Neck Angle

[dr_bob]

I am trying to understand what it means when people say "watch out for the neck angle on a Rick" (quickly followed by "because this is really hard to fix on a Rick"). Can someone suggest some reading material for me OR provide me with an explanation of what a bad neck angle is and how it happens?

[karl_teten]

I think what they mean is the 'neck set'. As long as you have room enough to properly adjust the height of the bridge you will be OK.

[leftybass]

I tend to think of it as more of a 'condition' that only exists on certain Rickenbackers, namely 60's 12-strings....some people call the condition a 'curl', where the entire neck will tend to bend upward toward the top with the fulcrum point being where the neck joins the body. The neck itself may be straight, i.e. no bow or warp within the area of the fretboard.

To add to what Karl said, when this 'curling' occurs you tend to lose space between the bottom of the bridge and the plate on the top, and the strings get quite close to the bridge pickup....sometimes you will find older Rickenbacker 12-strings that have had the bridge pickup grommets removed to provide greater clearance for the strings, or the bridgeplate will have been shaved down to remove metal and allow more travel for the bridge (to lower it).

It can be fixed if it is extreme, and could involve resetting the neck. Each case should be treated differently, for there may be other ways to approach the issue.

[jingle_jangle]

Looking at the shape, in longitudinal cross-section, of a Rickenbacker neck (especially a semi-hollowbody neck), before it is mounted into the pocket in the body, it will be seen that the "weak spot" (if one can use this term about such a stout sandwich of wood!) is right at the end of the fretboard, where the neck pickup butts against it. Suddenly, the neck loses a full 1/2" or more of thickness, where the fretboard ends. This over time does become the fulcrum point. The wood will kink from string tension. It does not take much movement at this "fulcrum point" (as John terms it), to cause 1/8"-1/4" of upward deflection at the other end of the neck, leading to the condition of a neck no longer parallel to the plane of the body faces, and the need to set the bridge way down.

Interestingly, I've never yet seen a neck tweaked like this that didn't have a bit of correctable relief, too, caused by string tension. Oftentimes owners will crank down on the truss rods, thinking that this will straighten the neck, and will end up with the combined conditions of back bow and neck angle. I have seen this on a number of older Ricks.

[randyz]

I have owned a '66 370/12 FG that had this exact problem. Mr. Arnquist has worked out a rebuild procedure that can correct this. It's a major operation that generally involves a total refinish. But you'll end up with a pristine restoration in any color you want. New Rickenbackers have a much improved neck joint that doesn't fail like the mid-sixties twelve-strings.

[rick12dr]

As I have commented before on this, to Really see what all is being affected, get a machinists straight edge, and gently set it down Lengthwise along the center seam of the guitars back.Does it lay dead flat? Or does it "rock"? The problem is the whole body is "bowing".

[randyz]

The best place to look for a problem is underneath the neck pick-up on 21-fret guitars.

[dale_fortune]

Don has answered the question correctly. The 1/4 inch slab cut Maple that makes up the back of the body is what the neck is glued to and being supported by. Over a period of years this will tend to flex, bowing from string tension causing high string action and allowing the strings to either touch or come very close to resting on the bridge pickup. The proper repair is to pull the neck and reset the angle, there are other solutions, but I have found this to be the most effective.

[leftybass]

Good thread here. To add to what Dale and Don have said, I have seen some Rick 12s where there are ripples on the surface of the wood in the center of the back near the neck joint, all due to this condition.

[rick12dr]

Without having the luxury of being in a big room with a bunch of 60s Rick semihollows,armed with my trusty straight edge, I just going to guess there are more than a few oldies with this problem to a greater or lesser degree. I've seen more 12s than 6s with the problem, but one 6 in particular, was a '64-'65 1997 that was Visibly
[before even doing a straight edge check!] warped/cupped/bowed on 2 axes; both down the centerline of the back, as well as side to side
on the front.The overall appearance of this particular Rick seemed to tell a few tales; lots of gigs and playing wear, much weathering,very worn finish,but not actually coming unglued.But just the most problematic Rick I have ever seen.
Of course, no matter; it's Old, and Rare, and a collectible wall hanger...oh,well...

[randyz]

Don: I've owned a '66 370/12 with a major neck problem. I also know of a '65 360/12 and '67 360/12 in a local shop that were just as bad. I've seen several 330's from the mid-sixties that have minor issues (i.e. some finish cracking or slight separation at the neck joint).

[freud50]

I have successfully corrected the neck angle on a '66 335 that had this problem. This guitar had a section of it's internal "x" brace completely cut from a humbucker modification at the bridge. The neck angle and top support were compromised. I removed the back, replaced the bracing with new maple bracing and reset neck. It sure brought back the sound and excellent playability this guitar is capable of.