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Neck Too Stiff


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This is my first topics in this forum so i will introduce myself. My name is Philippe and i'm from quebec, canada. I play basse for over 18years and i'm a modelmaker for aerospace industry.

I built my first complete basse in april '06. This is a bolt-on 4strings/fretless/mahogany. Here is the problem; i built a 5pcs mahogany neck with a .300" purpleheart centre piece surounded by 2 .100" strip of maple. The truss rod is a martin type with the aluminium channel. The neck is realy stiff, even with the string tension. When i use my string as a straight-edge, there is a .012" gap in the centre of my neck and the trussrod nut is loose. I want a little more bow to prevent string buzz. My neck profile is much more like a warwick than a jazzbass. I like that chunky feel, but will i have a better neck movement if i reshape it much thinner?

thanks

Philippe

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any suggestion?

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that one way to achieve this is to bend the neck while setting the trussrod --you use clamps to position the neck while setting the trussrod accordingly.

Don't do this until a real luthier confirms it though. Might not help your problem either.

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any suggestion?

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that one way to achieve this is to bend the neck while setting the trussrod --you use clamps to position the neck while setting the trussrod accordingly.

Don't do this until a real luthier confirms it though. Might not help your problem either.

Not sure I'm a 'real luthier', but that won't help much. It is, however, how I adjust all my rods; hand-bend it into place, adjust rod under less tension.

If you thin it down a little (total thickness, but watch the rod!) it should get more flexible, but whether that's going to be enough...

Honestly, I think the best way to deal with this is to 'simply' plane/sand more relief into it. Crank the rod (well, bend, then turn rod) so you've got a little backbow (about the .012 you have now, perhaps? negative relief..), plane or sand it flat in that tensioned position, release rod, voila, more built-in relief.

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Mattia: .012 of positive relief. I like the rosewood smell but it's pretty hard to sand. But i think that is the way to go! I want a relief between .030/.040" to lowered the action.

Thanks for your advice guys! This forum is realy useful for a hobbyist like me.

Philippe

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