Mark,
My '97 4003 has needed frequent truss rod adjustments since I bought it (new).
When in adjustment, action is nice and low (Pyrimid flats). In 4 to 6 weeks, however, the action is once again high and another truss rod adjustment is in order. The bridge is as low as it will go.
After years of "adjustment", the truss rod finally snapped.
I'm wondering if the lack of a walnut "skunk stripe" on the neck (and body) makes my neck more "rubbery" than those so reinforced?
If I am, indeed, at the end of my truss rods adjustment parameters, how would one go about making this bass playable once again?
Finally, is this a common problem with 4003 basses? More so with the mapleglow ones? Or did I just get a "bad" one.
Many thanks for your consideration of this subject, and for making yourself available on this board!
-=Steve=-
Lack of "skunk stripe" = neck problems?
Moderator: jingle_jangle
Skunk stripes have absolutely nothing to do with strength of a neck .If they did every maker of instruments would install them.
You could have a dog ,but that is unlikely.
Did the threaded end actually snap off? taking the nut with it?
Get a replacement rod from Rick service .These are not that tough to replace .
I must assume that you have a single piece rod ,not the vintage rod.
It may be that the threads were at an end ,and the nut was up against the shaft with nothing to torque against...then from your pressure ,it snapped .
As to wobble necks .The first thing to look for is slab cut wood .This is hard to not find anymore ,but if glued up correct the troubles it produces can be minimized.
First look at the grain on the headstock ,does the maple grain run parallel to the surface of the face of the headstock or does it run at a 90 degree or an angle to the surface?
On the back of the neck ,how many pieces of wood were used to make up the width of the neck?
one?
Two?
Three?
Do you have in the grain ,any grain patterns that look like an island ?
Meaning is there a grain line that is a complete circle , this would be sort of oval in shape?
Answer these questions and then I can give you some better answers.Thanks
You could have a dog ,but that is unlikely.
Did the threaded end actually snap off? taking the nut with it?
Get a replacement rod from Rick service .These are not that tough to replace .
I must assume that you have a single piece rod ,not the vintage rod.
It may be that the threads were at an end ,and the nut was up against the shaft with nothing to torque against...then from your pressure ,it snapped .
As to wobble necks .The first thing to look for is slab cut wood .This is hard to not find anymore ,but if glued up correct the troubles it produces can be minimized.
First look at the grain on the headstock ,does the maple grain run parallel to the surface of the face of the headstock or does it run at a 90 degree or an angle to the surface?
On the back of the neck ,how many pieces of wood were used to make up the width of the neck?
one?
Two?
Three?
Do you have in the grain ,any grain patterns that look like an island ?
Meaning is there a grain line that is a complete circle , this would be sort of oval in shape?
Answer these questions and then I can give you some better answers.Thanks
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
Steve, while I don't find a bass registered to you, I do find a 325, so I assume you are the same individual, presumably still living in Florida . . . probably the most challenging state to own a wood product due to the constantly changing extremes of heat and humidity. My guess is that your bass is supersaturated with moisture and I'm afraid that adjustments are always going to be required to some extent on a neck as thin as this.
The truss rod itself can be removed and replaced quite easily; it's just a matter of tapping it out through the body end of the neck and reinserting a new one through the head and retightening the nut at the tail. You may find that the old technique of pushing the neck to a position just slightly beyond where you want it and snugging up the rod to hold it may work better than just cranking down on the truss rod nuts.
You can try to minimize the moisture extremes by keeping it as stable an environment as possible, taking particular caution to avoid the hot trunk of the car for any period of time.
The truss rod itself can be removed and replaced quite easily; it's just a matter of tapping it out through the body end of the neck and reinserting a new one through the head and retightening the nut at the tail. You may find that the old technique of pushing the neck to a position just slightly beyond where you want it and snugging up the rod to hold it may work better than just cranking down on the truss rod nuts.
You can try to minimize the moisture extremes by keeping it as stable an environment as possible, taking particular caution to avoid the hot trunk of the car for any period of time.