Author Topic: Twisted neck on my RG - is there any hope of repair? (Read 8504 times)

Twinfan · « **on:** December 09, 2007, 12:19:46 AM »

Well I was planning on taking one of my old RGs to band rehearsal this week to give it an airing. I've not really played it since I bought it a while back, and I tried to set it up tonight. After slackening off the truss rod to get some relief in the neck (there was none) I found this problem :(

It's like someone's grabbed the headstock and the body to give the neck a twist like a chinese burn :(

Can this be repaired? Or do I now have a very 80s looking ornament???

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2007, 12:37:41 AM »

Even the cat can see there's a problem there
Not sure what can be done to rectify = some might suggest a heat treatment, or a major refret and plane the neck straight as well- bit drastic!

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2007, 12:46:02 AM »

OUCH!!! - that looks bad. I'm no authority on woodwork but I think on stuff like that the frets need removed and the board levelled.

Might be cheaper to get a Warmouth neck for it.

:twisted:

MDV · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2007, 01:18:03 AM »

Would I be completely idiotic for suggesting clamping it to a flat plane for a few weeks?

Henk · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2007, 08:53:55 AM »

Quote from: MDV

Would I be completely idiotic for suggesting clamping it to a flat plane for a few weeks?

I did that to a beat up fernandes a long time ago, i just set the trussrod loose after getting the strings off and clamped it very tight to two wood strips like they do with a broken leg. Then i just left it for two weeks and made sure there was a little bit of force twisting the right way on the neck.

After two weeks it pretty much regained its original shape and i set up the guitar pretty fast actually(maybe not a good idea), couldnt wait any longer :roll: All turned out fine, allthough i had the thrusrod pretty tight and never relieved it anymore.

I think you get this reaction from the wood because the stress on the wood from the thrussrod was pretty high and a neck just makes a twist in the direction most room is given when you relieve it(the TR isnt always in the EXACT center of the neck).

They say you should not tighten the trussrod more then 1/4 turn at a time, but giving a neck some relief should be more like 1/100 of a turn i think.

Twinfan · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2007, 12:31:27 PM »

Hmmm. Thanks guys. I was wondering if I'd need to get a replacement neck from somewhere and have the headstock sprayed in red and re-decal'd. Bugger. :(

I like the splint idea though, I guess that may work? I might need to have a chat with my local luthier.....

Ted · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2007, 12:45:50 PM »

shite - what happened. I though this was a brand new guitar!!! :o

Twinfan · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2007, 12:54:49 PM »

Nope - it's one of my original '87 RG550s in Road Flare Red. I have two, for collecting purposes ;)

THought I'd give it a run out, but clearly I won't be doing that! The truss rod was screwed in VERY tight so I'm wondering if it was like this when I bought it and it was "disguised" by the lack of neck relief. It's buyer beware anyway and I didn't notice when I bought it. The guitar is stored in a case in a wardrobe in our spare bedroom so it's not exposed to extremes of temperature (like a loft or garage or student flat....) so that shouldn't have affected it. I have several other guitars stored in the same place and they are fine.

It's a odd one. I'd REALLY like to save the neck if I can.....

MDV · « **Reply #8 on:** December 09, 2007, 01:08:13 PM »

A mate of mine has an '87 RG550: STUNNING neck. They play beautifully. You just cant help but plant your thumb-tip on the back of it a go angus on it. I hope you can save it too. It would be a real shame if that guitar was a write off :(

Twinfan · « **Reply #9 on:** December 09, 2007, 01:22:02 PM »

Well I can always re-neck it I guess. I've stuck a search on eBay to keep an eye on what comes up.

May be a job for Feline though.......

WezV · « **Reply #10 on:** December 09, 2007, 02:26:07 PM »

the problem with twists is that they generally happen because of that specific piece of wood

Heat and clamps can be used to reset wood in another position but its generally only a temporary repair as the wood grain will start to excert its influence again eventually. done well it should last a long time - but probably not forever. Just clamping it will not affect the wood for long at all - the heat is needed the same way it is when bending acoustic sides.

personally i would go with the re-plane, refret and refinish to keep the original neck

Philly Q · « **Reply #11 on:** December 09, 2007, 02:47:42 PM »

Ouch, bad luck. :( I've heard of neck twists but never actually seen it.

I guess the skinniness of the Ibanez neck doesn't help. Wouldn't a re-plane and re-fret leave dangerously little wood in the neck?

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #12 on:** December 09, 2007, 03:47:38 PM »

Hmm- kind of agree with Wez and Philly
It is all down to having a single piece of wood that has chosen to twist
the new RGs have 3 piece necks in order to prevent that to some degree

Replaning will make things somewhat thinner at the headstock end on one side.
Think Twinfan was right in saying that it may have been disguised by too much relief when purchasd.

Bit of a puzzle :?:

Twinfan · « **Reply #13 on:** December 09, 2007, 05:29:34 PM »

The lack of relief was disguising it Jonathon - the truss rod nut was tightened right up to straighten it as much as possible.

Ah well, a new neck it is.

indysmith · « **Reply #14 on:** December 09, 2007, 08:26:03 PM »

my deepest sympathies :( I'd HATE for this to happen to my Ibanez, or any guitar i love!