Tightening the truss rod on a "new" and never used 2016 Classic Vibe p-bass

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Cartentoya

Jan 9, 2018
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#1
So I got this never used 2016 classic vibe precision first gen for cheap. The bass is a jewel, one of the best precisions I have ever played, for real.

The thing is, it never got a setup all these years, and the truss rod was very loose and action was way up high... I made the tighten and worked excelent until I got the neck very straight, as I like, saddles, action, neck and confort are now perfect with it's 45-105 original strings, BUT, on doing the tighten, the trussrod is now maxed out. Necks on these basses have fame on being great and very stable.

My question is, are the neck and trussrod adapting now to being straight and hopefully the trussrod will become looser with neck straight? trussrod will become more stable? or should I worry that sooner or later it will require more tighten? Will it benefit from a 40 or 45 to 100 gauge set of strings to prevent something? Will I end up making the washers trick at the end of the trussrod someday ? 🤔🤗
 
#2
Hi
Cartentoya said:
The thing is, it never got a setup all these years, and the truss rod was very loose and action was way up high.
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That's not so good. The neck might have developed a bow. Please loosen the strings and the TR completely and see how flat (or bowed) the neck is.

If it has visible bow then your TR fights both the stings tension and neck bow. It isn't designed for that. You are lucky this bass has pretty strong TR construction which doesn't break easily.

With this bass you cannot remove the TR nut and add washer under it. Unless you want to deal with walnut insert at the headstock. I had to drill it out, but that's different story.

What would I do: remove the neck, tighten the TR so the neck had a slight back-bow and leave it to some hot spot (60-85C) for a couple of hours. Then let another several hours to cool down. The heat should reset the inner tensions in wood and the neck should straighten. The less heat you have the longer you need to keep the neck. Do not go higher than 90C - the finish, the glues and so on might start melting....

P.S. If it is "made in China" - then the neck has steel rods inside the neck. They make these necks pretty stable and highly unlikely to develop the "ski-jump".
 
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#3
Dan Erlewine of StewMac has a video of a 50's precision knockoff where he uses several big c clamps and an aluminum construction level approximately the length of the neck to take the bow out of the neck and then get a few more turns on the truss rod. I know it sounds primitive/redneck/are you kidding me? but it is Dan and if you are vey gentle and careful it works I've done it several times.

That said, I agree I am not enamored of having a truss rod maxed out. I have two basses that are in that territory and weather/seasonal neck variations can be a real PITA to adjust for.

I've done variations on vaesto's heating the neck procedure and I have had success with that method as well.

I admit both my and vaesto's approaches would probably horrify the luthier types here but for us cowboys they can be effective.
 
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#4
A maxed t rod is not good. You could try going to some low tension strings if you feel comfortable playing them.

I string with TI Flats which are very low tension about 141 lbs and I have to loosen the t rod with TIs. Some bass strings can have well into the 200 lbs + range.

Some string makers give the string pull for their strings. I know D'Addario does.
 
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#5
vaesto said:
If it has visible bow then your TR fights both the stings tension and neck bow. It isn't designed for that. You are lucky this bass has pretty strong TR construction which doesn't break easily.
Click to expand...
Interesting, it makes sense that trussrod is fighting both strings and neck bow. Why do you think it bowed? Bass was always on it's gigbag.
vaesto said:
With this bass you cannot remove the TR nut and add washer under it. Unless you want to deal with walnut insert at the headstock. I had to drill it out, but that's different story.
Click to expand...
Didn't know that I cannot remove the TR nut! Thanks for the info.
vaesto said:
What would I do: remove the neck, tighten the TR so the neck had a slight back-bow and leave it to some hot spot (60-85C) for a couple of hours. Then let another several hours to cool down. The heat should reset the inner tensions in wood and the neck should straighten. The less heat you have the longer you need to keep the neck. Do not go higher than 90C - the finish, the glues and so on might start melting....
Click to expand...
I will defenitely try that in the future if that represents problems . Again, this is not a problem now, in fact, I just loosened the trussrud just a little bit because neck was super straight.
 
