Straighten a neck

[panther]

Has anyone corrected this without a neck reset. The truss rod will not correct it.
Dan

[panther]

I'm going to attempt it this way. it is straight now, just wonder after I remove tension. I didn't over correct as I figured the string tension would put the slight bow back. I set the truss rod at the neutral position.
Dan

[mark1]

If the tongue of the fingerboard (the part that extends onto the body of the guitar ) has a rise to it ,the truss rod adjustment will not help.If the frets on the tongue are not to high they can be taken down a bit .This is a common problem on many old Gretsch guitars.I had a 1965 Gretsch that would not move even with all tenson removed from the rod.I had to take the frets down in order to give it proper bow when the strings were up to tension.These are the kind of things that can drive you crazy!

[panther]

The 6th fret is quite high, the 5th fret not so.
What I did, after some thought, was remove my clamps. Then removed the 5th and 6th frets. Applied Titebond into the fret grooves. Re-clamped the entire neck as before. After it dries, I'll re-cut the fret grooves. I think that should fix the bend. It's very straight right now, and should hold after the clamps are removed tomorrow.
Next if this doesn't work, I plan to remove the first 6 frets, and take the end of the neck down, to be level with the rest of the neck. I'm sure that would work, but hoping this simpler fix, will do it.
I hope thisfix does it, because the Fretboard, is as flat as a board now.
No pun... Get it, flat as a board....

Dan

[panther]

I have a theory as to why the neck is doing this.
Normally if you want to bend a board, you can cut several cross grooves into the wood, that makes it easy to bent the board. Well basically, cutting grooves into the fretboard, then pounding wedges into those grooves, in the form of frets, is doing the same thing, the bend starts where the board has the least support, right at the point it leaves the body of the guitar, and that is exactly where this type bend originates. By removing the fret, and re-cutting the grooves. My idea is that the material removed when I re-cut the fret grooves, will be the amount of excess material that is causing the neck to bend.

Dan

[olrocknroller]

I have a theory as to why the neck is doing this.
Normally if you want to bend a board, you can cut several cross grooves into the wood, that makes it easy to bent the board. Well basically, cutting grooves into the fretboard, then pounding wedges into those grooves, in the form of frets, is doing the same thing, the bend starts where the board has the least support, right at the point it leaves the body of the guitar, and that is exactly where this type bend originates. By removing the fret, and re-cutting the grooves. My idea is that the material removed when I re-cut the fret grooves, will be the amount of excess material that is causing the neck to bend.

Dan

Yup, my experience completely. I have "relieved" fret slots at trouble-spots with success before, but you do have to glue the fret solidly, as there just isn't as much "bite" from the adjoining wood. I don't do a lot of neck work on acoustics, but have fixed natural back-bows in electrics simply by removing the frets throughout the trouble-spot, widening the slot ever so little, then re-setting the frets. I have a fret saw just for this job in which I set a very slight kerf into the teeth.

[panther]

What I did was actually remove the frets, apply glue to the grooves, add tension to the neck, to force the fret grooves closer together. Then when it completely dries, I re-cut the grooves with the proper width blade, so actually I'm not widening the grooves. The tension actually narrows the groove, then I re-cut it to proper width. In effect it should allow the downward bend to straighten slightly.
Dan

[olrocknroller]

What I did was actually remove the frets, apply glue to the grooves, add tension to the neck, to force the fret grooves closer together. Then when it completely dries, I re-cut the grooves with the proper width blade, so actually I'm not widening the grooves. The tension actually narrows the groove, then I re-cut it to proper width. In effect it should allow the downward bend to straighten slightly.
Dan

Now that sounds like a tip for me to file away for later reference! Thanks!

[Mr. Bill]

I'm confused, you mention that frets 5 and 6 are high. Are you counting from the nut end or the bridge end? Tradition says to count from the nut end.

Neck adjustments using fret tanging is a fairly well know concept to anyone that has worked on older guitars, especially ones without truss rods. If you use a fret with a wider than normal width tang (the part that presses into the fingerboard) it will force the fingerboard to lengthen causing the neck to bend upward. Using a fret with an undersized tang will cause the fretboard to shorten causing the neck to bow under string tension. I think Micheal Gurian was the first to widely publish this concept. Normal modern truss rods have pretty much eliminated the need for this kind of work.

Besides reseating the frets, the simplest and most common fix for a few high frets is to level and crown the problem area of the fingerboard.

[panther]

I'm confused, you mention that frets 5 and 6 are high. Are you counting from the nut end or the bridge end? Tradition says to count from the nut end.

Neck adjustments using fret tanging is a fairly well know concept to anyone that has worked on older guitars, especially ones without truss rods. If you use a fret with a wider than normal width tang (the part that presses into the fingerboard) it will force the fingerboard to lengthen causing the neck to bend upward. Using a fret with an undersized tang will cause the fretboard to shorten causing the neck to bow under string tension. I think Micheal Gurian was the first to widely publish this concept. Normal modern truss rods have pretty much eliminated the need for this kind of work.

Besides reseating the frets, the simplest and most common fix for a few high frets is to level and crown the problem area of the fingerboard.

Bill are you really confused, or just trying to point out something. If you look at my drawing, and photo, it should be clear what I'm talking about. I think most everyone knows what I'm trying to say. I also mention, if what I'm attempting doesn't work, I will remove the first 6 frets, ( If it will clarify I will change it to the LAST 6 frets.) and I then said; "take the end of the neck down. (Level and Crown).
Bill simple Physics says if you spread something, or make it wider at the top, it will bend down not up. Using narrower tang like you said will "allow", not "cause" the fretboard to shorten, or bow upward. I think that is what you meant.
I also never said this was my exclusive fix, or that I originated it.
Besides I'm not attempting to repair a few high frets, at the 14th fret, where the neck meets the body, the neck takes an abrupt downward bend, that the truss rod will not fix. (See drawing ) The problem is not that the last 6 frets are too high, but rather the first 14 frets angle down from that point.

Dan