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guitar help

Blogs > redtooth
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rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
February 08 2010 05:33 GMT
#1
i just noticed today that my guitar has a pretty bowed neck. notes up the neck (starting from around the 5th fret) are sharper than they should be even when the guitar is perfectly tuned. i assume this is due to the neck being warped and as far as i can tell it seems warped a little bit visually too (then again i might just be suffering from confirmation bias). does anybody know how to fix this problem? a quick google search says not to touch my truss rod and another tutorial involved me removing my frets and sanding the fretboard. does anybody know what i can do to fix it? i would like the lowest cost solutions possible.

i have a mexican telecaster btw, if that helps at all.

*****
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
bongjwa
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States199 Posts
February 08 2010 05:46 GMT
#2
well, theres not really much you can do other than buy a new neck for it.

one thing you could try is taking it to a guitar specialist that, or really anyone that is good at shaping wood that you know. they can tell you if it is refrettable or replaneable. .

a quick fix to try would be to use heavier gauge strings to see if the added tension will help correct the bowing.


is it bowed up or down? since you said slat im guessing down but ya never know
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=123578 <--- my tournament. sign up!
DeathByMonkeys
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States742 Posts
February 08 2010 05:53 GMT
#3
Yeah I agree with bongjwa, I'd definitely take it to a guitar expert and get his opinion on the matter. I wouldn't touch the rod because that's a delicate procedure that could make it worse, so if it's gonna happen I'd let someone who knows what they're doing handle it.
Crimson
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States311 Posts
February 08 2010 05:54 GMT
#4
Adjusting the truss rod is usually not a good idea unless you know what you are doing. It is possible to really damage the neck if you do something wrong.

Another idea is to check the intonation (basically how in tune the notes are on each fret). If every fret is sharp as you say, the string length is actually too short. I have no experience with teles however, so I would not know how to go about telling you how to fix this.

If there is a bow in your neck though, you should take it to a shop for a set up.
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
February 08 2010 05:55 GMT
#5
don't know the distinguishing features of bowed up or down (like i don't know which way is which) but the middle part is jutting backwards (away from the strings). the strings are further from the neck in the part that it is bowed. i guess that means it bowed down?
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
Crimson
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States311 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 05:59:48
February 08 2010 05:58 GMT
#6
On February 08 2010 14:55 redtooth wrote:
don't know the distinguishing features of bowed up or down (like i don't know which way is which) but the middle part is jutting backwards (away from the strings). the strings are further from the neck in the part that it is bowed. i guess that means it bowed down?


You have a bow. Bending away from the strings is called a bow. Bending towards the strings is called a back bow.
FragKrag
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States11562 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 06:00:52
February 08 2010 06:00 GMT
#7
Get it to a guitar tech

If you don't know what you are doing you will just break it further. If you mess up your intonation/truss rod, the reparations will cost more than your guitar if it's a mexican tele.

After taking it to the guitar tech, I suggest buying a hardshell case for the guitar if you care about it.
*TL CJ Entusman #40* "like scissors does anything to paper except MAKE IT MORE NUMEROUS" -paper
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
February 08 2010 06:00 GMT
#8
On February 08 2010 14:54 Crimson wrote:
Adjusting the truss rod is usually not a good idea unless you know what you are doing. It is possible to really damage the neck if you do something wrong.

Another idea is to check the intonation (basically how in tune the notes are on each fret). If every fret is sharp as you say, the string length is actually too short. I have no experience with teles however, so I would not know how to go about telling you how to fix this.

If there is a bow in your neck though, you should take it to a shop for a set up.
i first noticed when i tried tuning by ear because my tuner said it was in tune and i was SURE it was out of tune. my A on the E string (so the 5th fret on the first string) was not anything like the open A string. i just tried the same two notes an octave higher (so 17th fret on E string and 12th fret on A string) and they sounded fine.
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 06:05:12
February 08 2010 06:04 GMT
#9
On February 08 2010 15:00 FragKrag wrote:
Get it to a guitar tech

If you don't know what you are doing you will just break it further. If you mess up your intonation/truss rod, the reparations will cost more than your guitar if it's a mexican tele.

