Old parlor back/side seam split & bending neck

[Ceabeceabe]

Just got an inexpensive old no-name parlor guitar, maybe a Harmony. Will be fun to play!

The neck is pretty straight and the angle is reasonable. But when strung up with extra lights the neck is pulled forward (bows) too much and the action becomes high toward the sound hole.

The guitar is stille playable, but I'd like to do something about the maleable neck.

I can straighten the neck out by pulling it backward to the point where the action becomes reasonable. But this makes me think the the neck in general is pretty maleable.

Seems like putting a truss rod would help, though this would be my first time removing a fretboard and putting in the truss rod, and of course I don't have any of the proper tools.

I suspect the answer is "no," but is there an easier solve?

Thanks,
Curtis

[murrmac123]

Is the neck actually bowing or is it the neck joint which is at fault?

If the latter, then a truss rod isn't going to help.

[Ceabeceabe]

Good question. I looked closer, and it is at least in part a product of the back separating from the sides right around the neck heel area. I wonder if I reglued the separated part if the guitar would be ok. Could Elmers do the trick, or should I get something more specialized?

Curtis

[Ceabeceabe]

Guitar with extra light strings, tuned to standard, pictures:




And



And

[murrmac123]

If you have a feeler gauge, or something similar, like a fine sawblade, try to see if you can push it further in, past the opening in the seam. Also, try waggling the neck with the strings off and see if that seam actually moves. If it does, it's an indication that the glue joint between the neck block and the back has separated, and that is almost certainly the cause of your troubles.

Slow setting epoxy is your friend here, and it's an easy fix ... you simply attach a double length of stout cord between the headstock and the endpin, running over the back, and you use a length of dowel as a lever to twist the cord tight in tourniquet fashion. This pulls the neck down, and realigns the back seam correctly. You will see by the neck angle when it is in the correct position. When that is achieved, you then clamp the joint with a couple of G clamps and leave it overnight.

Remember to push the epoxy in as far as you can between the back and the neck block.

[Ceabeceabe]

Thanks for the tips. I will see what I can do. :-)

Curtis

[Ceabeceabe]

Just to follow up, the suggestions worked great !

Thanks !

Curtis