Neck Too Thin ???

zoomduck · Post by **zoomduck** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:13 am

Hello Forumites . I have been trying to record with my 77 AutumnGlo 4001 . It has a Hipshot bridge and intonates perfectly...but.....it always records a little sharp . I found out it is the pressure from my hand on the neck causing just enough flex to affect the tuning . My 4004 and P bass do not have this problem . Is the neck on a 4003 more stable ? Is this where the Trade offers begin

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:18 am

A 4003 neck will definitley be more stable.

ajish4 · Post by **ajish4** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:19 am

Hmmmmm, AutumnGlo....one of these days!

I had the SAME problem with my 1988 V63. It was diagnosed here on the forum.

It had a hairline crack in the NUT! When I played, the darn thing slightly PINCHED the strings causing them to go sharp!

Amazing...just a thought!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:21 am

Ummm...you must be a pretty strong guy Barry!

Either that or you just play with a lot of intensity.

If I try real hard I can bend the neck on one of my old 4001's and affect the tuning, but I have to be trying.

zoomduck · Post by **zoomduck** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:31 am

Hi Jeff . Thats what is odd . I have worked on my breathing and muscle tension for a long time . It seems like just the weight of my hand affects this bass and.....the main note that is sharp is the A on the E string ....5th fret .

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:55 am

I have an Epiphone Guitar that plays sharp ... it turns out the nut is cut a little high so when I play chords with some open and some fretted strings it sounds out of tune ... because the fretted strings are depressed enough to make them slightly sharp ... the solution will be to cut the string grooves slightly deeper into the nut ...

Also my old 1968 4001 had a very pliable neck ... I could simply pull back on it while playing and cause the notes to fret out into complete buzz ... I had a modern p-bass neck that was pliable like that also ...

That old 68 4001 was a pain to intonate ... I had to revers the D and G saddles and move them all the way back to get it to intonate ...

zoomduck · Post by **zoomduck** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:46 am

Hmmm....2 replies about the nut....time to take a look .

wints · Post by **wints** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:56 am

My 68 neck is the same. You can "vibrato" pretty easy.

Intonation problems on the old saddles comes as standard...

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:11 am

The guy I bought my 4005 from back in the 80's used to use the neck as a tremelo bar while pushing the opposite direction against the upper horn. He broke the fingerboard off eventually. Dumba**!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:13 am

I can "vibrato" my 70's 4001's also. And I'm sure I could do it with my 4003's and my V63 and C64 as well. But its something I have to be trying to do.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:53 am

I use to do neck bends until i heard a really loud pop on the neck of my dean. I bassically stoped it then. Maybe every now and then ill do it, but alot lighter!
As far as doing it to my Ric? Theres no way in hell i would.

zoomduck · Post by **zoomduck** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:44 pm

I am just playing the thing Normally ! May have to go back to a Fender Jazz !

congerz83 · Post by **congerz83** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:46 pm

NO!! NO!! NO!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T DO IT MAN!!!!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:04 pm

With the right touch on my old 68 I could give it a slight pull and add a touch of fret buzz as an accent ... it was cool ...

the p-bass neck eventually went s curve and I pitched it ...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:06 pm

for the Ric try a different brand of strings ... some strings are inconsistent in their diameter ... this makes intonation problematic ...