Hi all, I purchased a 2006 Fender Strat neck from a fairly reputable seller. It's a learning project, so thought I would adjust it as perfectly straight as possible. Then level the frets. Then adjust it back to it's proper bow under tension. The problem is, the truss rod is fairly loose but the neck still has a slight back bow. I don't think loosening the truss rod further will reduce the bow or allow it to go concave or even straight. Is it possible/normal for a strat neck to have some (very slight, almost straight) back bow with the truss rod at it's loosest position when not under string tension? Or is this the sign of problems and I should send the neck back? Thanks much.
Right. I'll go there soon if I have to. The trouble is, I'm not in a position to do that for a few days, and I am pushing a tight return policy deadline... And if I have to shave a hair off the width to fit it (as I did last time with the body I have in mind), then I wouldn't be able to return it anyway. I'm hoping there is someone here who has worked on tons of these and can just say "Lots of them are like that", or "I've done hundreds and never saw that", etc. Thanks.
Yeah, I'd send it back and get a different one. There's a fair chance it'd end up unplayable at some point anyway due to the existing backbow and lack of a 2-way truss rod.
Two votes from here to return it, and a bit of similar info on instructional websites. That's plenty to settle it for me. Thanks all.
If that's the Strat neck with the recessed allen headstock adjust it should be able to adjust out a back bow. In practice they don't do that particularly well in my experience.
Ronsonic is correct, if it's the american neck with the smaller hole in the plug for the wrench, you should be able to keep turning it counter clockwise to correct a back bow. If it's not there are ways to correct it, but I would just return it.