After taking it to the guitar tech, I suggest buying a hardshell case for the guitar if you care about it.
that's what i'm debating. i'm estimating at least $50 to fix (that's a really generous estimate imo and i don't even know if it's fixable) a 7+ year old mexican tele (worth $325 at the time) so in my mind it's debatable whether i should fix it.

edit: and i'm really short on money nowadays. i guess i'm just screwed.
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
Crimson
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States311 Posts
February 08 2010 06:06 GMT
#10
On February 08 2010 15:00 redtooth wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 08 2010 14:54 Crimson wrote:
Adjusting the truss rod is usually not a good idea unless you know what you are doing. It is possible to really damage the neck if you do something wrong.

Another idea is to check the intonation (basically how in tune the notes are on each fret). If every fret is sharp as you say, the string length is actually too short. I have no experience with teles however, so I would not know how to go about telling you how to fix this.

If there is a bow in your neck though, you should take it to a shop for a set up.
i first noticed when i tried tuning by ear because my tuner said it was in tune and i was SURE it was out of tune. my A on the E string (so the 5th fret on the first string) was not anything like the open A string. i just tried the same two notes an octave higher (so 17th fret on E string and 12th fret on A string) and they sounded fine.


If it is only out of tune around the fifth fret, it might be the fret itself. But, I really do not know what it could be if that is the case. I say take it to a tech. They will know that to do. It might cost some money, but it would be cheaper then if you mess up and have to get repairs on top of fixing the original problem.
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
February 08 2010 06:13 GMT
#11
Uh, did you properly intonate the guitar at all by adjusting the saddles to begin with? And how bowed are you talking about? Get a picture of the neck so I can see if there's actually a bad problem with the curvature of the neck or if you just simply need to adjust the saddles. the intonation getting out of whack from the 5th fret is pretty fucking extreme though.

And adjusting the truss rod incorrectly can do some bad damage to the neck but if you do it very carefully by turning it by only a quarter turn, leaving it for a day, looking at the neck, turn it another quarter, etc., it should be pretty safe.

But we need some good pics of this, and give us some measurements of how far off the strings are from the fretboard.
Glaucus
Profile Joined June 2009
479 Posts
February 08 2010 06:15 GMT
#12
You can't perfectly tune a guitar. Of course that's not what you will try, but it's good to know. Doesn't your guitar allow you to adjust intonations? Can't you shuft the saddles, changing the length of the string part being fretted?

If you can see the neck if obviously wrapped then that's not good. But if you have intonation problems you may be able to do something to make it better.
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 06:29:27
February 08 2010 06:23 GMT
#13
First do this

put a capo on the 1st fret.

now hold down the 14th fret, or whatever fret is at the start of the neck:
[image loading]


now you're using the string as a straight edge measurement tool to see the relief of the neck, fret the 5th or 6th fret, whichever is in the middle between the two points you're fretting. (1st, 14th)

See how big the distance is between the D string and the the fret, lightly tap it to see how much light shines thru, normally, there should be LESS distance between the fret and string than a 0.12 HIGH E string. 0.04-0.08 is ideal, more than that would be for strummers and HARD fngerpickers in some cases.

B If there is too little or no space between the string and fret, you should loosen the truss rod. Which is completely safe.

If theres too much distance, slightly tightening the truss rod 1/8 of a turn a time, wait 10-20 minutes after each adjustment, check the distance again, and tighten it another 1/8 of a turn. If there is alot mroe distance than theres suppose to be you might have to tighten it 3-5 times this way. And unless someone has madly tightened your truss rod earlier, you should be very safe, all guitars that hasnt been adjusted can be adjusted safely quite a bit before you BREAK the truss rod, which take a god damn idiot to do. as you will essentially have to FORCE the truss rod really hard to do that


anyway if you need more help just ask
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
February 08 2010 06:25 GMT
#14
On February 08 2010 15:15 Glaucus wrote:
You can't perfectly tune a guitar. Of course that's not what you will try, but it's good to know. Doesn't your guitar allow you to adjust intonations? Can't you shuft the saddles, changing the length of the string part being fretted?

