Do I really need string trees?

[Rex_Rocker]

nor in a Jackson indeed...

The Jackson headstock is kinda problematic, though.

I mean, it looks dangeous and Metal. But the break angle on the first couple of strings is pretty bad. It's particularly bad on the low string if it's a reversed headstock.

Most Jacksons have Floyds and locking nuts, so it doesn't matter that much, but for us who like the pointy headstock but not the weedly weedly bar, it's more of a problem.

Unless you use a well cut Graphtech nut, Nut Sauce, the right string gauge, and good tuners, that is. Honestly, I've never had a tuning stability problem that good tuners (and maybe a little Nut Sauce) couldn't fix. I'd say my Gibson is as stable if not more stable than my Strat, even, for example.

I think it's common forum "knowledge" that the nut is the most common cause of tuning problems. I've dropped Graphtech nuts on guitars with crappy tuners in the past, filed the nut slots well, and it did absolutely nothing to help the issue.

 

[marcello252]

the problem in the jackson is similar to the one on gibson but not the same: in the gibson the headstock is made with the same piece of wood of the neck, in the jackson (and most of ibanez and 80s Yamaha) is a scarf neck, a two piece combo glued together. I perfectly remember my friend (early 90s) breaking his ibanez headstock during a song, with no particular reason, the woods just unglued

 

[Rex_Rocker]

the problem in the jackson is similar to the one on gibson but not the same: in the gibson the headstock is made with the same piece of wood of the neck, in the jackson (and most of ibanez and 80s Yamaha) is a scarf neck, a two piece combo glued together. I perfectly remember my friend (early 90s) breaking his ibanez headstock during a song, with no particular reason, the woods just unglued

Was that a fancy Ibanez or an entry level one? The first few runs of Korean RG's were really crummy, I think.

Because scarf joints are SUPER resistant. I remember reading that glued wood is actually stronger than just plain wood. And scarf jointed necks are more resistant than one-piece necks. That story sounds more like the quality of the glue wasn't amazing.

Ibanez has moved away from scarf joints for like 25 years. At least the Japanese stuff. Most of the stuff is multi-piece laminate nowadays with volutes to add to the strenght. Some have got carbon fiber or titanium reinforcements even.

I used to have a '98 RG570 with the Super Wizard neck which had a scarf joint. It was stupid thin. Probably the thinnest neck I've tried. It was as rock solid as anything I've tried, personally. It did have the common superficial cracks from the locking nut on the back from being so thin at the nut, though. But I mean, the guitar is 26 years now being heavily gigged, and it's still going strong (I sold it to a friend who still gigs it).

 

[marcello252]

Was that a fancy Ibanez or an entry level one? The first few runs of Korean RG's were really crummy, I think.

I don't really know , too much far in the past, I think I played with these guys in 90/91, and I was blamed since I was using a common Fender strat (but I put a JB on bridge, digging a big hole with a chisel e screwing the pickup to the body, very evh inspired)

 

[marcello252]

btw, now it's 'normal' looking but I opened it not so long ago and took a picture of the swimming pool I dug 30+ years ago

 

[GuitarDoc]

OMG!

I'd get my money back from the beaver you hired to chew out that hole.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Because scarf joints are SUPER resistant. I remember reading that glued wood is actually stronger than just plain wood. And scarf jointed necks are more resistant than one-piece necks. That story sounds more like the quality of the glue wasn't amazing.

That is absolutely correct. There have been MANY tests done which show that a glued joint is much stronger than the wood. If a joint is glued properly (and with the correct glue for the job), the wood will always fail before the glue.

I have personally done many tests which also confirm these results.

 

[marcello252]

Since you made me think about it and I have a spare cheap tele neck around, I started mumbling on what could I do to improve the thing...
The prs headstock is IMHO the one technically better suited, followed by the music man, even I don't like it so much. I found out I have not enough wood for the prs style , a bit more for the MM type, so I was thinking to move the B and E on the other side cutting the extra wood, I took some measurements:


what do you think about it ?

 

[ehdwuld]

oh yeah
I was gonna do that to one of mine to improve the angle
and remove the string tree

excellent
please post progress report and any lessons learned
as I want to do this as well