New W.User - Corvette Truss Rod - Pls help

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Ivo

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Hi, a month ago I've bought Warwick Corvette Standard. In the time I was buying this bass I probably didn't know what I am doing completely and now I need an urgent help. I bought Warwick mainly because of the legendary "tough" Warwick necks. What I didn't know was the fact that it is imosiible to tighten truss rod in Corvette to reduce the bow of the neck. I'm citing my Official Warwick User Manual Here:

"Original Removable Truss Rod: This can be found on models made in the 1980’s through some as late as 1998. The threads allow tightening of this rod only to the left, which may seem somewhat counterintuitive to some. If the adjustment nut comes off when turned clockwise, it is a sure sign that your bass has been fitted with this type of truss rod. The effects of tightening this truss rod depend on whether it has been installed with the threaded side up or down."

Especially the carefully chosen word "counterintuitive" made me quite angry. So my question - this means that it is impossible to tighten the truss rod on my bass in the case "action too high" (as I read in this forum)?
Now what can I do? Is my bass a worthless piece of crab if this can't be done? Can this somehow be tackled? Or would you recommend to me to return this bass to the shop and buy a bass of a different brand (what I'm thinking about at the moment, 'cause I still have 30 days to do this).

Please give me an advice, I love the sound of this bass but I don't want a bass that can't be adjusted to my needs and the neck really needs tightening.
 
Hi Ivo - have you tried to adjust the truss rod?

The phrase counter intuitive refers to that most truss rods tighten by turning the rod to the right. So tightening to the left is therefore 'counter intuitive'....not wrong, broken or buggered....just 'different'.

You've not actually stated whether you have a problem - so I'd try giving the truss rod a little turn to the left (1/8 or 1/4 at a time) and see if that helps.

Congratulations on buying a great bass btw - and welcome to the forum :D

G
 
TK276 said:
Hi Ivo - have you tried to adjust the truss rod?

You've not actually stated whether you have a problem - so I'd try giving the truss rod a little turn to the left (1/8 or 1/4 at a time) and see if that helps.
Click to expand...

Yes, I tried to adjust it. As I wrote, my problem is that the action is too high. Turning the truss rod to the left only makes this worse, it makes the "bow" even bigger, the action even higher. I need to do the opposite, to lower the action, but as it is impossible to turn the truss rod to the right (clockwise), it is impossible to tighten the neck. How can I do it? - that is the question.
 
Dumb question....have you tried turning the truss rod right?

It sounds like you have a regular truss rod and not one of the counter intuitive ones, so turning to the right would resolve your problem.

If you cannot turn the rod to the right or it has no effect, then I'd take it back to your shop and have their guitar tech look at it.

BTW - my posts are not official Warwick customer support or help...just thought I'd try and help out in the meantime ;-)

G
 
TK276 said:
Dumb question....have you tried turning the truss rod right?
Click to expand...

Thank you for trying to help. Yes, I tried this, but I somehow couldn't enforce to turn it clockwise. I don't know if I can use brutal force when doing this. In case I don't have truss rod that can be turned clockwise I can easily destroy my new bass by doing this. I wonder why the producer can't just type on the paper with all the technical info what type of truss rod is installed on your bass.

Also, I don't understand what they mean by this sentence in the manual:

"The effects of tightening this truss rod depend on whether it has been installed with the threaded side up or down"
 
well, u might just be unlucky to get a faulty neck? but i wouldnt wanna say.

i'm having neck troubles on my own. but i guess its due to the unbelievably high amt of humidity in tropical countries like mine. everytime i turn the truss rod it seems to fix it for a while, but the neck slumps back into what it originally was.

but the thing that keeps me going back is the tone. you can't find anything more beautiful than that.
 
Hi Ivo - no problem....I do have some expertise in this area but not as familiar with Warwick rods as some here probably are.

Ok, I'd advise taking it back to the shop and ask them to look at it, the last thing you want to do is force it. These should move quite obviously and easily - no brute force should be required.

I would go on to say that 'adjusting a truss rod is alot like making love to a beautiful woman' but unless you're familiar with Swiss Tony it wouldn't make any sense!

Also, I don't understand what they mean by this sentence in the manual:

"The effects of tightening this truss rod depend on whether it has been installed with the threaded side up or down"
Click to expand...

Me neither!!

There are lots of different types of truss rod and quite how you're supposed to know whether it's threaded side up or down is beyond me!

PS - don't give up on Warwicks over this problem, they are brilliant basses and I'm sure once you sort this out, you'll be really glad you didn't thrown in the towel.

G
 
My suggestion is if you feel that it won't turn anymore, take it back to the dealer and ask them for help. I had adjusted my thumb NT5 about 2.5 rounds(in 1/4 inch increments). The action improved very slightly but I felt the tension increasing and I did not want to force it more. I called up Tyler @ Dana B Goods and spoke to him. Since I had to send my bass in for some work, I asked him to take a look at the truss rod and see if i can get the action any lower. He told me that my TR maxed out. They did something that helped lower the action and readjust the truss rod so that I would have more room to adjust the action if it was required in the future.
So, try as much as you dare but if you feel it getting tight or no response, I say take it to a warwick qualified person and ask for help. It will save you from expensive repairs.
 
Ivo,
Take the bass back to the dealer & tell them the problem & get them to fix it.
Best of luck.
 
