Sterling needs a new neck, options?

[Prime_BASS]

It's not broken in any such way, I'm just positive that it 's not normal that it needs setting up everytime the wind changes.

Or everytime the strings need changing, or it leaves the house, or the room tempreture changes by a degree.

It's a '94 sterling but a penciled on neck date shows the neck is a '95. Not uncommon thing. However I've had a stingray from the same year and it only needed slight truss rod adjustment when the strings were changed, sometimes not even then. a jaguar bass i had never needed setting up, and the warwick I have now is sturdy as a rock.

It's been used ALOT! it was the bassist of the band Midget during the early years and it definatly got gigged a hella lot, it's worn on the dusty end!
I like the fact its played in, it feels amazing and look like nothing else out there and its my faborite maple. Birdseye.

Anyway, as you cvan imagine it's rather frustrating that everytime I want to use it, it's either impossible to play or rattle like buggery.
the neck responds to truss rod changes fairly quick (almost instant if its hot inside) which I'm sure isnt normal either.

I would have liked a status replacement just to try some graphite and satisfy some pent up GAS, but they dont do Sterling sized pockets.

what options do i have to resolve this, that dont involve costing the planet or potentially ruining the current neck.?

thanks.

[Musicman20]

Oh heck! My goto Ray 4 H has had one truss rod tweak in 6 months, and that was because it had been gigged with a lot, and in very different temperatures throughout Summer to Winter.

If a neck has quite a heavy birdseye/flame figuring, I've heard this can lead to the neck being less stable compared to standard plain maple, hence the recent Sadowsky and Musicman 'roasted' option.

You could ask Shuker...

[Happy Jack]

[i][i][i][url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/158559-moses-graphite-jazz-bass-neck-unused/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/158559-moses-graphite-jazz-bass-neck-unused/[/url][/i][/i][/i]

[mcgraham]

I had a problem like this with an older Geddy bass. It wasn't all that bad, but my tolerances for action on my basses is finer than most.

My solution was to get Shuker to make me a brand new neck identical to the old one even down to the profile but with neck reinforcements. That was about £300 total, and that was about 2007/2008.

What's great about that option is that you can tweak minor things you don't like about the neck to get something made that suits you a bit better.

[daz]

Any pictures of this heroic old bass ?

Graphite necks may be the way to go.

ps: Have you had a close look at the neck pocket/shims and trussrod etc ?

Edited January 3, 2012 by daz

[throwoff]

I would say graphite as a good idea.

Although the are a marmite thing!

[Prime_BASS]

i thought that it might be the birdseye thing plus the amount of use its had. On the other hand the stingray had a heavier birdseye and it was very stable.

I've emailed Shuker, so hopefully get to hear back. Ideally I'd want maple on maple like it is now, but i hate that aneamic stuff that we get now days.

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1325605984' post='1485025']
Any pictures of this heroic old bass ?

Graphite necks may be the way to go.

ps: Have you had a close look at the neck pocket/shims and trussrod etc ?
[/quote]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/144178-nbd-94-ebmm-sterling/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]

Here you go, although now, it has no pickguard as it doesnt fit quiet right over the new SMB-4A 3 coil I installed. Pictures are not great.
I was thinking of selling it to recoup some funds but I love it too much, too much histopry to let it go for a stupid price.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Prime_BASS