Wave in 4003 4-2-5 Neck

markbass99 · Post by **markbass99** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:19 am

Bruce, that super low humidity may be the biggest factor in your neck problems. When thin bass necks dry out too much due to low humidity they can do some strange things. I'm not a expert but I think someone on the forum(J.H.?) mentioned that 40-60 percent is the optimum range.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:35 am

Actually, around 35% RH is ideal.

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:31 am

That super low humidity is only outside. The air conditioning keeps humidity well inside optimal range during the summer and I keep a potent humidifier in the guitar room during the rest of the year when A/C is not in use. I keep a hygrometer right next to the guitars. Plus, the original neck condition existed in the bass before it was in Jeff's hands for conversion. There's no telling the conditions the bass was kept or used at that point in history.

Although I see we hit 15% yesterday, so it's quite the steam room outside.

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:44 am

As promised, some photos of my process.

http://www.brucealan.com/images/neck1.gif
http://www.brucealan.com/images/neck2.gif
http://www.brucealan.com/images/neck3.gif
http://www.brucealan.com/images/neck4.gif

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:58 am

Nice job with the pictures.

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:19 pm

Just an update.
I am now totally sold on this method of dealing with unruly necks.

My 86 4003 had been a battle for a while; I guess it must have happened slowly. One day I picked it up and it was just unacceptable. Couldn't seem to get a good setup anymore. The more I investigated, the more I found wrong. I started a thread called "4003 trussrod problem, or lack of patience?"

Thanks to many of you (and Mark Arnquist as well), I discovered I had "flipped" trussrods, and some compressed wood to fix. That helped, but it wasn't right until I learned to shape the neck with heat.
I just got done with my second heat job on this neck, for a "hump' around the 13th fret.
It's now as straight as can be, and the setup is nice and easy. The additional bonus benefit is the trussrods no longer need to be tightened so much; and further wood compression shouldn't be a problem! (knock on wood?)

Thanks, folks.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:33 am

Glad to hear things turned out well for you, Mike.

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:09 am

I stand relatively corrected on this particular neck. The heating and clamping held for a couple weeks, slowly slipping back into it's previous "waved" state. Darn.

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:45 am

Sorry to hear that.
Knock on wood, mine is still holding.
I think this shows that some pieces of wood are more inclined to do what they want.

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:04 am

Hard to see in this pic, but it's nearly dead straight.

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:22 am

Time to contemplate the "experienced luthier with a proper heat lamp" route or <gasp!> a new bass.

Hmmmmm........wonder how my credit in this household is? I did three loads of laundry today.

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:30 am

3 loads, that's worth a new 4003 at the least!

elysrand · Post by **elysrand** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:52 am

Takes painting a room or two and doing some plumbing or tile work in the kitchen to soften my wife up for a really big purchase. That's if I have also had a flawless record of taking out the trash to the curb on time every Tuesday and Friday...

qwezirider · Post by **qwezirider** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:20 pm

What can I get for the 21 meals per week I cook around here? And not screwing up my wife's own laundry?

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:13 pm

Bruce wrote:
"What can I get for the 21 meals per week I cook around here?"

Fat?