Storing a neck that is not attached to the bass

[Jeffskowski]

Hi all

I have recently managed to obtain the original fretless neck for my '81 Stingray. Have been without it for about 20 years!
I have a custom fretted neck that I play so won't be fitting it any time soon so need some advice on the best way to store it.

 

Truss rod as is or lose?

With some sort of humidifier pack to maintain humidity?

Wrapped in paper, in an bag, case, wooden box?

 

Any help would be very much appreciated

Cheers
Jeff

[Beedster]

Buy a cheap body and bridge and keep it at tension 👍

[ped]

1 minute ago, Beedster said:

Buy a cheap body and bridge and keep it at tension 👍

 

Then maybe a nice pre and a pickup, have it refinished and...

[Jeffskowski]

3 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Buy a cheap body and bridge and keep it at tension 👍

Not a bad idea but I think just screwing it to a piece of stable timber and adding a bridge would save buying a body 👍

[Jeffskowski]

2 minutes ago, ped said:

 

Then maybe a nice pre and a pickup, have it refinished and...

🤔

 

[MichaelDean]

@Silky999 is making a lovely looking stingray body...

 

 

 

[Jeffskowski]

9 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

@Silky999 is making a lovely looking stingray body...

 

 

 

That is lovely. I only wanted to store a neck and now I'm spiralling towards another bass 😭

[Geek99]

This is basschat …. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The truss rod exists to provide force acting against the force applied by the pull of the strings. As there would be no string tension, I would slacken the truss rod off to prevent it forming a permanent back bow, wrap it in bubble wrap and store it a room temperature — ie not in the loft or shed.

 

When I bought a Fender replacement P to J conversion neck, it came with the truss tod slackened off, so I slackened off the rod on the fretless it was replacing before packing that one away.

Edited yesterday at 15:23 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Jeffskowski]

47 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The truss rod exists to provide force acting against the force applied by the pull of the strings. As there would be no string tension, I would slacken the truss rod off to prevent it forming a permanent back bow, wrap it in bubble wrap and store it a room temperature — ie not in the loft or shed.

 

When I bought a Fender replacement P to J conversion neck, it came with the truss tod slackened off, so I slackened off the rod on the fretless it was replacing before packing that one away.

Makes sense. Thanks!

[Jay2U]

I'd store it just like manufacturers do; no tension, trussrod relaxed, not too dry.

[Andyjr1515]

16 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The truss rod exists to provide force acting against the force applied by the pull of the strings. As there would be no string tension, I would slacken the truss rod off to prevent it forming a permanent back bow, wrap it in bubble wrap and store it a room temperature — ie not in the loft or shed.

 

When I bought a Fender replacement P to J conversion neck, it came with the truss tod slackened off, so I slackened off the rod on the fretless it was replacing before packing that one away.

Exactly this 👍

[Beedster]

I'd agree with the above if it was a new or recent neck, this neck is 45 years old, and might not have been under tension for some time. At the very least, I'd get it strung up, leave it for a while, and check there are no issues before I store it

[Andyjr1515]

9 hours ago, Beedster said:

I'd agree with the above if it was a new or recent neck, this neck is 45 years old, and might not have been under tension for some time. At the very least, I'd get it strung up, leave it for a while, and check there are no issues before I store it

Yup - if it was fitted then I would agree.  But I think at the beginning  @Jeffskowski  is talking about storing the unfitted neck?

[Jeffskowski]

57 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Yup - if it was fitted then I would agree.  But I think at the beginning  @Jeffskowski  is talking about storing the unfitted neck?

Correct. The neck will not be fitted. It has been fitted and used while it has not been in my possession so it really is what to do with it to make sure it remains in great condition when stored.

I am leaning towards fixing it to a body or body substitute, adding a cheap bridge, stringing it and storing in a hard case. I am worried that slackening the truss rod will allow the neck to move more than if it was strung and under the correct tension.

[Beedster]

1 minute ago, Jeffskowski said:

Correct. The neck will not be fitted. It has been fitted and used while it has not been in my possession so it really is what to do with it to make sure it remains in great condition when stored.

I am leaning towards fixing it to a body or body substitute, adding a cheap bridge, stringing it and storing in a hard case. I am worried that slackening the truss rod will allow the neck to move more than if it was strung and under the correct tension.

 

There are far more expert people than me on this forum, @Andyjr1515 of course being one of them, but my experience with a mid-70's Fender neck that I bought following a period in which it had been off the bass (and some recent stresses with a relatively recent Warmoth neck) suggests keeping it at tension is a good strategy, wood is not as consistent and stable a material as we'd like it to be, so reducing the risks is a good shout 👍