New Guitar - Truss Rod fully loose

[spacelord]

(sorry, meant to put this into the Guitar Tech forum)

I purchased a brand new guitar over a month ago, but haven't fully played it until today. Well, when it first arrived I tuned it up made sure it worked then de-tuned it and put it back into the box, so my kids could wrap it and "surprise" me with my new guitar today..my birthday.

anyways, its got bad backbow. I'm thinking, no problem, I loosen the truss rod, but now it is fully loosened and it still has no relief. Is this because it has had no tension on the neck for such a long time?
Will it take a while for the neck to bend to provide the relief? I only have a few more days before I'd need to ship it back to the store.

are there any tricks.. Can I tune it a bit sharp to speed the process?

Thanks for any reassurance or tips.

 

[dazco]

Ship it back ! seriously, it can possibly be saved, but the neck will certainly change over time as all new guitars do, and guess which way the neck is likely to go ! If it's already moved that way it will likely only get worse and you'll be stuck with a bum neck. Even with no strings it should have some relief once strung up and the rod loosened, and it shouldn't even have to be loosened all the way even after no tension on the neck for weeks. Better safe than sorry, and that neck is definatly not right.

 

[PFCG]

if its a first act, call the support number, and talk to brett or ben, they will swap it for ya

 

[12guitdown]

I had this happen with a new G&L. I paid over $1300.00 for it. G&L replaced the neck but it took them over 3 months and kept the guitar the whole time. Their CS sucked bigtime too.! When i got it back it the guitar was a total dog. No matter how close the pups were and whatever the switch position was in, the 1st and 2nd strings were about 50% vol. of the other strings.(FWIW, it was like this before I took it in the first time). I called them back about this and they said they really couldn't do anything about it and basically blew me off. Anyway. . .

Sorry, I got off topic but that experience still makes my blood boil.

So kids, the moral of the story goes; Send it back ASAP!

 

[spacelord]

This is only a $549 MSRP guitar which I picked up for $199 on clearance as something to play with. When loosening a truss rod should it mov freely or will it turn stiff like tighening? I am wondering if theres a special place in the middle where the neck is natural and the nut might turn with almost no resistance for 1/4-1/2 turn before going tight again? (as I loosen)

 

[Structo]

It should loosen til it falls off.

You can try putting the guitar between two supports like chairs and suspend a weight from the middle of the neck.
Be sure to slacken the strings and loosen the rod.

A guy at another forum had a strat that had a Hefner $400 neck on it.
He picked it up to play and the neck was too flat and not playable.
He determined it was from lack of humidity in his house.
He suspended a brick from the middle of the neck and put a humidifier near the guitar overnight.
That gave him the neck relief he needed.

I know that sounds a bit drastic but for a $200 guitar you aren't out much.

 

[spacelord]

How many manufacturers use dual action truss rods? I was always under the impression that my other guitars were single action. I think the Schecters may be dual.. so that might explain something there. The nut does not loosen to the point of coming off. .but then goes tight as I turn it further counter clockwise.