This method worked well for an old classical guitar with no truss rod. Since the classical guitar has no inlays, I placed the hot iron set hot directly on the frets for about 20 minutes. Then I took the iron off and left it clamped for 24 hours. It turned an unplayable guitar back into an instrument of joy. Thanks for the idea!

Hi Victor, Almost 60 years ago I was given a 1940's German Archtop acoustic by my sister in law ( she passed away last year) to replace a guitar that my brother made at school. She used to play in a skiffle group. I took lessons and then gigged this guitar for years, when a drunk fell on it and the neck came off. I got it repaired but the tech said it does not play well as the neck is bowed due to it's age. I bought a new guitar and the archtop went in the attic for the next thirty years. I had a lot of sentimental reasons for this guitar,.When I saw your video whilst looking for something else I decided to give it a go - It worked like a dream and the neck is now straight it sounds out of this world. I am going to do a re-fret and mount a De'Armour pickup and give it a good polishing. Thanks for the best lesson on youtube. Regards and a Happy New Year Frank

I just did this and it freakin worked!! Just wanted to let you know that your video saved me about 500 bucks!! Thank you so much man, there’s stuff all over the internet and I went with your solution and it actually worked. Thank you thank you!!

It did work! Fixed 2 peavey t-20 basses from the early 80s. Thanks again budn. Saved me between 200-600$ and learned a skill. This does work people! No bullshit!

Today I was quoted $500 for refretting and sanding my flamenco guitar neck because they said this heating technique would not work. I said f that, went to home depot and got a couple clamps for $30, slapped an iron on the board for 20 minutes, let it cool and 2 hours later my guitar is shredding like the day I got it in Spain. I am aware that this technique might take a few tries to become permanent, but it is good to know I can fix it myself. Thanks so much for sharing this method!

I am about to endeavor on this journey myself. I have an old Silvertone full size acoustic that is a beauty but it doubles as a drawn bow and arrow! Thanks for tips!

I have a baritone Yamaha which had a back bow and after a few attempts to fix it I found the best method. Clamp the guitar fret side down on e.g. a work mate bench with a small piece of timber underneath where the bow starts . Make sure that there is a small felt pad on the clamps to avoid damaging the neck. Take a wet flannel and a steam iron on the hot steam setting and steam for aprox ten-15 minutes. Leave for a couple of days then un clamp. Make sure before you do all of this that your truss rod is completely slackened off. My neck came out as straight as a die and even though as it was a baritone with heavier gauge strings it has remained true. The guitar would have been a write off to pay for a repair and this will cost you nothing. The piece of timber I used just wider than the fretboard and aprox 2-3 mm thick just enough that if a slight forward bow was put in it could be easily adjusted with the truss rod.

Thanks! I have a fender bass that has a bend that has a permanent bend and the truss rud nut is bottomed out. When I do tighten it to the max it does help - but I want to lower the action regardless. This is the approach I am going to take to at least straighten it out a bit

I’ve literally just finished watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre but this video is WAY scarier!

Brilliant! I now a have way forward with my Kamaka Tenor with a fore-bend. Many thanks!

Did this with a detached bolt-on neck (strat) which suffered from excessive bow. I used a combo of letting the neck sit on a regular hot-water heat radiator for 30 mins - then gently clamping it onto a straight plank of wood - with 5 layers of cardboard at each end (very slowly bending the frets down towards the plank) - while in this position, I aimed a couple of hairdryers back and forth along the neck to evenly spread the heat. Then incrementally tightened the clamps - till it sat with a back-bow for about 15 - 20 mins. It worked out very well! Almost perfectly straight now🤘🤘

Thank you. This is useful. You just helped me straighten the neck on a 1963 Kay Speed Demon that was made with no truss rod👍

Thanks! I used this technique on my friend's old Harmony acoustic with no truss rod and a neck like a banana.

Thanks for the videos, I've watched several that have been really useful. Especially these methods that avoid having to buy expensive tools. I'm trying to rescue an old burns bass.

Fantastic tip - I think it saved a tele I love that has a broken truss rod! Much apprecitaed!

I just watch these for the totally awesome accent.

Wow absolutely So simple, with care, but simple, Many THANKS 😊😊😊

Brilliant mate! I am so going to use this on a bass Ive been fidling with.

I am going to try this tonight! I left an acoustic guitar resting upright against the wall in a humid area of the house a while ago and made my action to high. I hope to fix that thanks!!

