Official Luthiers Forum!

I read that a neck can take a "set" over time and that a truss rod adjustment may not be able to remove all of the relief around the 5-7th frets...seems like I read also that a neck can be heated and clamped to a flat surface to cool to remedy this problem...my question is, how much heat (are we trying to soften the glue enough to let the f/b slide while the neck goes to it's new configuration, then cools?) and won't this wack out the trueness of the f/b? Also, wouldn't the softening of the glue joint allow the f/b to slide out of position side-to-side on the neckshaft?

I never meant to get into repair, but people keep "bringing me their sick and infirmed"....

Thanks,
Larry

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Larry I too would have worries about fixing the set this way. If a neck re-set is in order I would go full bore, remove and re-set. To many things get changed with out compensation for the change in my opinion doing it this way. Quick fixes are seldom good fixes

Larry I am somewhat in the same boat. I have so many friends that appear at my door wood flu of some sort or another MichaelP38748.4768402778

Larry, what type of guitar is it? Sometimes you can get pretty creative with neck straightening, eg.loosen the trussrod, clamp into a backbow and slowly tighten the rod up to tension. I have straightened many necks this way that I thought were hopeless. I never really use heat.
Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

Take a look at Dan Erlewine's and Brian Gallop's neck re-set video. Very informative. Really worth the price.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

straightening the neck and reseting the neck are different processes for differerent problems and have different results.

if a neck has taken a set, i.e. has too much relief and either has no adjustable truss rod, as on a pre '85 martin for instance, or there is not any adjustment left on the rod, then straightening the neck using heat is in order and is a common repair task.

if there is an adjustable rod which is difficult to adjust then the process evan describes is a correct way to adjust without running the risk of striping the nut/rod or torqueing the end off.

Thanks guys for the info...I'll try removing the neck (it's a bolt-on) and clamping it in a backbow and adjusting the rod first (thanks Evan), if that's no good, then with the guy's approval I'll break out my bending blanket and have at it that way...

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