#1
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Straighten a Neck Without a Truss Rod
Hi guys!
The guitar in question is a 30's Kamico Archtop. I got it for $5 from a thrift shop. The neck is bowed, but doesn't have a truss rod. It's not even steel-reinforced. I strung it up after I refinished it, but the bow must be addressed in order to give it a good string height. Right now, it's clamped to a straight-edge...after I heated it with a hair dryer. I added a slight back-bow to it...thinking that it will be straight when strung. My question...or concern is that it will eventually bend again without having any reinforcement like a truss rod. I want to keep the guitar original, but I'd really like to resolve this issue. Right now, it's great for slide, but I want to be able to lower the action and play her as she was designed to play. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! Phil |
#2
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If it's really a keeper it's worth having a luthier remove the fretboard and rout a channel for an adjustable trussrod. Only a couple hundred bucks or so, not counting replacing frets and nut, if needed.
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I've cut this thing twice and it's still too short. |
#3
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On guitars that do not have adjustable rods, the most common way to straighten them is by compression fretting. Basically that is a complete re-fretting using a fret wire whose tang (the part of the fret that goes in the slot) is slightly over-sized so as to make the fingerboard straighten. It requires the repairman to make a very educated guess so expect to pay a fair price for the work. A new bottleneck will be a lot less. HE It Ain't Necessarily So: http://howardemerson.com/music2.html |
#4
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On one occasion I unwittingly introduced a permanent back bow into a neck by using slightly oversized fretwire. I can imagine it's a technique that relies heavily either on experience or luck to be successful. Dan Erlewine mentions it in the repair guide book I think.
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#5
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Quote:
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#6
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Its a long shot but if the bow isn't that much you could try lighter/heavier strings
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