Work Page 12-23
Vegaphone Deluxe Plectrum Banjo
Circa 1930s
Address severe bow in neck from 5th postion to the nut
Head maxed out in heel cut, needs Notch work
Starting to heat, and adding weight to affected area
Replaced all bad/wrong tension nuts
I am gaining on it, the neck is at least "flatter" now
Hoop barely clears notch before bottoming out
Heavy wear on frets, they will be replaced
Removing frets
Th cloudy head gives the same bright tone as clear, with a more trad look.
Neck set must be changed, the level of the tone ring plane is above the neck notch. Seen it many times.
Cleaning rim while neck goes back under heat
Strung with no frets, all .020 steel strings at same tension, checking relief
A new high crown head should not bottom out in the neck notch when the hoop isstill above head, and neck notch is correct.
12-31 update
After quite a few hours of controlled heat, in various manners, with tension / weight on the neck to create a positive (forward) bow was 80 percent successful.
It did come out with maybe a 1 degree forward pull, which I knew would be enough as long as the wood was not given a chance to regain the memory of the back bow.
So I had all of my fretting equipment ready and went as fast as possible to get string tension on it.
The area from the nut to 5 was the worst and it commanded some special jigs to get it to do anything.
There was the #1 inlay that came free, and the rest stayed in but needed resealing.
I re-cut the fret slots to modern fret wire dimensions and then I removed the tang barbs from the new wire so as to give the least amount of resistance, so as not to force in back into the condition it was in.
This is a tricky neck, and I am trying to avoid what would be a fingerboard replacement after a neck plane/laminate, etc.
Not cost effective.
There are many factors working against this neck and I have overcome like I said, 80 percent, so far.
Now...onward.
After quite a few hours of controlled heat, in various manners, with tension / weight on the neck to create a positive (forward) bow was 80 percent successful.
It did come out with maybe a 1 degree forward pull, which I knew would be enough as long as the wood was not given a chance to regain the memory of the back bow.
So I had all of my fretting equipment ready and went as fast as possible to get string tension on it.
The area from the nut to 5 was the worst and it commanded some special jigs to get it to do anything.
There was the #1 inlay that came free, and the rest stayed in but needed resealing.
I re-cut the fret slots to modern fret wire dimensions and then I removed the tang barbs from the new wire so as to give the least amount of resistance, so as not to force in back into the condition it was in.
This is a tricky neck, and I am trying to avoid what would be a fingerboard replacement after a neck plane/laminate, etc.
Not cost effective.
There are many factors working against this neck and I have overcome like I said, 80 percent, so far.
Now...onward.
Finishing up the fret work
Will let rest 2 days, and see where I am with it.
Neck notch was deepened as planned
Also, replaced a handle that died in TX.
Now head can adjust, and neck can rise in the slot when I do final setup
1-14-24 update
After many hours of effort and experimentation with heat applications I was successful in getting the fingerboard to release and the neck gain a forward pull.
Yes, other things let go as well like inlay, which happens on any aggressive heat treatment.
That, the "no compression fretting" and the neck elevation all worked together to reach the goal.
I have placed a block of wood on the fingerboard to hold light pressure as well as leaving some tension on the strings with bridge down, because with all of the climate changes it will go through and live it does not need to remember that it was in a back bow.
Now fingers are crossed that it gets to Matt, and in playable condition.
There is never any guarantee on neck work such as this and it can make you look great, or really bad.
Thanks for watching and sharing,
VM
After many hours of effort and experimentation with heat applications I was successful in getting the fingerboard to release and the neck gain a forward pull.
Yes, other things let go as well like inlay, which happens on any aggressive heat treatment.
That, the "no compression fretting" and the neck elevation all worked together to reach the goal.
I have placed a block of wood on the fingerboard to hold light pressure as well as leaving some tension on the strings with bridge down, because with all of the climate changes it will go through and live it does not need to remember that it was in a back bow.
Now fingers are crossed that it gets to Matt, and in playable condition.
There is never any guarantee on neck work such as this and it can make you look great, or really bad.
Thanks for watching and sharing,
VM