DIY Neck surgery

[arthurhenry]

I have a '73 Tele with a too straight neck. No relief at all and the truss rod has been loose for the last four years that I've owned it. Deadish sounding notes up top and horrible buzzing at first four frets. I propose to support it at the neck heel and top of the neck and hang a weight from it. What should I use? Bag of sugar? 5L tin of paint? From where do I hang it? Around 7th fret? Should I apply heat with a hairdryer? Where and for how long? If it shifts will the repair be permanent and do I just tighten the rod until snug?
I should add that this bass is very much a spare and I am not too precious about it. It has a cavity routed out for a second (removed) pickup and has been refinished. I just want to get it playing a bit better.
Grateful for any advice.
Thanks.

[OldGit]

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='822307' date='Apr 28 2010, 06:52 PM']I have a '73 Tele with a too straight neck. No relief at all and the truss rod has been loose for the last four years that I've owned it. Deadish sounding notes up top and horrible buzzing at first four frets. I propose to support it at the neck heel and top of the neck and hang a weight from it. What should I use? Bag of sugar? 5L tin of paint? From where do I hang it? Around 7th fret? Should I apply heat with a hairdryer? Where and for how long? If it shifts will the repair be permanent and do I just tighten the rod until snug?
I should add that this bass is very much a spare and I am not too precious about it. It has a cavity routed out for a second (removed) pickup and has been refinished. I just want to get it playing a bit better.
Grateful for any advice.
Thanks.[/quote]


Yeah do all that ... but first ..
pop in a shim
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49897"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49897[/url]

[EdwardHimself]

I reckon you should just stick a set of heavier strings on it for a while and see if that does any good.

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='OldGit' post='822310' date='Apr 28 2010, 06:54 PM']Yeah do all that ... but first ..
pop in a shim
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49897"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49897[/url][/quote]

Good point, it's already shimmed.

[OldGit]

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='822362' date='Apr 28 2010, 07:42 PM']Good point, it's already shimmed.[/quote]


Ahhh ..
+ heavier strings?
or "iwas clearing my uncle's loft..."

[7string]

Unusual that you have a neck which is too straight. Usually it's case of not straight enough. If it's buzzing in the first 4 frets is the action at the nut to low. Fender spec is 0.020" (+/- 0.002") at the 1st fret.

Personally, I wouldn't hang anything on the neck. If the truss rod's loose then it's the strength of the neck itself that's keeping it straight. That's either a super strong neck or the truss rod is broken and is holding the neck in this too-straight position.

You could try carefully clamping the neck into an upbow, snugging up the truss rod nut and seeing if the neck holds that position. It's the reverse of clamping a neck that won't go straight. If it works then you can loosen the rod to get the relief down to the level you want. Doesn;t come without its risks though.

You could try also try switching to a set of heavy flatwounds (50 75 90 110) and see if that works. The real problem is that without the truss rod working, you have an unadjustable and to some degree uncontrollable neck. If the truss rods gone then sorting it could be a whole can of worms. Heat could be one solution, or maybe re-fretting with a thinner tang of fretwire resulting in less fret compression. No guarantee anything would work though.


IMHO, if nothing seems to help I would save the vintage neck and replace it with a new after-market one.