Restoring Some Japanese Tempo

[cybersaint2k]

I have a Tempo Guitar 4 bolt neck Japanese early 60s https://imgur.com/a/9wYxH

Isn't it pretty? The jack is shot, feels weird when you put in the 1/4 inch and all you get is amp buzz, and the neck is warped a bit. Original case.

Feel drawn to this little one and have some vacation time to restore it and make it sing again. What neck should I buy if it can't be trussed back into position?

I took the truss cap off and it does have a truss rod. But I've never adjusted one so I'm nervous.

 

I'd love some general advice as to how you would approach this. Thanks!

[eubie]

Quote

What neck should I buy if it can't be trussed back into position?
I took the truss cap off and it does have a truss rod. But I've never adjusted one so I'm nervous.

Welcome to the PG community!

1.  I would say, if you want to restore it, do everything you can to keep it as original as possible.  

2.  If you are thinking of replacing the neck, there's nothing to be worried about when it comes to adjusting the truss rod.  If you get in there and break something and have to replace the neck, you aren't any worse off than you would have been if you went straight to neck replacement.

So... start with the truss rod.  Get a good straight edge, preferably one of those that has the fret notches cut out of it, and lay it on the fretboard with the strings at tension. Adjust the rod a little, and see how it reacts with respect to the straight edge.  Your first adjustments can be small and slow until you get a feel for how the neck reacts to being adjusted, and then you can determine whether you think the warp is manageable or too severe to fix.

If you really want to stay as original as you can, pull the hardware and check all the wire connections before you decide you have to replace the jack.  Something may just be loose, frayed, shorted, ungrounded, etc.

I'll leave replacement neck recommendations to others - I don't have much expertise to offer there.

Edited August 10, 2017 by eubie