#6
bassdude51 said:
A maxed t rod is not good. You could try going to some low tension strings if you feel comfortable playing them.

I string with TI Flats which are very low tension about 141 lbs and I have to loosen the t rod with TIs. Some bass strings can have well into the 200 lbs + range.
Click to expand...
I did that with a Japanese jazz bass I had, changed to tapewounds low tension strings and neck and trussrod (it moved both ways after instaling tapewounds) lived happy forever until I sold it, but certain basses scream sometimes for a good old and good tension roundwound set, like my new bass.
 
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#8
Cartentoya said:
Why do you think it bowed? Bass was always on it's gigbag.
Click to expand...
Just a guess here... if the bass was stored with the strings tuned to pitch and the truss rod too loose (neck bowed), the neck may have adapted to that shape. It may now take a little while to adapt to its new shape - which it might already be doing (you said you had to loosen the truss rod just a little because it was super straight). Give it some time; and maybe try that trick about taking the neck off and warming it.
 
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#9
rickdog said:
Just a guess here... if the bass was stored with the strings tuned to pitch and the truss rod too loose (neck bowed), the neck may have adapted to that shape. It may now take a little while to adapt to its new shape - which it might already be doing (you said you had to loosen the truss rod just a little because it was super straight). Give it some time; and maybe try that trick about taking the neck off and warming it.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I think happened to the bass, and that is exactly what I hope will happen with the neck/trussrod!
I tought that maybe when I was making the setup I should have tightened the trussrod without the tension of the strings first, wait for some days and then tune the strings to pitch, but the exciment for the new bass always wins... Well, I hope to be loosening the trusrod a little in the next days again.
 
#11
Cartentoya said:
So I got this never used 2016 classic vibe precision first gen for cheap. The bass is a jewel, one of the best precisions I have ever played, for real.

The thing is, it never got a setup all these years, and the truss rod was very loose and action was way up high... I made the tighten and worked excelent until I got the neck very straight, as I like, saddles, action, neck and confort are now perfect with it's 45-105 original strings, BUT, on doing the tighten, the trussrod is now maxed out. Necks on these basses have fame on being great and very stable.

My question is, are the neck and trussrod adapting now to being straight and hopefully the trussrod will become looser with neck straight? trussrod will become more stable? or should I worry that sooner or later it will require more tighten? Will it benefit from a 40 or 45 to 100 gauge set of strings to prevent something? Will I end up making the washers trick at the end of the trussrod someday ? 🤔🤗
Click to expand...
Your neck may want to revert back, like it has developed a memory. If this is the case find the Dan Erlwine video truss rods are not meant to do more than minor adjustments the thread size is way too small. The neck needs to be clamped straight then bring the truss up to tension.
 
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#13
Mike Marshall said:
Your neck may want to revert back, like it has developed a memory. If this is the case find the Dan Erlwine video truss rods are not meant to do more than minor adjustments the thread size is way too small. The neck needs to be clamped straight then bring the truss up to tension.
Click to expand...
In case of needed later, I honestly like more the clamping thing than the heat process.
 
#17
Cartentoya said:
Action and playability is dead perfect, just wondered if a lower tension set would be more convenient, but yeah, I hope the neck will be stable
Click to expand...
So no problem then. Hopefully it won’t become one in the future. I doubt it though. 8 years adds a ton of ageing to the wood, so stability may just what you hope. My Squier 60s P is very stable and as you said, a freaking great bass.
 
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#18
I'd say it has to be evaluated to see if instead of using all the truss rod, does it actually need a neck shim, then re-address the relief. The 'tell' would be the relief is fine, but you can't get the height over the last fret (action) to the right numbers.

FWIW, I'd prefer something older like that than fighting green wood on a brand new bass, it will tend to behave more consistently if it's at all a decent neck.
 
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#20
Bass4ThePublic said:
I know guys who haven’t touched their truss rods on their p’s since like 1978. You’ll be fine
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I'm one of those guys. Except I have a 1960 Jazz Bass I bought back in 1971. I've had the rod adjusted once, probably in '79? '80? if memory serves me. Still plays great, neck stable with just the right amount of relief.
 
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