Black stripe broken into the neck

Hello. During intense playing on my Fender Precision, the black stripe on the back of the neck has broken into the neck itself (see picture). It does not effect the sound, but it is quite irritating to play like this. Did you guys had a problem like this in the past, how did you solve it, or do I need to take my bass to the music shop for repairs? Thanks alot for any help or advice on this problem.

Žan

That’s an inlaid wooden strip that covers the truss rod.

I’d bring it to a luthier to have it reset and reglued.

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yeah I agree, it’s a structural issue and it’s worth showing this neck to a luthier

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FYI, this black stripe (they come in brown as well) is called a skunk stripe. Based on a quick Google search, it seems that this is not an uncommon issue. Either it protrudes from the neck, which can sometimes be rectified by some careful sanding, or it retracts into the neck, like in your case. Online, people are talking about using super glue and varnish to fill the cavity. Personally, I’d take it to a luthier to have it fixed professionally (if the bass is worth it).

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How dry is where you live? You can glue it with wood glue and clamp it for at least 24 hours. That’s what the luthiers would do after a quick inspection anyways. If it doesn’t work then take it in. Anything to do with working on a neck starts at $250 in my neck of the wood, pun intended so if that’s a Mexican Fender it’s cheaper to just buy a neck replacement or another used bass, :joy:

Skunk stripe is such an afterthought I don’t think DIY would be a problem. I wouldn’t make any neck relief on that bass for at least a few weeks after you glue it back together, but that’s just me.

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