Glad to hear this works for a lot of people, tried a variation of this with a bowed fender maple neck (no fretboard) and it didnt work. I had it lay flat on my toaster oven and clamped it down , the toaster oven has a warmer on the top so it really did transfer the heat good that the wood got hot to the touch even. But after heating for 15-20 mins and leaving it for 24hrs i dont even notice a slight change when removing the clamp- still bowed. I figure it was just my setup, there was enough bow in the neck that laying it down fret first left a big enough gap, so i clamped it there to the toaster oven frame and it got petty flat, but maybe i have to bend it back further than straight so it sets straight? Couldnt really do that with my setup so im willing to try the videos method but not not sure it will help after seeing nothing here and thinking about just going ahead and replacing the truss rod. Any tips/ suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you. Can't wait to try it on my classical guitar.

I’ve got a 1930’s acoustic 4 string tenor guitar with no truss rod. It’s neck is bowed so it’s just a wall hanger at the moment. Think I’ll give this techinique a go. Thanks for the video.

This very useful. Thank You!!

I feel like this is the best solution to my issue. The acoustic I’m setting up is still bowed but the truss rod won’t get tighter to straighten the neck out. I read u can install a washer which works sometimes, but I think a heat press would work a lot better. I didnt think of using a clothes iron. I’m thinking only do this with a loose truss rod? That’s great!

Man Am I Glad I Watched You !!! Great Guitar Guy This One !!!!

Cheers for the video man, will give this a try with my guitar thats stuck in a back bow.

Interesting. I've got a Simon Patrick with a bow the other way between 1st and 4th fret. Truss rod ain't straightening it, so nothing to lose trying this.

this was super useful buddy thank you

DUDE~! this just unbent the classical guitar that my dad brought home 10-ish years ago since he was allowed to take it from his work place for free(I think). I have yet to restring the 10+ year old string it has(just to see if it still bends again) but just from comparing it to before I iron it(with steam), it's whole lot straighter(so basically if it looked like a fairly straight uncooked piece of instant ramen noodles, it now looks like a spagetti) anyway, if this works. EDIT: IT WORKS... IT'S SOMEHOW IN GREAT SHAPE AND I'M NOW ATTACHED TO GUITAR TO THE POINT WHERE I WOULDN'T RESELL IT EVEN IF IT'S A SHITTY GUITAR

I've got a backbow on pbass,one way truss rod completely loose. So with just one clamp in the middle should do it. ( Since i lack the tools trying to heat the neck up on the radiator) hope it will work that way too. Thanks for the diy solution!

Nicely done!! Learned a ton watching this!

Planing to fix my 5 classic guitar will try on one if it’s work I will fix all then

I did this but put the block under the 9th fret because in my experience with second hand guitars this is the area that starts to dip down so I want to catch it at that point or just before it starts to dip. It was my first attempt and a Les Paul so I was very careful with the heat, it took me about 3 hours because I had to build up confidence, I didnt want to remove the cover and see the binding had melted.

Thank you very much! I bought a 20+ old tele a few days ago which was never setup correctly so the neck was like a archery bow and would not go back into reset position. After your video I got it how I want it and I can set it up now! Cheers!

I'm going to try that this week. Wish me luck!

It worked well for me on an old classical guitar. I ended up not using the metal bar in the end, and using a heat gun because I couldn't get enough heat from the clothes iron, or the hair dryer. But it worked, my neck is straight, and I'm groovin! Victor, if you're reading this, what is the purpose of the metal bar, also how long do you leave it clamped after you remove the heat?

worked like a charm!!! thanks!!

Thank you very much friend, I made your video recommendations with a classical guitar, and it worked perfectly! note : Note that after heating it with the iron, a kind of water came out of the fretboard, then the fretboard was dry (then I had to rectify the frets, moisten the fretboard), but it stayed straight! Could it be that this liquid that came out was the humidity that the fretboard had absorbed and that had made the fibers soften, yielding to the traction of the strings? sorry for my English . I use the translator, I just wanted to thank you !!!!🙂

I just acquired an old Oscar Schmidt Stella, which I didn’t need, but fell in love with it due to the tone and volume. Looks like it might’ve had a restoration job, or at least some work, done on it before. The neck is not pulled (or it is repaired) and other than a crack and loose brace which are now fixed, it is in quite good shape - other than the strings being too high due to neck bow. The string break angle at the saddle seems to be good, but since I didn’t know of any way to get the bow out of the neck, I was going to have to lower the bridge and saddle. Very glad to see your video, I’m gonna have to give it a try! It’ll be awesome to be able to actually fix the neck instead of bypassing the problem. I plan on trying it tomorrow.

Thank you for this video -- this absolutely got results for me. I have an epi 175 that I couldn't get the relief out of. I managed to get the neck to bow back slightly with this method -- heating and leaving in a warm garage overnight. However when I straightened the neck with the truss rod, i found there is now a small hump around the 2nd, 3rd fret. I'm going to rip the frets out and hopefully I can level that out. I don't know if the straightening method introduced the hump or not -- I suspect it was already sort of there. Also the truss rod is now peeking out and preventing the nut from seating. I also see some hairline cracks a the first fret and the finish on the back got a little messed up at the fulcrum point. It definitely changed the geometry of of the neck though..

