Warped neck

faithful2you
faithful2you Madison, WI Posts: 779
edited February 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
I (try to) play guitar as much as I can, not that great but just screw around with it when I have a chance, I have three kids so not much free time. I have an old electric...couldn't even tell you the brand or anything, it's a plain guitar...anyway, it was my grandma's guitar. She just gave it to me about a year ago and it has been sitting, in it's case unplayed for about the last 15-20 years since her arthritise got really bad.

The strings were sitting way off the fret board so I took it in to see if the bridge or something could be lowered so the strings were closer to the fret. The tech told me that the neck is warped so bad that he couldn't do anything with it. He gave me a name of a guy that can fix warped necks. Anyway I guess I was wondering if that was possible fix or if the neck would just need replaced or what. The guy I took it to told me that it would cost more to fix it than the guitar was worth but it has a lot of sentimental value to me.

Thanks for any advice.
Like a word misplaced...nothing said...what a waste
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • keeponrockin
    keeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    I think some pics are in order, I'm just curious!
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • faithful2you
    faithful2you Madison, WI Posts: 779
    keeponrockin wrote:
    I think some pics are in order, I'm just curious!
    I have no idea how to upload pictures on here....other wise I would.
    Like a word misplaced...nothing said...what a waste
  • Novawind
    Novawind Posts: 836
    I'd say if you're serious about learning get a new beginner guitar.
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

    7/9/06 LA 1
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  • mca47
    mca47 Posts: 13,337
    Novawind wrote:
    I'd say if you're serious about learning get a new beginner guitar.

    I agree with this.

    It may end up costing you more to fix the old crappy/no-name guitar then it would to buy a cheap entry level electric.
  • lucylespian
    lucylespian Posts: 2,403
    Depends if it a bolt on neck, or a glued in neck, lets see some pics.
    Go to photobucket.com , load em up, then copy teh URL and paste it here on a post. It's easy, even I can do it !
    Music is not a competetion.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Take a straightedge, like a rafter square and lay it on the fretboard and see how warped it is. If it's really bad, you can sometimes bring them back to straight by clamping it somehow so that there's constant pressure pushing the neck backwards,,, not a lot of pressure, but enough to bend it back, then let it sit for a while. Even heating it while it's pressured can help the wood bend back.
    Lay the guitar on it's back and put something like a thick book under about the 10th fret and put some sort of weight on the nut and at the top frets.
    If there's a truss rod in there, when or if the neck starts to straighten, put a drop of oil on the adjusting nut and let it sit. If the nut turns, then tighten it a bit and see if it holds the neck

    WARNING!!!!!!

    THIS IS ONLY IF THERE IS NOTHING TO LOSE!

    AHEM,,,, IF THIS GUITAR HAPPENS TO BE GRANDMA'S LES PAUL THAT SHE BOUGHT IN 1958,,,, DON'T DO THIS!!! :)


    This may take a while, like a few months,,, so enjoy your new guitar while you're waiting! :D

    If you CAN post a pic, it would help.
    Take a digital pic, put it in your computer, sign up at photobucket.com and follow the directions. I just put a whole bunch of stuff in my account with all my guitars and some pics of India. If I can do it, you can.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • faithful2you
    faithful2you Madison, WI Posts: 779
    Novawind wrote:
    I'd say if you're serious about learning get a new beginner guitar.
    I'm not interested in getting this fixed so I can learn. I've been playing for awhile...just not well. I have a nice Fender acoustic that I play. I am onlu interested in getting this fixed because of the fact tht it was my grandma's guitar.
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    AHEM,,,, IF THIS GUITAR HAPPENS TO BE GRANDMA'S LES PAUL THAT SHE BOUGHT IN 1958,,,, DON'T DO THIS!!!
    Trust me, it's not but it means more to me because of who I got it from.
    Like a word misplaced...nothing said...what a waste
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    faithful2you wrote:
    Trust me, it's not but it means more to me because of who I got it from.


    I think it's great that you're doing it, and believe me, anything's possible on a guitar. It wouldn't hurt to take it to a tech and at least see what they say.
    If it's too expensive,,, no worries! We'll get it! :)
    Wood's a flexible material and if it got there, it'll go back. It may take some time, but you have another guitar, so time you have!

    I was joking about the Les Paul,,, but only because maybe ten years ago when I was actively playing and fixing guitars, a guy brought me a goldtop les paul with a warped neck and asked if I could fix it. I told him, "sure". Then I was looking at it, and it looked old, but in really good shape,and I asked where he got it.
    He said from his grandad. He bought it when Elvis Presley was popular!

    haha,, then I didn't want to touch it! '57 almost perfect goldtop. I sent him to Ohio to Dan Erlewine who's the guru of all that is guitars and he fixed it.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________

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