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Post subject: 1975 Precision bass neck problem
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:20 pm
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Hello,
I am having a lot of grief with with my 1975 Precision bass. With all tension relieved the bass has serious backbow. I have been told I should scrap the neck and replace with an after market. The bass is in great shape and all original. I really want to keep the bass original. Has anyone else seen this problem? Also is this common for the 1975 precision? All information will be appreciated. Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Precision bass neck problem
Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:00 pm
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dukewirie wrote:
Hello,
I am having a lot of grief with with my 1975 Precision bass. With all tension relieved the bass has serious backbow. I have been told I should scrap the neck and replace with an after market. The bass is in great shape and all original. I really want to keep the bass original. Has anyone else seen this problem? Also is this common for the 1975 precision? All information will be appreciated. Thanks.


Oh, if I had a dime for every one of these I've seen! Yes, your problem is not only common, but rampant with early to mid 70s Fenders! As a matter of fact, from my experience, 72s through 75s were the worst offenders. Plain and simple, the truss rods were very weak in them. As a matter of fact, if you flick the back of your neck with your finger right now, you'll actually hear the truss rod rattling around in there.

If you have a maple fingerboard, the truss rod must be replaced. If you have a rosewood fingerboard, you have one more option (oversimplified): The neck would have to be clamped under pressure so it has a 'regular' bow created in it. The clamped neck must then be heated under a controlled temperature for a controlled period of time thus allowing the glue joint between the fingerboard and the neck to slip. The neck would then have to be allowed to cool down, still under pressure, resolidifying the glue joint and by necessity, the neck and fingerboard in their new mating positions. The rod would then engage effectively.

Planing the neck is useless because you are treating a symptom and not a cause as the grains in the neck and fingerboard will continue to have their natural proclivity to do what they are going to do. Meaning, your arch will be back in anywhere from two days to two weeks.

The, "poor man's remedy" is to have the frets ground and polished so that alhough the neck is still arched, the playing surface of the frets will be even. Chances are VERY hit and miss that a given bass will intonate with this method as the fingerboard is for all intents and purposes, stretched beyond its design.

Yes, a new neck would surely be cheaper than having a new rod installed. Yes, your current neck will devalue if you put a new, albeit functional rod in. Again and FWIW, you are FAR from alone with this malady and I truly empathize with you as I've seen this situation more times than I want to remember.

Sincerely, best of luck with your solution.

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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:41 am
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Yikes! I hope I never have this problem with MY '75 P!

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:30 pm
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Wait a minute! This bass is BACKBOWED. its not even using its truss rod so why would you replace it?

I don't get why you can't heat treat a maple neck?
It is still a piece of wood that may respond to heat and I don't think the heat treament causes the glue joint to soften and slip on a rosewood neck, It doesn't need to get that hot, just warm to be effective.

A back bowed neck can be heat treated to bring it forward and then the rod can start working. It is doing nothing now!

I fixed a neck like this with: 3 C clamps, a stiff board to clamp a forward bow in the neck and a photography light.

24 hours under the light and clamps will make a big difference!

Reply with questions if you are interested in doing this.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:04 pm
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I have had my 75 P Bass, with a maple neck for many years now, always had flat wounds on her and have only had to do minor truss rod adjustments. It has been kept in a good environment and overall is a very solid and great sounding bass. Very sorry to hear about the problems you are having.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:45 pm
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BCbassman wrote:
Wait a minute! This bass is BACKBOWED. its not even using its truss rod so why would you replace it?


Amen! Replacing a truss rod that isn't doing anything is like peeing into the wind.

My '76FL has a similar issue, although it is not insurmountable. I put some heavy gauge strings on it for about 4 months to help get the neck up into position. Problem is, the maple board is susceptible to wear from even metal flats, so I've got some Fender nylon tapewounds on there now. I think another treatment is in order to toally correct the problem. It really only manifests itself just above the octave, and I don't play my P-bass up there often. I've got several others to reach into that area.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 8:17 pm
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Im having this same problem as well. Ill use your expeience to choose the proper corrective action. Thanks.


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Post subject: My what a nightmare it is.
Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 9:04 pm
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I do send my condolecences,I would hate to be in this spot but I am glad that I spent a few years apprenticing with a Fender trained luthier,It did'nt save me 100% from buying a bass that was a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Please in no means am I bragging about knowing a bit of build and repair knowledge I am just speaking of my failures and small victories with a Fender neck gone BAD!
From nightmare Mexican jazz bass necks(and I mean nightmare in all sense of the word)to Japanese made Geddy Lee models and a HighwayOne model to bring up the rear,so I have been beaten by all the models.
Once again(spoken on already)even with a controlled neck heating or a new truss rod most problems are usually chronic in nature and will return seeing how old the neck is and how much time it took to warp/cure/backbow(etc)its a far stretch making a permanent fix after all these forces took 30 plus years to become.
If it means that much to keeping it un-touched look into buying a original neck from your basses era and play on that keeping the bad neck in case you sell and the new owner wants to tangle with a warped neck issue,or keep it and play on the newer one,OR buy a new Fender neck and enjoy the bass like that.
Again I feel your pain.
:( good-luck


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