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Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: pjm on December 09, 2014, 09:44:43 PM

Title: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: pjm on December 09, 2014, 09:44:43 PM
Where the board comes apart from the neck.
I've had this bass for 3 years, it's a 2008 model SG bass. Just wondering if it's common to gibsons?
Doesn't effect the play ability at all and I had exactly the same happen to an Epi EB-3.
Will it get worse and need repairing?
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Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: amptech on December 10, 2014, 02:24:42 AM
It certainly needs to be glued, I'd guess a luthier won't charge too much for this.
But I don't know if it's common to gibsons this recent?
You haven't adjusted your truss rod lately with aid of a power drill, no?
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: uwe on December 10, 2014, 04:17:33 AM
Yup, and it's not right.

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=9083.msg151275#msg151275

You'll have to get it glued or notes will begin to sound all hollow and dead (unplugged more noticeable than over a loud rig) when fretted there. My hunch is that it has something to do with new fretboard material they tried.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Chris P. on December 10, 2014, 05:02:59 AM
It's a common problem for Rickenbacker 3000 and 3001 basses, but I haven't seen it on a Gibson before.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: the mojo hobo on December 10, 2014, 06:25:54 AM
Wouldn't a 2008 model have been built before the wood controversy at Gibson?

I had the same thing on an older Ric 4001.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: uwe on December 10, 2014, 08:07:01 AM
On the Rics it's the issue that people don't know that on pre-something Rics you have to bend the neck to position and then fix that position via the (loosened before) rods. Just turning the rods won't do it for you. Frequent mistake (and certainly one idiotic system until they changed it). It's not even that difficult to adjust an old Ric, it's just that it is so idiosyncratic to do it that way, you don't know unless you know. And if you don't know, pop goes the fretboard, eventually.

On the Gibbies it's not truss rod related at all, I checked on my RD, loosening or tightening the truss rod had no impact on the loose fretboard.

Really something that shouldn't happen on a bass in this day and age. Doubleplusnotgood.  >:(
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Bionic-Joe on December 10, 2014, 09:31:49 AM
Easy Fix.
#1-Get a syringe.
#2-Get some original Titebond wood glue.
#3-Misc Clamps

First, put some water in the syringe. Shoot it into the crack.
then dilute some Titebond. the water will draw the Titebond into the crack. Then go full strength.
You may have to spread it a tad and work it back and forth.
Clamp it and wipe off excess glue with a paper towel dipped in water.
If you're not comfortable doing this, I suggest finding a competent Luthier to do it.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: uwe on December 10, 2014, 09:37:20 AM
Sounds like a plan!
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Pilgrim on December 10, 2014, 11:35:25 AM
Something similar happened to an Epi Casady bass I had.  As noted above, I loaded up some super glue in a syringe, injected the area on both sides where the separation was present, then (quickly!!) clamped the neck.  That's a place where show-acting super glue would be welcome.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Bionic-Joe on December 10, 2014, 12:22:32 PM
But superglue becomes brittle and does not work in this application...unless you want to fix it quick and dump it.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: pjm on December 10, 2014, 02:17:09 PM
Good info - I've never touched the truss rod so must be poorly glued. I'll take it to a local luthier.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Pilgrim on December 10, 2014, 06:58:59 PM
But superglue becomes brittle and does not work in this application...unless you want to fix it quick and dump it.

Could be.  I'm not sure why being brittle would be a problem, as you don't want these pieces to move anyway.

At any rate, mine was fine for the two+ years I had it before I sold it.

In that case, I'd go straight to Titebond.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: drbassman on December 11, 2014, 08:18:34 AM
Titebond really is the best for wood to wood gluing.  I've got a batch of Gibsons and none have ever done this, so in my world, it is rare.  Have it fixed professionally if you're not comfortable with doing it.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Dave W on December 11, 2014, 12:12:30 PM
The only Gibson I've personally seen with this problem was a late 60s EB-3 with a truss rod that had been overtorqued.

Since this is rare, and yet it's happened to you on two basses from two different factories, it's hard to imagine that both were glued improperly. Could there be an issue with low humidity where you keep them?
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: lowend1 on December 11, 2014, 11:16:25 PM
I recently saw it on a newer model black T-Bird - bass side of the neck only.
Title: Re: Has this happened to anyone else's Gibby
Post by: Highlander on December 13, 2014, 02:23:24 PM
I've got that issue with my '78 RD at the nut too... collision was the cause in my case...