flexed backward for about a week, it was a lot straighter, and when I re-tensioned the truss I flexed it by hand into the position I wanted before tightening the rod. Strung it with low-tension Dunlop rounds, and subsequently it was stable & much improved.

[kodiakblair]

@Bassassin

 

Sorry pal . Never saw your photo .

 

Applying heat via an element (charcoal burner) helps things along , just be careful about the distance 

[Downunderwonder]

  On 29/01/2022 at 23:42, kodiakblair said:

No it screams seller pinched the photos from Ali-Ex .

 

Those necks are sold by the wangguitar 1980 store , their eBay shop was "jinwan" . I have a few necks from them , also I've spotted quite a few  used them in TalkBass build diaries.

Decision to go with wangguitar was simple economics . Material for a neck ( maple/fretwire/TR/fretboard etc) cost between £30 to £40 then there is the time involved ; wangguitar were charging £55 per neck inc delivery . My time is worth a damn sight more than £25 🙂

 

Before buying a new neck try straightening it under pressure , tools are just 2 cauls , 3 clamps and a straight edge.

 

If you think the neck is arsed then you've nothing to lose 👍

 

 

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I wouldn't abuse a nice level like that. Aluminum 'creeps' under load too.