Heat pressing a straight neck :: 2008 Kinal Kompact acoustic bass
The combination of a 30" short scale and low-tension light gauge strings was not enough to pull this neck into a forward bow (relief). The neck was dead straight with the truss rod backed off and needed some relief in order to get away with lower action. Here I'm using my temperature controller along with a fingerboard-sized heat blanket to warm the glue joint between the neck and fingerboard. Strategically placed feeler gauges arranged along a rigid clamping block gently flex the neck into a forward bow while the glue softens. This forward bow now allows the truss rod a usable range.