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Fixing a upward bend in neck


RIX

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I should mention first DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME or anywhere else. I did this as a matter of curiosity to see if it would actually help straighten out the guitar's neck, but if you have a similar problem I am not recommending you try this. I am simply sharing my experience with this experiment.

 

This past winter my Washburn guitar developed a bit of an upward bend that could not be address by the adjusting of the truss rod. Basically the guitar absorbed too mush moister, which made the neck bend upward right at the heal, (where the neck joins the body). This increase the action at the 12th fret from 5/64" to 7/64" (measuring from the 6th string with a capo on the 1st fret), which was quiet noticeable when playing the guitar. I really wasn't wanting to send it in to have the neck reset, so I got an ideal that maybe I could fix this myself. I decided that I could place the neck in a clamp/jig (the rack) and let the dry weather do the rest. So, at the beginning of May after removing the strings and loosening the truss rod I put on the clamp/jig and didn't take it off until the last day in May. During this time about every couple of days I would tighten the clamp a little more until I felt I had done as much as I could without breaking anything. I did try to get a before picture of the upward bend, but I just couldn't get a descent picture with my camera.

 

NeckJig1.jpg

 

May 31, I removed the clamp/jig and did a rough adjust on the truss rod and restrung the guitar. And it seems to have worked the upward bend is noticeably gone and the action at the 12th fret is back to where it was at 5/64" measuring the 6th string. I did a final adjustment on the truss rod yesterday and everything seems to be holding in place. Now I just have to keep an eye on the humidity with this guitar, because it seems to be a little more sensitive to moisture.

 

Again I am not recommending that anyone try this.

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Intersting fix. Thanks for sharing. I wish that I would have thought of this a few years ago. I had a cheap Washburn acoustic with a back-bend in the same spot. The opposite of what you had, but I think that in theory, that technique may have worked on it. Oh well. Too late now! I'll keep this in mind for the next time, which I hope is never. lol.

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At first I wasn't sure if it would really work and then I was worry that I would hear a crack while I was tightening the clamp, then I'd really be deep in it. But, it worked out okay. I have done something similar like this with a bass guitar that I was having trouble adjusting the truss rod, so I did have a little experience clamping the neck of a guitar.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

I suspect that that was a common fix for guitar necks in the days before truss rods.

 

As a matter of fact, in the days before metal tennis rackets, tennis players used to put a frame or 'press' on the hoop of the tennis racket after playing. It kept the hoop from twisting during storage from the vagaries of humidity and pull of the laced up racket.

 

Could be a 'press' might be in order for a guitar prone to warping like this one did.

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This past winter my Washburn guitar developed a bit of an upward bend that could not be address by the adjusting of the truss rod.

I just realized that your guitar is a Washburn as well. Coincidence? Mine was originally owned by my brother, who stored it in its case in the trunk of his car for long periods of time. The bridge was lifting off of it as well. Way too much heat for that poor guitar. Luckily it was only a $150 D-10, so no great loss. I replaced it with an Epiphone PR4-E.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

I suspect that that was a common fix for guitar necks in the days before truss rods.

 

As a matter of fact, in the days before metal tennis rackets, tennis players used to put a frame or 'press' on the hoop of the tennis racket after playing. It kept the hoop from twisting during storage from the vagaries of humidity and pull of the laced up racket.

 

Could be a 'press' might be in order for a guitar prone to warping like this one did.

 

That really got me thinking about guitars that develop a pot belly just below the bridge. Most people say its okay to store a guitar with the strings tuned, because the issue use to be that it would affect the neck, but with truss rods you can adjust the truss rod to counteract any ill effect. On the other hand with the strings tuned there is constant tension on the bridge and there is no adjustment for that, so I'm thinking on guitars that aren't going to be played for a while it maybe wise to loosen the strings. That way you may avoid developing a pot belly on the guitar. Anyway just a thought.

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Seems like a very nicely done DIY project if I say so myself!

 

It sure seem like it was worth trying since it didn't cost me anything and if it didn't work well then I'd know.

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i did something like that to an old marwin from the 30s. it has no truss rod and it had agradual bend from the body to the headstock i clamped it and put a heating pad on it. 24 hours later the neck was prefect..

 

That's cool, cause I've been working on an old Crest Ukulele with a bowed neck and no way to adjust. May be I'll give your technique a try.

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