Warped Neck on my 2005 Erie Ball Stingray V

[Lester Crump]

I purchased this bass used and although it seemed to play quite nicely and has great tone, I restrung it with flatwounds and attempted to lower the action. That is when I noticed the slight warp or curve in the neck of my bass.It is not twisted but rather bows at the neck and there is no adjusting it out. The best I could do was to lightly sand the frets closest to the pickups to get the action close to where I want it but the is still a bit of fret noise off the first frets. Anyone else have this occur? Pretty expensive bass to have this flaw.

 

[bovinehost]

I'm not understanding if the neck is warped or curved. Or what the difference may be. There of course should be some relief in the neck, otherwise your strings will sit on the frets and you'll sound like that Fieldy guy.

If the bass was performing well with the original strings and then you changed the strings, well, you'll need to figure out if the new flats have less/more tension to them than the old set and adjust accordingly. I have been there, done that, got SO many t-shirts.

I once changed out strings and discovered that my favored low-tension flats didn't have enough oomph in them to get proper relief in the neck (a Stingray). There are simple ways to deal with this if that's what you think it may be.

I mean, you might be an old hand (like me) and there really IS some problem with the neck, but let's not go freaking out just yet.

1. How did you "lower the action"? Using the saddles or with the truss rod?
2. What strings did you take off/put on?

Maybe there is hope in spite of the global situation lately.

Jack

 

[tbonesullivan]

That type of bow is exactly what the truss rod is supposed to take out. I would get it to a tech to see if they can improve it. Definitely keep the sandpaper away from those frets.

 

[Lester Crump]

That type of bow is exactly what the truss rod is supposed to take out. I would get it to a tech to see if they can improve it. Definitely keep the sandpaper away from those frets.

That is exactly what I did. We have a very very talented luthier who worked at Gibson for many years (Tracy Cox) and he's the one who looked at the bass and diagnosed it. I like a very low set up and the guy I purchased it from always used a quite high set up. I found myself "tripping" over the strings. When I couldn't get it any closer (I've been setting the action and inclination on my guitars and for others for years) I took it to him. the first 5-6 frets were worn from 10 yrs of apparent buzz. He questioned if the guy who played it originally played a lot 20+ frets high. I told him that the guy I bought it from was almost exclusively 7th fret and down player. The term warped does imply a twist but this curve is beyond the natural curve of the neck. I can best describe it as a compound heal lift in say last 5-6 frets. If you press any string to the fret from say 20 and below the string will rest on all the frets behind it. after that the string starts to rise until the last fret where there will be a gap from about 8-11 of up to .030".

 

[Lester Crump]

Tried to reply but somehow it never showed. Anyways I do know how to do a basic setup. I have been adjusting action and inclination for years. Now what I have up to 11-12 fret as you fret the string the string lays on all the lower frets. above 15 16 toy get a rise off of the frets with the max being at around 11-12 and at the last fret that rise at 11 is .030" I took the guitar to Tracy Cox who is a well known luthier who worked for Gibson for years. He noticed excessive fret wear at the last 5-6 frets. He asked me if I play a lot on the upper frets or if the previous owner did. I told him no and I know the previous owner played almost exclusively 7th fret and down. He however liked his action much higher than I prefer. I never tried to lower the action when I first got the bass but ordered new flatwounds immediately. I changed the strings then attempted to lower the action. Where it was my fingers were "tripping" on the strings. Tracy lightly sanded the frets to help correct it. It is lower than it was but not as low as I'd like it. I also have to run the treble low in order to avoid the "click" of the strings on the upper frets.

 

[bovinehost]

Understood. You just never know what people are up to when it comes to set-ups and I didn't intend to insult you.

What you're describing is beyond being helped by words typed on a forum and it sounds like the bass (in its former life) may have not had the love and care it needed. I'd take it to a good luthier and seek a fix.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Yeah... it's a 13 year old bass now. Who knows what has been done to it. My Luke III has a whole bunch of fret issues I need to take care of, probably from moisture control issues.

 

[Golem]

`

A compound bow curve that buzzes against the frets
numbered 18 and up is not unheard-of, and is often
called a ski-jump. When the neck is prefect between
the nut and the 17th to 18th fret, nice slight relief
and all, but then there's a little rise beyond the 18th,
thaz the ski-jump.

Best of my knowledge is that there's no cheap and
easy solution. The best result means defretting and
planing and refretting. Since you do have some worn
frets in the money zone, the cost of such an overhaul
is not entirely spent on the ski-jump. You need a fret
job anywho. Might as well get it plecked, too.