Thank you

I have a Gibson with a back bowl I loosen the top strings and Applied a heating pad on medium. I’m hoping this will work without using clamps. Because the problem is at the 10th and 11th and 12th Fret.

Do you think i can fix a twisted neck with the same setup? Very nice explanation, i like these kinds of diy

really useful, but if i need to do it in reverse? i have a Ibanez JS90th and the truss rod is completely loosen but the neck is still straight, i need to get just a bit of a front bow(right now 0.2mm under 8th fret, need 0.3).

Seems like a good method. Is the bar made of aluminium, iron or steel? Which material and dimensions do you recommend for it? I looked around and all options seem expensive so I don't want to risk buying the wrong stuff. I want to use this method to repair my grandfather's old guitar and perhaps also some future projects.

What about Fender Strats with the Bi-flex truss rod and the skunk stripe? Any experience with that? Thank you so much.. Rock on brother!

Hi mate,,great video and tips,,would this method take a centre fretboard bow out on a classical guitar i was given ? I cut the nut slots down as low as was sensible,sanded the plastic bridge down but as per your advice there is a bow around fret s 5 6 and 7? Thanks in advance,George.

My guitar has a truss rod Yamaha FG335 and it is cranked tight, but I still have a bow. Will this method work for that guitar. I know it's an old cheap guitar, but it's the first one I ever bought in 1982.

Hey, I’m wondering if this will work on a guitar without any trust rod adjustment capabilities, it’s an old 1940s German archtop. Waiting for your answer.

Well im sure excited to try this on my 2000 Explorer that the first owner used to put 12-60 gauge strings on. i have the truss all the way down and still too much relief so its time to back it out and straighten the neck for sure... what was that bit about melting the inlays out? i surely dont want to do that

I searched this out after watching ALOT of neck resets where they remove the neck, sand the joint and reconnect it which apparently is youtube’s standard video to show but that way doesn’t make sense to me because the joint is not the problem… the neck itself has to still be bent after reset if you don’t actually straighten the neck right? My main concern is drying the neck and the hide glue holding the fret board to the neck failing. I love working with my hands and fix alot of things and fixing one of my old guitars I played while watching our jets bomb the Iraqi army was my initial goal but in researching that I picked up a cedar top & Rosewood 1960’s -70s ? Lyle C-650 for $20 that may not be million $ guitar but is solid and sounds wonderful with fixed tuners and a fixed tone bar using home made hide glue. Who knew you could make glue from dog chews? Anyway … It has a slight bend…. Does the neck need to be rehydrated? Does using the DRY heat ensure the glue WON’T fail? Any idea how long this fix lasts? Would it make sense to straighten the neck and then insert a truss rod Through the neck from the top? Thank you for sharing your knowledge?

So, loosen the truss rod completely before doing this right?

Good video , I have a vintage (1945) Harmony arch top. the neck needs some help .. do u think will this trick work ? It’s a v-shape much thicker neck.

About to embark on this journey with a flamenco guitar. Action is a bit above 3mm so want to slightly restore neck shape to get it around 2.7. If anyone has any tips speak now or forever hold your peace ! Thanks in advance

can this work for a bass with a truss rod? The truss rod won't affect the exact problem I have

How di i do this method on my fender strat with a gloss finished maple fretboard?

Great video as I'm planning to do the same.. but won't that melt neck binding when binding goes over the frets?

Hello, have you tried this without heat? Such as leaving the guitar clamped for a few days or so.

thank you.

I've watched your other videos . So is a wet cloth necessary or only iron will work? Thanks for sharing your knowledge . God bless u

I read ages ago that over time the guitar will return to its original warp and a good sign of that is if the guitar doesnt hold tune when left sitting for a while.

Can I ask, how much bowing can be achieved, approximately? Brook Hoover mentioned that he has some 60s Japanese acoustics, touching upon a problem that costs guitar enthusiasts hundreds. I myself just picked up 1971 FG-140 Red Label Gakki for peaunuts. It sounds better than a Martin and it is playable - though you wouldn't want to try making a bar chord. To remedy it they say requires a neck rest at around 350 quid. So, would this method provide enough back bow to reduce a few mill at the 12th fret do you think?

How to correct s bend trust road not able to fix

Can this work on a classical guitar that doesn’t have a trust rod? The problem on my classical guitar is that the low E to the B string is all good but the high E is touching the fret, basically it’s bent on the high E string and I wanted to know if this method will fix that problem for me.

