djhollowman Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Hello all! Well, I just installed all my frets, checked the level, and it's backbowed! I sanded it perfectly flat before fretting. It has a one-way truss rod, which is already slackened, and would only bend it worse anyway! Please tell me there's a solution to this! Help! Will the string tension pull it level enough??? (Neck is a 3-ply laminate of maple around bubinga, ebony fingerboard, angled headstock, 7 string guitar. Also, no neck angle at body join, recessed tunomatic bridge, if this helps!) Will the extra tension generated by the 7th string help? I like a really flat neck under tension anyway, but I'm worried that I won't be able to level the frets enough to counteract the backbow at present. Had a wee search here for solutions, but didn't find what I'm after. Thanks, DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggs Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 What has likely happened is you did not compensate for the insertion of the frets into their slots. Remember that each is trying to spread the sides of the slots apart and when you add 22 of them, it adds up. If you start with a flat neck before insertion, you will end up with a static back bow. You need some relief without truss-rod tension to start to compensate for the spread caused by the insertion of the frets. How much relief depends on the amount of interference between the slot and the fret tines... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted February 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Thanks for your reply Boggs! So, is the only way out of this that I must pull the frets out, sand in some relief and re-fret? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Widen thr fret slots and superglue the frets back in- then the tension is relieved. To be honest, I'd be amazed if it retained a backbow once you had the string tension in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Try clamping in some relief, and leaving the neck like that overnight. That may well bed the barbs down enough to do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Don't tell me you haven't even strung it up yet. Most, if not all, necks I work on and set-up as well as possible will be at least a little back-bowed when the strings are taken off. Maybe it's even a new neck, then lord knows what kind of back-bow, forward bow, there will be in 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 hey DJ, i`d say put the strings on and see how that turns out. in a few days, the backbow should be gone. if that don`t work, you can widen the slots, or even remove more material from the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Hmm....thought I'd replied to this earlier today, but the post isn't here. Maybe I just previewed it...? Anyway, Don't tell me you haven't even strung it up yet. Most, if not all, necks I work on and set-up as well as possible will be at least a little back-bowed when the strings are taken off. Maybe it's even a new neck, then lord knows what kind of back-bow, forward bow, there will be in 6 months. Yes, it's a new neck, never been strung. Sorry! I should have made that clearer in the beginning! Try clamping in some relief, and leaving the neck like that overnight. That may well bed the barbs down enough to do the trick. I was thinking to try this today, but I think I'll leave it until the guitar's finished and try stringing it up first. I mean, I can always take the neck off and clamp some relief into it at a later date, right? The body isn't made yet anyway. Thanks for the input fellas! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Or build yourself a neck jig to do you fret leveling. That way you can flatten out the neck, adjust your frets and once it is on the guitar and strung up, it should flatten out nicely. Backbow from fretting is pretty common, that is why a number of people build in relief from the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP63 Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Each wood piece seems to give slightly difference resistance when fretting. The barbs should dig in after a while. Now if the fit is too tight for the tang, it might not get back to flat If the bow is slight, I'd wait to see what the string pull does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Or build yourself a neck jig to do you fret leveling. That way you can flatten out the neck, adjust your frets and once it is on the guitar and strung up, it should flatten out nicely. Backbow from fretting is pretty common, that is why a number of people build in relief from the start. Yeah, I like the idea of making a neck jig. Each wood piece seems to give slightly difference resistance when fretting. The barbs should dig in after a while. Now if the fit is too tight for the tang, it might not get back to flat If the bow is slight, I'd wait to see what the string pull does. I understand the principles of why this happens now. Yeah, I'm gonna finish the rest of it and try it strung up before attempting anything more "chiropractic" with it! Good stuff, thanks fellas!! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleFan Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 You made up your mind already but I still wanted to chime in. +1 on Setch´s advise. Tried that on a build for the last few days and it worked like a charm. I clamped the neck fingerboard down to a aluminium beam and wetted/heated it twice a day. Additionally I shimed the middle of the neck with twice the thickness of the backbow. A week later I had a gentle relief which I could level out with the trussrod. So if the string pull doesn´t straighten your neck I definately recommend clamping it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Cool! Thanks for that TripleFan - I'll definately keep that in mind! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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