# Can "neck-bending" permanently mess up your guitar?



## TheBotquax (Jul 8, 2011)

I know this is a really dumb question, but in this one song I'm writing, I hit an open note, and at the same time bend the entire neck slightly with my hand to make a kind of reverse whammy effect. I've only done it a handful of times (but it sounds awesome when done correctly\m/) and I want to know if I'll end up fucking up my guitar for good If I keep on doing it lol.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 8, 2011)

Ask Billy Sheehan.


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## TheBotquax (Jul 8, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Ask Billy Sheehan.



Great Advice


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 8, 2011)

What kind of roter are you playing?


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## TRENCHLORD (Jul 8, 2011)

Seems like at the very least it would destabalize the neck, making it more prone to going out of tune when bending strings and whammy wanking.


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## caskettheclown (Jul 8, 2011)

Its not going to do any permanent damage if you only do it a few times but truss rod may need adjusting a lot and so on


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## Totem_37 (Jul 9, 2011)

It screws up the setup and stresses the wood more than the neck is comfortable with. Do it enough times, and your neck can start to twist or generate humps and dips. It would take a while to get to that point, but it's definitely not healthy for your guitar.


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## rippedflesh89 (Jul 9, 2011)

did this for years on my old indo RG350... never had any problems on a lower budget guitar w/a relatively thin neck... randy rhoads used to do this technique too... i dont think theres an issue... obviously dont go too far though haha


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## Tomo009 (Jul 9, 2011)

As long as you aren't using a locking nut couldn't you effectively do the same by bending the string before the nut? That's what I've done a couple of times anyway.


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## Rook (Jul 9, 2011)

I've never seen it do any damage to a guitar. Like Max said, Billy Sheehan's always done it, and if a neck's going to warp, the odd bend in various directions isn't going to change that, the way a neck warps or humps is built into the physical structure of the wood, and wether or not it does warp depends on dryness and expansion/contraction and not really bending. You're probably not bending it forward any more than if I were to set your guitar up for slide or something. In fact you probably aren't bending it even that much lol.


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## ShadyDavey (Jul 9, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Ask Billy Sheehan.



Michael Schenker could act as a second opinion


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## ShadyDavey (Jul 9, 2011)

Fun111 said:


> I've never seen it do any damage to a guitar. Like Max said, Billy Sheehan's always done it, and if a neck's going to warp, the odd bend in various directions isn't going to change that, the way a neck warps or humps is built into the physical structure of the wood, and wether or not it does warp depends on dryness and expansion/contraction and not really bending. You're probably not bending it forward any more than if I were to set your guitar up for slide or something. In fact you probably aren't bending it even that much lol.



I've seen Schenker (amongst others) snap their guitar necks but I have to suggest that such an accident is avoidable if you're moderate in your bending and take care of your instruments as pointed out


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## Varcolac (Jul 9, 2011)

Tomo009 said:


> As long as you aren't using a locking nut couldn't you effectively do the same by bending the string before the nut? That's what I've done a couple of times anyway.



Bending it before the nut only increases pitch. Pushing the neck forward decreases it. Whammy up, whammy down.

I've done this on my basses for years (one neck-through, one bolt-on). I've had both basses for over seven years, and they've never had any problems with the necks. Hit a harmonic, brace right hand on body, push neck forwards with left hand, instant downwards bend. Vary left-hand pressure for vibrato. Don't do it with my guitars; they've got double-locking trems so if I want to bend an open note or harmonic I've got a whammy bar. I shouldn't think it damages your instrument in any significant way.


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## Rook (Jul 9, 2011)

ShadyDavey said:


> I've seen Schenker (amongst others) snap their guitar necks but I have to suggest that such an accident is avoidable if you're moderate in your bending and take care of your instruments as pointed out



Yeah I didn't mention, I have seen a strat where the neck had stripped out of the pocket by being pushed on, but it was quite old and the screw holes were wearing out anyway. Even so, it does happen


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## ra1der2 (Jul 9, 2011)




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## celticelk (Jul 9, 2011)

Bill Frisell and Jim Campilongo both do this all the time - in Campilongo's case, with his prized '59 top-loader Telecaster. Neither of them seem to be suffering any ill effects from it.


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## Joelan (Jul 9, 2011)

I do it to my Squier and cheap acoustics all the time, nothing bad has happened...


...yet.

If you have a solidly made guitar I seriously doubt it will do any damage.

Related:


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## TheBotquax (Jul 9, 2011)

lol yeah, I have a "baseball neck" schecter so I doubt it's gonna snap on me


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## Wolfv11 (Jul 9, 2011)

We all know that Sheehan, Schenker, etc only own a single instrument that is never looked at by professional techs and never get instruments for free by their endorsers....


If you want the pitch to rise, just push down on the strings behind the nut.

Or get a pitch shifter or an axe with a whammy.

I've bent the neck on my guitars a few times...no serious damage has ever occurred, but that doesn't mean it isn't impossible.

How far are you bending the neck?


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## Sephael (Jul 9, 2011)

Bolt on necks are replaceable, but think about the replacement cost if something does go bad and you are using a neck through


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## DakoRob (Jul 10, 2011)

Joelan said:


> I do it to my Squier and cheap acoustics all the time, nothing bad has happened...
> 
> 
> ...yet.
> ...




Don't steel strings vibrate much differently than nickle-wounds? Jw, b/c in the video he is playing steels it seems.


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## squid-boy (Jul 10, 2011)

I'm fairly certain that is the reason why Petrucci REQUIRES a tremolo bar.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 10, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Ask Billy Sheehan.





ShadyDavey said:


> I've seen Schenker (amongst others) snap their guitar necks but I have to suggest that such an accident is avoidable if you're moderate in your bending and take care of your instruments as pointed out



Keep in mind that Sheehan uses a bolt on neck, while Schenker uses a set neck. Funny because the intention Leo Fender had for having bolt on necks was to replace them when they break. Turns out they're strong enough to almost never break. 

Also add Jake E Lee to the list. Especially considering how he considers whammy bars a cop-out, he'd do his fair share of severe neck bending, along with detuning the tuning pegs too.


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## datalore (Jul 10, 2011)

A subtle shaking of a note or chord is fine, but bending the neck enough to significantly alter the pitch of a note will quickly ruin a neck. With a maple bolt-on neck, you probably won't snap the neck, but you can force the truss rod against the neck and fingerboard, leading to distortions in the shape of the neck and fingerboard.


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## broj15 (Sep 3, 2011)

isaac brock ofmodest mouse does it on his prs pretty often. only he bends it in a way to increase the pitch (listen to the harmonics on dramamine off there first full length)


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## BucketheadRules (Sep 3, 2011)

Slash told the story that once he did it on a Les Paul... and the neck snapped in half and hit him in the mouth. This is why I never do it.


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## orakle (Sep 3, 2011)

hahaha I used to do that on a Yamaha Pacifica back in high school, never the neck suffered any permanent damage


and i must say, i wasnt too light handed


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