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Post subject: Semi Bowed MIM Tele Neck Help!
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:32 am
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Hey guys. Recently bought a MIM Telecaster off of reverb used. For what I payed $330 it's in really nice condition. I just started noticing that the neck appears to be slightly bowed, in which at the 12 fret my strings are a bit higher off the fret board than they are say at the 5th. Now, I personally have PTSD from owning a previous MIM Strat in which the neck got absolutely terribly bowed to which the point I had to salvage and sell the parts. The play ability hasn't really been effected by the bow much at all. But I was just wondering if it gets worse and or If I should do anything about it.


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Post subject: Re: Semi Bowed MIM Tele Neck Help!
Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:16 pm
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Has the guitar been set up?
And in general, how much do you know about setups?


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Post subject: Re: Semi Bowed MIM Tele Neck Help!
Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 12:12 pm
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Ideally, there should be a little bow in the neck, known as "relief." This is to allow room for the string to vibrate cleanly. A dead straight neck tends to buzz, as the string makes contact with frets as it vibrates.
The "action" height of the string from the frets would always be higher at the the 12th fret than at the 5th, or it should be. An easy way to check your "relief" is to hold down the 6th string at the first fret with your left hand, guitar in playing position, fret the same string at the 19th fret with your right thumb, and pointing your fingers towards the headstock, stretch the middle finger out to about the 7th or 8th fret and press the string down. There should be a very little gap, and movement between the string and fret there, which is your "relief." If that gap is about the thickness of one of your higher strings, then it's pretty good. If there's no gap, the neck is too straight. If there is quite a gap then the neck has too much "relief" If either of these occur, you will need to adjust the truss rod a little. Tightening (right turn) will make the neck straighter, and loosening (left turn) will create more bow. It rarely needs any more than a little turn (about a 5-10 minutes movement on a clock face) and it might take a little while to settle to its new position, so do the finger press check to see how it is doing over a couple of days.


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Post subject: Re: Semi Bowed MIM Tele Neck Help!
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:31 am
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Butterscotch wrote:
Ideally, there should be a little bow in the neck, known as "relief." This is to allow room for the string to vibrate cleanly. A dead straight neck tends to buzz, as the string makes contact with frets as it vibrates.
The "action" height of the string from the frets would always be higher at the the 12th fret than at the 5th, or it should be. An easy way to check your "relief" is to hold down the 6th string at the first fret with your left hand, guitar in playing position, fret the same string at the 19th fret with your right thumb, and pointing your fingers towards the headstock, stretch the middle finger out to about the 7th or 8th fret and press the string down. There should be a very little gap, and movement between the string and fret there, which is your "relief." If that gap is about the thickness of one of your higher strings, then it's pretty good. If there's no gap, the neck is too straight. If there is quite a gap then the neck has too much "relief" If either of these occur, you will need to adjust the truss rod a little. Tightening (right turn) will make the neck straighter, and loosening (left turn) will create more bow. It rarely needs any more than a little turn (about a 5-10 minutes movement on a clock face) and it might take a little while to settle to its new position, so do the finger press check to see how it is doing over a couple of days.


I agree and there are videos on the web that show you how to adjust the truss rod.

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Post subject: Re: Semi Bowed MIM Tele Neck Help!
Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:12 pm
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Jcuddy_ wrote:
Hey guys. Recently bought a MIM Telecaster off of reverb used.
I just started noticing that the neck appears to be slightly bowed, in which at the 12 fret.
I was just wondering if it gets worse and or If I should do anything about it.

Take the guitar to a reputable guitar shop, preferably a Fender Authorized Service Center, and have the neck setup adjusted.


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