Neck: Steam Treatment

[so_ber]

aloha! though the action is good for now on my guitar, my saddle is low, so i asked a guitar store's luthier about a neck reset. 100,000 yen, over $1000.... he said there are other options though, such as steaming the neck and bending it back. the neck on my guitar is bent slightly from the heel area, so a truss rod adjustment won't really help, he said. he showed me one of his guitars, one from the 1920s, that he's doing the same treatment to, and it looked good. (steamed it, then clamped it at the body and the headstock). my question is, has anyone tried this? and will it last?? or just a temporary fix? obviously, there's no way i'm gonna pay a grand for a reset.....

 

[cjd-player]

I have heard of that being done, but have no first-hand knowledge.

The woodworker in me has a couple of concerns though ...

Heat and steaming can be used to bend wood into some bizarre shapes, but the steam has to get into the wood to make the fibers pliable. If the neck is finished, and with a fretboard glued on, both of these will severely limit the ability of the steam to penetrate the wood.

I would think that the steam will damage any finish on the neck. I would think that the heat and steam would damage the glue joint between the fingerboard and the neck; and could also make the frets loose in the fingerboard.

Personally, I would question the guy about these issues.

 

[fronobulax]

I can't find it quickly but some previous discussion of neck steaming seemed to conclude that all it did was push off the time when the inevitable neck reset had to be done. Anyone else remember things that way?

 

[curt]

Wood goes where wood wants to go. Steam can work for minor adjustments like a warp, get a reset from someone more hungry. Resets are an easy process it's more about the finish work after it's set.

 

[Drka]

Hey So_ber, I see "labor work" in japan is still very expensive. Not that i have very much experience with that, but usually the level of work in japan is pretty good now. No one can BS their way into their professions. Yet again, 1 grand is quite expensive. Lots of D25s in Tokyo though!
You may have seen these sights before. If not your welcome! :lol:
http://www.kurosawagakki.com/tags/search/2/0/188_1.html
http://www.j-guitar.com/sp/sea/acg_sea. ... 4%B9%A4%EB

Cheers,
Drka

 

[Ian]

Hi there,

I think Joan (jgmaute), had this done to the M20 I bought from her. I cant find the conversation off hand, try shooting her a pm. M20 plays beautifully by the way.

 

[taabru45]

Hey So_ber, I see "labor work" in japan is still very expensive. Not that i have very much experience with that, but usually the level of work in japan is pretty good now. No one can BS their way into their professions. Yet again, 1 grand is quite expensive. Lots of D25s in Tokyo though!
You may have seen these sights before. If not your welcome! :lol:
http://www.kurosawagakki.com/tags/search/2/0/188_1.html
http://www.j-guitar.com/sp/sea/acg_sea. ... 4%B9%A4%EB

Cheers,
Drka

I have a Yen for that '90s D55... 8) :lol: Steffan