Any solutions for a twisted neck?

[mahtone]

Ok, so in honour of the fact that I went VINTAGE today...


Right so I just got back my very first electric which, like so many other people, is a black Squire Strat. It's been out on a long term loan for a couple of years. I have a notion to turn it into a project guitar...refinish it, maybe something with the pickups etc. It's actually in pretty good nick considering that it's been fairly neglected.

It's come back with a twisted neck. I think it's been sitting in a closet for a year or so with the strings at odd tensions and that may have contributed.

Does anyone have any suggestions for ways of getting the twist to straighten out? Best I can think of is to either leave the strings right off for a while or put a couple on one side and again leave it. Should I maybe take the truss rod out and clamp it flat?

Otherwise I pretty much have to shelve it until I can justify a new neck...

Suggestions appreciated!

[Unfinished]

Solutions I've read about include clamping the neck straight and applying heat, or removing the fingerboard and removing wood. I don't think that either solution guarantees that the wood won't just be wood and move again.

[Rog]

Didn't someone here have a suitable replacement neck for sale???

[holelottaluv]

: :

Solutions I've read about include clamping the neck straight and applying heat, or removing the fingerboard and removing wood. I don't think that either solution guarantees that the wood won't just be wood and move again.

:

[Bg]

Didn't someone here have a suitable replacement neck for sale???

+1, thats about the only simple solution, probably the cheapest too.

[mahtone]

Yeah I thought as much...

Thanks anyway guys. If anyone remembers who was selling that neck, let me know!

In the meantime it's not unplayable, so i might just forge ahead with the rest of it....

[Rog]

t'twas Dayle, I think.

'course with a new neck - that's the time to put a Fender waterslide on and suddenly - it ain't a Squier no more cuz!

[ash]

Is it one-piece maple or does it have a rosewood FB?

Necks with a seperate fretboard are more likely to be fixable. Although that still only amounts to 'unlikely'.

Heat and twisting are sketchy, but possible. I've seen more necks fix themselves after some time relaxing in an unloaded state than from human intervention.

[crushing day]

Dayl's is a very nice 1 piece maple neck .. check in with him first.
if you are after Rosewood, i've got a good 2nd hand Allparts option

[mahtone]

Nah it's one piece maple and I want to keep it that way as my main strat is a rosewood fretboard.

I'm just going to let it sit and hope it straightens, otherwise I'll turf it. Any thoughts on whether it would have a better chance if I losen the truss right off?

Oh, and if a new neck goes on it's getting a new partsocaster decal!

[Rog]

Of course, you could buy a Squier from TM for bugger all - swap the neck and resell...

[B45-12]

Depending on its value, how about getting ash to install a double trussrod like Rickys - they reckon they've never had a twisted neck they cannot straighten with them.

[mahtone]

Had considered doing the squire from TM and the neckswap, but not sure I like the idea...

Defintely not worth a double truss. I think the gat is probably worth about $1.50. Could probably flog on TM for $100, but that'd be the upper limit I would think. You never know, but I certainly wouldn't pay more than that for one.

Will be keeping my eye on TM for things that I can cherry pick though.

[ash]

Double truss rods are overrated. I've seen plenty of brand new ones that you end up with one rod really tight and the other completely loose without much effect. They offer more power, but not much twist control in practice. Of course this is on 5 and 6 string basses. On a 4-string Ricky with a skinny neck it might be more effective.




Loosen off the truss rod when you let it rest. If it does work it will take a while, so don't hope for miracles in a week.

[Rog]

There's something LONGER than a week???
Damn!