If you can see the neck if obviously wrapped then that's not good. But if you have intonation problems you may be able to do something to make it better.


unless you use this fret system! perfect intonation!
[image loading]
JohnColtrane
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Australia4813 Posts
February 08 2010 06:27 GMT
#15
WHOA my eyes hurt after looking at that
HEY MEYT
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
February 08 2010 06:29 GMT
#16
That will only have "perfect intonation" for one key though.

And I think waiting 20 minutes after adjusting the truss rod is a little too short. I'd wait at least an hour.
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
February 08 2010 06:31 GMT
#17
one hour is for 1/4 turns or more dog
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
February 08 2010 06:32 GMT
#18
btw 1/2 turn of a truss rod a day is 2 much, 2/5 at most or so
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
February 08 2010 06:36 GMT
#19
I usually just turn 1/4 a time when I start off and leave it alone for a day. Repeat. I've never done 1/8 turns before and I was just comparing it to the 24 hours I do for 1/4 so idk. I don't really have a lot of experience with truss rod adjustments as I've only had to adjust it once, which was on my tele.
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
February 08 2010 06:38 GMT
#20
i usually do 1/4 turns to begin with, then fine tune it very small turns, 1/8 or even less

just realised op has an electric guitar, but i assume this same concept applies

electrics suck
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
February 08 2010 06:40 GMT
#21
them fighting words
DeathSpank
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States1029 Posts
February 08 2010 06:45 GMT
#22
take off the frets you don't need them anyways.
yes.
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
February 08 2010 06:47 GMT
#23
play it like a violin
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
February 08 2010 10:20 GMT
#24
woah a lot more responses after i went afk

On February 08 2010 15:23 gilligan wrote:
First do this
...
i'll try that out tomorrow. we'll see how it goes. how much of a bow can adjusting the truss fix?

On February 08 2010 15:15 Glaucus wrote:
If you can see the neck if obviously wrapped then that's not good. But if you have intonation problems you may be able to do something to make it better.
it's not obviously warped (once again i might just be imagining things so i'll get a measurement soon enough) but there are noticeable differences in intonation that weren't there before.

On February 08 2010 15:47 gilligan wrote:
play it like a violin
i was thinking if all else failed i could use it as a harmonica.

well i tried the 5th fret again on my chromatic tuner and it turned up very sharp (not so sharp as to change notes entirely but sharp nonetheless). i can try messing with the saddles and the action but i'm not too much of an expert. i don't think the action was ever perfect (never got it set up) and sometimes on thicker gauges it would buzz on certain frets because it would make contact with a fret up the neck. will be taking pictures and measuring crap soon. FYI: mexican tele with a maple neck bought ~2002 and used to be transported quite frequently in a thick soft case. i guess wasn't nice to my guitar...


baaaaaaaaah i don't have money for this crap....
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
gilligan
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Sweden36 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 11:37:16
February 08 2010 11:12 GMT
#25
adjusting the truss rod should fix all bows, or you need a neck reset, which i dont belive u need on a 2002 instrument. and you're suppose to know how to work a truss rod cuz every string size change u need to adjust, also 1-2 times a year due to humidity.

also, maybe the neck is dehydrated due to low humidity. if you live in a cold climate that is with heatin indoors

also, get an acoustic
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5464 Posts
February 08 2010 18:12 GMT
#26
On February 08 2010 20:12 gilligan wrote:
adjusting the truss rod should fix all bows, or you need a neck reset, which i dont belive u need on a 2002 instrument. and you're suppose to know how to work a truss rod cuz every string size change u need to adjust, also 1-2 times a year due to humidity.

also, maybe the neck is dehydrated due to low humidity. if you live in a cold climate that is with heatin indoors

also, get an acoustic
i'm going to admit that i've never adjusted my truss rod or my saddle. and now i live in pittsburgh blasting the heating. and i have a takamine jasmine. you'll notice that my guitars are pretty low end. this is because i don't have money.
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-02-08 18:26:45
February 08 2010 18:24 GMT
#27
Oh my god, you don't adjust your saddles when you switch between different string gauges? What the fuck man. You should notice that your intonation is off like almost immediately.

-__-
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