Can this method be used on a 70s Martin acoustic with the "box tube" non-adjustable truss rod? I would be using the middle clamp method to add relief. Thanks

I did not catch one detail if you would this. Do you undo the s truss rod first when you are clamping it or do you clamp it under the full truss-rod tension?

i have a strat neck with a bow but the truss won't give more relief. I assume remove the neck on a bolt on before clamping? Should I loosen off the truss a bit also? Means more of a bow to clamp down?

What about resetting the truss bar in this process?

If anyone sees this - how easy is this to screw up? Is it possible to go too far and end up with a back bow? I want to try it on a 1950s archtop, but I'll experiment on a Harley Benton first 😅

Is there water in the clothes iron? Does it need to steam? Thanks for the video!

i'm thinking about trying this but letting the guitar sit in a hot vehicle on a summer day

Hi how do it get rid of a hump in the neck from the 12th fret to 15th ? Acoustic guitar

Cool, I subscribed. Thanks a lot

Badass

When the neck is perfectly straight but angled back with respect to the guitar's body, should I try correcting the neck-body angle with heat too?

hello sir.... i have a problem with my guitar neck... and I've been looking online for solutions but still couldn't find anything..... it's a 7 string guitar though... so on the side of the low b string it's upbowed... but...on the high e side... it's straight....... and if i would to adjust the truss rod.... the low b side would be straight.... but the high e side will be back bowed...... is there any tips i could do for this problem? sorry to bother you bout this sir....

Thanks, man. I have a slightly different problem. I bought a very used/abused bass (for next to nothing), and it's got a very wide neck/fretboard. The neck passes the straightedge test lengthwise, but my problem is cross-wise, the neck is so warped that it's got a "negative fretboard radius". It has three truss rods (so does my 9 string schecter, but luckily, I've never had to adjust it as it's rock solid). Would it be possible to loosen the middle rod, and tighten the outer 2, slowly more over time? Or would that start cracking/breaking stuff? Or, would it be possible to support the very center of the neck underneath, and use a ratcheting strap and a couple blocks of wood on the outside edges of the neck, and use an iron like this, slowly tightening over time? If not, I've removed fretboards before, but god what a pain in the ass.

How do you prevent the plastic neck binding from scorching while you heat the iron?

Do you loosed the truss rod before the heat is used??

If I have a neck with the bass side near-the-nut sunken, as well as the treble strings side over the 15th fret also sunken... Can i use this method?😐

Hello there, i had an amazing playing warwick bass a streamer lx4 with bolt on neck. Sometime mid winter i did a string change with very little difference than the strings i replaced. On tuning these i noticed dead spots, fret buzz and other bad noises. I had it confirmed that on the E, and A strings on the first couple of frets was an acute warped area. I clamped in two spots in affected area and they improved. However this didnt last long but never got as bad as it was. Could you recommend any fixes? If i had the money id get they fretboard off and level beneath. Hope you can advise.

I have an old guitar (very old, Harwood parlor from 1926). Do you think this method would be too risky? The strings are approximately 1cm above the the board at the 12th fret.

Would you always put the support block around the 6/7th fret, or would it depend on where the bow is worst?

Dude you look like Triple H.

Hay i am trying to restore a guitar and im about to replace the frets its and old guitar and it have little bow but what its best first install new frets straight the neck and than sand the frets or first straight the neck than add new frets ?

I have a 1982 peavey t-20 bass and the truss rod is tightened as far as i can get the wrench and the action is still too high. Do you think this will work on it?

Some concern here: Would this method last any long? The neck will go under tension if put the strings back onto it for sure, wouldn't the neck crook back soon again?

Hi Victor - can this be used as a possible fix for an end of neck flip-up on a maple strat neck? It's on the bass side of the neck - I assume it occured because I use 12's - frets are level and no matter how I adjust the truss it doesn't help. Thanks!

Please, what is being said between 3:27 and 3:31? I can't make it out.

Does this work on Classical Guitars?

could I do this without loosening the truss rod? I want to try this on a bowed peavey foundation neck, and the truss is so deep its unreachable and is probably maxed out according to a luthier who saw it

i have a beloved ibanez st from 1980 thats back bowed, can i send it to you for a fix? you seem skilled

Now do you losen the truss rod or keep it where its at?

Hi, i have ibanez grg170dx left handed. i maked "Neck Straight Edge Notched" measured. Thin E side more relief. Truss rod not fixing this; Thick E straight, thin E relief. How to fix? heat thin E side with clamp? fix options? i need a help. Thank you.

Where can I by all the stuff I need to do this? What’s the name of each tool. Could you put in the description

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Where do you get the metal plates from which go between frets and the iron 🤔

I have a 1968 Gibson Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar that has a slight Wharp in the Neck. Where can I find someone that knows how to fix this. I am in New Jersey, USA

Hello , How much temperature should I put on my iron clothes? 1100watts one

Hello. And if the frets are previously glued with superglue?