A while ago, I had written that my Dlx. Active J-5 had way too much relief in the neck. I am happy to report that I was able to straighten the neck and reset the relief to where I want it. This month's issue of Bass Player had an aritcle that showed how one shop took care of the relief on a customers Fender Jazz V. It involved completely loosening the truss rod and using a carpenter's level and a clamp. Once the rod is loosened you place a small block of wood at both ends of the neck and set the level on top of those wood blocks. Then using the clamp, gently put the neck into a slight back bow by clamping down on from the top of the level and GENTLY force the neck towards the bottom edge of the level. Use a small piece of wood and some cloth on the side of the clamp that is in contact with the neck. Retighten the truss rod and retune the bass. You can then loosen the rod to adjust the relief to your liking and/or to control any string buzz.