Hi all. I would like to finish the story, so that also other users know, how to cope with such problems as I had, or at least I thought I had, with my truss rod.
I took the bass to the best guitar/bass repair professional in my city. First he told me some very useful info about various basses, and also Warwicks, to erase all the myths about "legendary" bass brands (and the parts of these basses) I beared in my head. And what he did with the bass? He simply completely reset the original factory settings and adjusted the bass how it should be. The rod really needed to be forced to turn it, and needed 2 whole turns(!!!) to lower the action. You won't learn anything like this when reading the Warwick user's manual. After I got the bass and changed the original strings for Daddario Nickel Wound, I thought I had a new instrument in my hands - a new one and a great one. It couldn't be compared to the bass shipped to me from the factory.
Now, the result is I am completely satisfied with my new Warwick!
 
wow ivo, good for you! now i think i'm gonna have to play with my truss rod again. 2 full turns!
 
That's great news - glad to hear it got sorted in the end. :D
 
Ivo said:
And what he did with the bass? He simply completely reset the original factory settings and adjusted the bass how it should be.
Click to expand...

yeah there can be worlds of difference between a well set up and badly set up bass

im glad you've finally got the warwick giving you its best :)
 
Hi

I went through looking for Warwick truss rods and issues and spotted this thread.

I was appalled to see the lack of understanding of the truss rod where it was stated that the truss rod is used to lower the string action! Last time I saw this frame of mind was from the banjo community.

As a professional guitar maker and repairer, I was looking at threads because I now have another customer with a broken truss rod in a Warwick bass and I can now understand why, following your advice of forcing it!
Let me explain that the German made guitars have interesting and adequate engineered truss rods – although I am not sure on the latest ones. Let it be said NEVER force a truss rod. The neck may need help by heat straightening the neck or bending slightly backwards whilst adjusting the truss-rod but never force it!
Getting back to the point, I had a Warwick neck flown in from India and duly took it apart. I was very surprised to see the thinnest rod material I have ever seen in my life! Now if you deduct the area of threaded material in the cross section, the thickness of rod is even SMALLER! What I do not know is why Warwick risk their reputation on putting such a thin rod into their Foreign made necks when they clearly are not up to the job. Or maybe they don’t know what is being done?
Two things happen with a wooden neck, curvature/bowing for which the truss rod is there to counter act, and leverage which is not controllable by any truss rod and will happen over time. I have replaced these Warwick truss rods with thicker rod requiring removal of the fingerboard and machining a thicker channel for the new rod.
In short, the misconception comes from may manufacturers supplying an Allen key and instructions on how to use it. The problem for the manufacturer is that they have to exaggerate the drawing to explain the situation. If they were to draw the true amount of curve on a piece of paper, it would look like a straight line! The reason is that the amount of curve needed for neck relief is very small indeed - smaller than the thinnest string namely about .006” between frets 1 and 12. from the 12 onwards you are faced with the effects of leverage.
If you can see a curve, then its wrong. This is why Dan Erlewine created the fret levelling table to ensure he dealt with both curvature and leverage. In the past, companies like Aria Basses dealt with expected leverage by a slight fall-away at the end of the fingerboard. So that when the bass was under string tension, this 12th fret to the end of fretboard became nearly straight thus enabling the lowest actions I have ever set. Counteracting leverage is probably the reason behind the 6 bots used on Ernie Ball Basses.
My final piece of advice - if in doubt leave it alone or you risk a hefty bill for repairs!
 
Hello Pete,

You'll probably remember me from Patrick Eggle days....it's Giles - neck carver and sander extraordinaire!! LOL

Hope you're well and the guitar tech business is going well?

Fortunately I've not had any problems with my Warwick neck, although I reckon it could do with a light fret dress soon. I'll have to bring it round to you - you working out of Regent Guitars still?

G (Giles Rees)
 
Hi Giles

It’s good to hear from you. I also hope that life is treating you well.

Well, for those who do not know Giles, he was an excellent bass player in 1994 so he has to be brilliant by now! In addition, he was the mainstay of the original Eggle Factory and it would not have been a success with out his efforts and commitment (along with others of course)

To reply to your comment Giles, I never did work out of Regent Guitars or for them, - they were just another one of my customers. Yes, I used to set-up all their guitars at one time although this only accounted for 25% to 40 % of my time. I did use the shop as a drop off point, which has led to the mis-conception of my being employed by them. I am no longer associated with Regent Guitars and no longer use them as my agent for the collection and delivery of work.

I made a point of not mentioning my business name in my forum post as I was trying to prevent anyone else breaking yet another Warwick truss-rod and did not want it to look as if I was trying to drum up business! It’s bazaar what a small world it is.


Scary Pete
 
Ha Ha! It is a small world & it seems to get smaller! HI Peter. :D

I remember this repair, my friend brought the neck back from India on behalf of a local bassist. I duly arrived at your workshop with him & the neck. We dropped a couple of 'Strats' off to you a few weeks later and you had dissmantled the neck. I was suprised how thin the trussrod was, also it had corroded at the threaded end where it had snapped. I don't know the formula for working out the stress and torsion of guitar necks & rods, but I am an engineer & this did look like a Fiat Uno crankshaft in a Ferrari F40? I am by no means casting any doubt over Warwick Basses but there does seem to be an issue with this subject. If anybody has a 'nack' or helpful tip on making these trussrods do what they 'Say On The Tin' then get posting! At the moment, It all appears to be black magic to me? You should have seen the stainless rod that went in that neck! Corr.
 
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