A Loose Neck?!?!

[Nicky B]

Well im getting tired of this, i have to go into the city again...My teles neck is loose! When i apply the slightest pressure to it during normal playing, it will actually down-pitch as im pressing away, and Up-pitch if im pulling it in! This is the second time ive had to go in for this tele now!

What happened to the Keith Richards tele durability? He smacks a guy with it and keeps playing, i come home from a lesson with a loose neck?

To make matters worse, im starting daily rehearsals for a show next week.

 

[vanguard]

what do you mean, the neck came loose? like, you can just tighten her back up with a screwdriver? why not just do it yourself?

 

[boris bubbanov]

Are you saying the neck screws have begun stripping out? That can happen if they're overtightened, especially with the old slot-head screws.

If so, you may have to dowel and redrill, or you can do the machine screw insert mod which is what I'd do.

 

[ajgus]

Yeah, I say fill & drill. Thats all a tech is gonna do, so you might as well do it yourself. Like BB said, tap some dowels in there, maybe a little wood filler, let it set & dry...redrill.

 

[mellecaster]

Are you not on speaking terms with a Phillips Screwdriver ??

 

[Nicky B]

Its tight as it will go, i managed to get another 1/8 turn on one of the screws with me Phillips head, some creaky noise emanated from the wood when i did, but still no avail.
Basically in normal playing (even if i try to avioid it) it will tune a bit up or down when pushed even slightly.

 

[XKnight]

Its tight as it will go, i managed to get another 1/8 turn on one of the screws with me Phillips head, some creaky noise emanated from the wood when i did, but still no avail.
Basically in normal playing (even if i try to avioid it) it will tune a bit up or down when pushed even slightly.

I know the feeling. I had a Deluxe Tele that had a neck that I could feel shifting when I pushed on it even lightly. I had the screws tightened as hard as possible to no avail. Needless to say I no longer have that Tele since I traded it in for a different guitar. Good luck!

 

[Buckocaster51]

there's something weird going on there

is the neck pocket good, clean and flat?

is the heel of the neck the same?

a high point, be it wood, paper, paint, or just plain crudola, can act like a fulcrum that lets the neck pivot

4 screws is one more than you need to hold two properly fitted things together

In a few days, when NASA flies the shuttle from CA to FL, it will be held to the back of that B747 by only three (BIG) bolts.

 

[Ronkirn]

Often, due to a loose neck shifting, the wood will become "burnished" in the neck pocket and/or the bottom of the neck heel. There are several remedies.

Sand the bottom of the neck heel and the neck pocket... and/or add a coat of clear whatever, which will act as a weak glue...

Or. . cut a section of window screen to place in the neck pocket to offer a rough surface to resist the tendency to slide.

Or glue a piece of sand paper to the bottom of the neck pocket..

Or glue the neck in the neck pocket......

Ron Kirn

 

[rocksteady Max]

there's something weird going on there

is the neck pocket good, clean and flat?

is the heel of the neck the same?

a high point, be it wood, paper, paint, or just plain crudola, can act like a fulcrum that lets the neck pivot

4 screws is one more than you need to hold two properly fitted things together

In a few days, when NASA flies the shuttle from CA to FL, it will be held to the back of that B747 by only three (BIG) bolts.

Yeah but they definitly will have to retune it afterward

 

[ajgus]

Or glue the neck in the neck pocket......

Ron Kirn

Glue the neck?!? Ron, did you accidentally stumble onto the Les Paul forum again?
This sounds like there may be something more than a neck isssue going on here. To me it sounds like stringing method or an issue with the guitar altogether...you say this is the second time this particular Tele will be in the shop, right? It may be a lemon. How long have you had it? Is there still an applicable warrantee in place?

 

[viking]

4 screws should have more than enough clamping force to secure the neck.
One ( four ?) thing(s) that are often ignored is that the screws should be able to slide through the body , and NOT have "threads" through the body holes....Its amazing how many people that dont know this ( especially the ones who builds guitars for a living , are you listening Fender?)

Have you ever tried to put 2 pieces of wood together with a wood screw without drilling first ? Very often the 2 pieces of wood will have a gap between them , even if the screw is screwed down hard....The 2 sets of threads create a lock , even though there is a gap between the 2 pieces of wood......This may not cause the OP´s problem , but it is very often the cause of something like this.

Take the neck of the body , if the screw holes appear ok in the neck forget about them.

If not , drill and plug with dowels , re-drill afterwards. Make sure the screws slide through the holes in the body , and everything should be fine.

I have never seen things like Ron Kirn talks about cause problems , but he has probably seen a few thousand neck pockets more than me , so you might check these things too , LOL....

 

[Quintin]

This may sound stupid, but have you checked the truss rod? Tell you why...from your first post, that's typical of lose truss nut i.e. you press forward, detunes, pull on neck, it sharps...also consider the following

1. When you tightened the screw it creaked (that's pretty tight and dry, take the screws out and put some petroleum jelly on the screw tips {just a little} then screw them back in when you're done with step 2 if it's a heel adjust).
2. While you have the neck off, depending on whether it is head or heal adjusted truss, check that it moves, is it loose, is it tight...is it broken off.

I know it sounds simple, but it's often the cause of the problem you're describing

 

[Good Iron]

Funny!

Yeah but they definitly will have to retune it afterward

LMAO! Very funny!

Michael

 

[vanguard]

sounds like a simple case of a lemon guitar. if such is the case, my condolences. it happens to everyone at least once who buys and trades guitars.

 

[sacizob]

Well im getting tired of this, i have to go into the city again...My teles neck is loose! When i apply the slightest pressure to it during normal playing, it will actually down-pitch as im pressing away, and Up-pitch if im pulling it in! This is the second time ive had to go in for this tele now!

What happened to the Keith Richards tele durability? He smacks a guy with it and keeps playing, i come home from a lesson with a loose neck?

To make matters worse, im starting daily rehearsals for a show next week.

I don't think Keith actually hit the guy-did he?

 

[bo]

My fix for Fender type guitars with this affliction is a little Elmer's glue and some toothpick in the screw holes and a small piece of metal screen in the neck pocket. YMMV.

 

[Slow Reflexes]

I don't think Keith actually hit the guy-did he?

Can't really see an impact, but he sure swung it good. I think the guy caught it by the neck, but the body still may have given him a bit of a rap.

 

[mellecaster]

4 screws should have more than enough clamping force to secure the neck.
One ( four ?) thing(s) that are often ignored is that the screws should be able to slide through the body , and NOT have "threads" through the body holes....Its amazing how many people that dont know this ( especially the ones who builds guitars for a living , are you listening Fender?)

Have you ever tried to put 2 pieces of wood together with a wood screw without drilling first ? Very often the 2 pieces of wood will have a gap between them , even if the screw is screwed down hard....The 2 sets of threads create a lock , even though there is a gap between the 2 pieces of wood......This may not cause the OP´s problem , but it is very often the cause of something like this.

Take the neck of the body , if the screw holes appear ok in the neck forget about them.

If not , drill and plug with dowels , re-drill afterwards. Make sure the screws slide through the holes in the body , and everything should be fine.

I have never seen things like Ron Kirn talks about cause problems , but he has probably seen a few thousand neck pockets more than me , so you might check these things too , LOL....

Viking...as a Repair guy and a Builder, I share your Frustration on the neck holes in the Body....almost all of the MIM Fenders are way to small...and most USA Models can stand to be opened up a tad...I routinely use a 3/16" bit to let the screws have some clearance for a proper draw down.