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A client brought a 2010 Epiphone into the shop that he’d picked up “at a good price”. Not an expensive instrument, but super clean. Trouble is, it buzzes like mad so could I “please sort that out?” Turns out there’s a back bow in the neck — at least -0.025” relief. Story goes that guitar was stored for a number of years without strings, leaving the truss rod untouched.

You guessed it, the rod is a one way. I put it into clamps, forcing the maple neck into a forward bow for several weeks and added a set of super heavy strings to boot. It’s a trick I’ve used successfully a couple of times before, but this time I only got half way to flat, so the guitar remains unplayable.

While that guitar was here, a 2015 Epiphone LP came through with back bow almost as bad. Fortunately, it has a 2-way rod, so it was quickly set up without drama, and out the next day.

I gave the Sheraton back to its owner this week. I could perhaps establish a usable fret plane by levelling the frets, but the differences in fret heights would feel really strange. Or I could pull the frets and level the fingerboard, but I fear we’d sand right through the centre inlays. In any event, neither procedure is really in the budget.

So, I admitted defeat and cried “uncle”! Not sure what else I could do for the fellow. I think he’ll turn it into a clock.




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I haven't straightened a guitar neck yet, but the bass necks I've done have required at least three episodes of clamps with heat and humidity. Time consuming, but usually effective.

Even if you do get them straight they generally go back in a few years anyway. The wood doesn't forget and is prone to do what is in it's nature. Bet if you look close at those necks the grain of the wood isn't the best or even close.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

We are not fans of heat treating and won't even do it any more even though we are all tooled up to do it, it often will not last.

The option that would have helped here but as you said my friend there was no budget for it would be to remove the frets, remove the inlays in the middle of the neck, level the board, mill in fall-away, reinstall the inlays, fret, play, drink, enjoy. The drink part doesn't have to be in this order of course...

Not a day goes by that someone does not come into our shop with "look at what I got at a yard sale or on eBay" etc. It's often the case that the thing has been long abandoned because others that came before us already found out that it's toast in respect the economics of its presumed worth and the cost of repairs by a quality provider.

Well, he can part out the PUPs, the Grovers and the like-new case, and he might recover much of his “great price” investment.


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I second Hesh's approach. Like Brian said, wood always only learns bad habits.

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"Real guitars are for old people, Mr. Marsh."

Eric Cartman