- I just received a nice scarf jointed maple neck blank, but it has what to me looks like a scary amount of back bow. I laid the factory fret board, confirmed as straight, on edge atop the neck, held firmly near the nut end, as a nice, hard straight edge, and I’ve got 3/16” clearance at the bottom (highest) fret. Though I know Ben Gitty says a little back bow is ok, as string tension will correct it, this baby seems too far out there in my thinking. What say the fire? I don’t want to end up with a banana with an unplayable action six feet high.
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Allowing for the strings to pull the bow out of a neck, I think, is a bit of a hit and miss arrangement. Some necks may be stiffer than others and not bow up so readily.
Also not much pull on a three stringer, if three strings pulled my neck into a bow l might get concerned.
Taff
That confirms my thinking. My current daily driver wears the low, middle, middle GDG electric strings, and it’s dead flat, as it was when I glued up the walnut fret board over a poplar neck. My thinking is if anything, maple with walnut fret board is gonna be hell for stiff as a three string, unlikely to bend ever unless steamed.