stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Feb 10 2018 05:48 PM
  Holy cow, Dave! That's a LOT of hassle! My own 2012 AmStd Strat has a very unstable neck, too. It moves a LOT. If I take it to a humid climate, the neck straightens out to the degree that the guitar becomes completely unplayable. During the winter, when it gets very dry in the house, the neck bows so much that the action is unplayable. So, I've learned to just constantly adjust it - and fortunately, with the allen adjustment on the headstock, it's not that big of a deal. It does sound like unstable necks may be a more systemic issue for recent AmStd Strats. Not good.
Wow! Another one from that period. It must have been from the same run of wood that had been harvested around that time. I think over time as the wood ages the problem will slowly ease. My problem really blew up when I ran out of truss adjustment. I was pretty disappointing but when I got brave and went to the extreme measure with a steam iron I actually made headway. I usually do the procedure in late fall when I once again run out of truss adjustment. This past fall I went at it pretty hard with the steam and heat but added the lemon oil soak for the first time. My thought was that the oil would help the fret wood expand and help counter any forward bow as this year progresses. I noticed that when I did the first truss adjustment under tension I didn't have to crank so hard. I'll probably take the strings aside and do another heavy oil soon. This guitar has now become my #1 surfer because of tone. My 2014 maple board doesn't share the problem.
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Last edited: Feb 10, 2018 17:49:53
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blackheartsfan
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 274
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 12:41 AM
While everyone is talking necks and truss rods let me ask a relevant question.
Should I be relieving tension ie. backing off the truss rod when storing necks which are not mounted on guitars? I ask because I've replaced the neck on my Fender Lead II which is need of a fret replacement (shop says maybe one fret dressing/leveling/crowning remaining) and am now worried that I might be doing damage by not relieving tension on the truss rod.
Last edited: Feb 11, 2018 18:01:55
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blackheartsfan
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 274
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 01:52 AM
deleted-double post
Last edited: Feb 11, 2018 18:01:40
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 04:56 AM
blackheartsfan wrote:
Whileeveryone is talking necks and truss rods let me ask a relevant question.
Should I be relieving tension ie. backing off the truss rod when storing necks which are not mounted on guitars? I ask because I've replaced the neck on my Fender Lead II which is need of a fret replacement (shop says maybe one fret dressing/leveling/crowning remaining) and am now worried that I might be doing damage by not relieving tension on the truss rod.
I have 2 MIJ necks I've had in storage for some years. Truss-rod backed off on both and no harm done so far. Best store in a cool dark place.
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 06:20 AM
I know this is a bit of a long shot but my AmStd has a stamp date of August 2006 a period of severe heatwave in the region of California, 2012 (year of Ivan's guitar) also had a very strong heatwave.
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Squid
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 1019
Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 04:08 PM
Illuminating discussion. Despite thinning several strat type necks to a scary thin 11/16" (from back of neck to top of fretboard) I have had no such trouble. All were inexpensive (Monoprice strat, Kramer strat, GFS neck). Lucky I suppose. The thinnest unmodified neck I've seen is 13/16".
— Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 05:21 PM
Squid wrote:
Illuminating discussion. Despite thinning several strat type necks to a scary thin 11/16" (from back of neck to top of fretboard) I have had no such trouble. All were inexpensive (Monoprice strat, Kramer strat, GFS neck). Lucky I suppose. The thinnest unmodified neck I've seen is 13/16".
You would be cutting it thin with an American Standard, the truss-rod is 1/8in behind the skunk stripe. Here's a photo I nabbed from Google images courtesy of TDPRI I think.
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blackheartsfan
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 274
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Posted on Feb 11 2018 06:07 PM
crumble wrote:
blackheartsfan wrote:
Whileeveryone is talking necks and truss rods let me ask a relevant question.
Should I be relieving tension ie. backing off the truss rod when storing necks which are not mounted on guitars? I ask because I've replaced the neck on my Fender Lead II which is need of a fret replacement (shop says maybe one fret dressing/leveling/crowning remaining) and am now worried that I might be doing damage by not relieving tension on the truss rod.
I have 2 MIJ necks I've had in storage for some years. Truss-rod backed off on both and no harm done so far. Best store in a cool dark place.
Thanks for the info. I'll back off the truss rod nut, the neck is in a box in the back of the closet, away from heat vents. After I sell off two more guitars I may send to or drop the guitar off with Rob Stefano (Fret-Tech) for a fret replacement, he's about an hour away from me (we're both in Northern N.J.). Right now I'm using a maple/maple Squier II Strat neck on the Fender Lead II, it's the closest in profile, nut width, radius, and fret size as the original.
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Mar 06 2018 08:01 AM
stratdancer wrote:
crumble wrote:
That's good to hear the neck is coming back to normal.
Thanks for update.
It used to stress me out but since doing the "therapy" treatments it doesn't even bother me anymore. The idea with the heat is to try to get the fretboard glue to release a little when clamped and have it reset as it cools.
That would be true with hide glue and other types. Before attempting fretboard removal I practiced on a cheap Chinese neck using the method most people prescribe and it came off easily. The residue was yellow carpenters glue. The Glue Fender are using on these necks is something different, it is a super thin transparent glue with a high resistance to heat. The only way is heat at the point of bond (heated paint scrapper). I trashed the fretboard trying to heat it and when it finally submitted it snapped in half like a piece of toast. It isn't the end of the world though as ready cut fretboards are inexpensive.
Reason for the removal is to fit graphite rods, If I'd seen Bruce Johnson's post on Talkbass HERE I might have tried a couple of thin strips of carbon tow/epoxy in or near the skunk stripe.
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