No guarantee you will like either of those necks as much. A week isn't a ton of time for a guitar to settle into a different set of strings and a totally new climate. If you like it as much as you do, just play it for a while and keep adjusting it if you need to. No harm in being patient.
Is my truss rod not functioning correctly?
- Thread starter Rex_Rocker
- Start date
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
TBH, the thing that I like about this neck is the worn finish. The profile is good, but it's not unique to that guitar. It's just the Modern C. The frets are better than the Gibson (slightly larger), but that's not saying much. The frets on the Gibson are tiny.
If the neck is thinner, with a flatter fretboard, and bigger frets, I'm 100% sure I'll like it better even if the finish doesn't feel as nice. ESPECIALLY if it's stable and doesn't take days to "settle in".
However... the big part is I'm sure the neck is a huge percentage of why the guitar sounds like it does. Sooooo... if I change the neck, it's going to change. It can improve, but it can also make it worse. So it's that risk I'm worried about.
For me, a week is already pushing it, TBH. Or at least, it has been enough for my Gibson and my Epi and even my cheapie Squier. It's not like the weather changed. I trade it with a guy from the same city who also has heat at home. I don't know if his house is humidified, sure, but my house isn't, and my Gibson has had no trouble even during the change of season. Temeprature is particularly low? Sure, I need to loosen the truss rod a bit. But then, it stays like that for days if not weeks, not just hours. I mean, the Gibson's neck was also "used" to 10's as well when I bought it new, and I don't remember it taking DAYS to settle in.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
HOWEVER!!!
Please, don't misinterpret it like I'm disregarding your advice. I wouldn't have posted the thread if that was the case. I'm just not seeing any progress at all in the 3 days that I've noticed the issue and that's what's making me freak out.
I come from Mexico, where the weather is way more temperate than here. Doesn't get as hot in the summer, doesn't get nearly as cold during the winter. I have only been here for two years.
However, I have owned several guitars here, and none of them have had this issue. (Used) LTD H-400, (new) Epiphone Les Paul Custom, (new) Squier Classic Vibe Esquire, (new) Epiphone Les Paul 1959, (new) Gibson Les Paul Tribute, and now this used Fender. This is the first time it has happened to me.
I'm just desperately trying to read someone saying "calm down, dude, it will be alright", LOL.
Please, don't misinterpret it like I'm disregarding your advice. I wouldn't have posted the thread if that was the case. I'm just not seeing any progress at all in the 3 days that I've noticed the issue and that's what's making me freak out.
I come from Mexico, where the weather is way more temperate than here. Doesn't get as hot in the summer, doesn't get nearly as cold during the winter. I have only been here for two years.
However, I have owned several guitars here, and none of them have had this issue. (Used) LTD H-400, (new) Epiphone Les Paul Custom, (new) Squier Classic Vibe Esquire, (new) Epiphone Les Paul 1959, (new) Gibson Les Paul Tribute, and now this used Fender. This is the first time it has happened to me.
I'm just desperately trying to read someone saying "calm down, dude, it will be alright", LOL.
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I think it'll be alright. I've had guitars take way longer than that to stabilize. My Schecter E1 moved a lot during the fall and spring the first two years I had it. It took all of my guitars more than a week to settle back down after being in my stupid basement with 75%+ humidity for a little while before I got a dehumidifier. The necks all bowed back quite a bit during that time. Maybe the inside of your place is drier than the other guy's. You can always buy another neck if it turns out this one is a banana.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
I have a guitar (Cort snakeskin superstrat) that took 3-4 days to settle after a truss rod adjustment or string change/fretboard polishing.
At first I used to go nuts adjusting and readjusting the truss/action every time things got a little out of whack....but after a while I realised that it settled itself and was as stable as any of my other axes in a few days if I left it alone....just took a while longer to settle down.
When things did finally settle I always changed strings one by one so that I kept the tension on the neck intact. Never had problem with it it since. It's as stable as any of my guitar's.
At first I used to go nuts adjusting and readjusting the truss/action every time things got a little out of whack....but after a while I realised that it settled itself and was as stable as any of my other axes in a few days if I left it alone....just took a while longer to settle down.
When things did finally settle I always changed strings one by one so that I kept the tension on the neck intact. Never had problem with it it since. It's as stable as any of my guitar's.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
OK... honestly, I'm giving it until Thursday. If it doesn't settle by then, it's not something I want to be conflicted about. I don't want to have the guitar just sitting there, or playing and constantly worring about it going out of whack. I want to enjoy the guitar now. So I'm ordering the new neck if it hasn't settled by then. Baked maple to minimize the risk of having the same problem. I already posted some things for sale locally to finance it.
I'll keep you guys updated.
I'll keep you guys updated.
The best sounding used ones always have problems. People don't let go of the good sounding ones without problems. Kinda like women.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yeah, more than likely.
I spoke to the guy who traded it to me again. He agreed on buying the neck off me if I buy a new neck. Looks to me like he's decent and not trying to scam me?
My wife recommended I give it until Sunday. So we'll see.
In the meantime, I added 5 springs to the trem and screwd the claw almost all the way back. Also crammed some foam in there. No more acoustic reverb, LOL.
I spoke to the guy who traded it to me again. He agreed on buying the neck off me if I buy a new neck. Looks to me like he's decent and not trying to scam me?
My wife recommended I give it until Sunday. So we'll see.
In the meantime, I added 5 springs to the trem and screwd the claw almost all the way back. Also crammed some foam in there. No more acoustic reverb, LOL.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Also... the guy took a pic of the neck off. This looks rift sawn rather than quarter sawn, right?
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Reporting back. Starting to lose faith.
I came back from the gym. Hadn't touched the guitar since the morning. Neck's still doing it. Gibson is rock solid. Fender is still showing relief after I left it flat hours ago. It's not massive, but the Gibson is not doing it. So I gave the rod another notch or two. Keep in mind, these are notches. Not even 1/8th turn.
HOWEVER... turning the truss rod is starting to get stiff. Not a lot. It's not like I'm fighting it. I know I shouldn't force it if it was like that. But it is indeed stiffer than it was this whole weekend.
Oh, well. At least, I've got a plan of action. I can't help but feel bummed, tho. The neck's finish is killer. Shame it will be wasted.
I came back from the gym. Hadn't touched the guitar since the morning. Neck's still doing it. Gibson is rock solid. Fender is still showing relief after I left it flat hours ago. It's not massive, but the Gibson is not doing it. So I gave the rod another notch or two. Keep in mind, these are notches. Not even 1/8th turn.
HOWEVER... turning the truss rod is starting to get stiff. Not a lot. It's not like I'm fighting it. I know I shouldn't force it if it was like that. But it is indeed stiffer than it was this whole weekend.
Oh, well. At least, I've got a plan of action. I can't help but feel bummed, tho. The neck's finish is killer. Shame it will be wasted.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Aaaaalright, seeing light at the end of the tunnel!
Finally got to spend some real time playing it... the strings feel stiffer than my Esquire for some reason, and WAAAAAY stiffer than my Gibson. Sooooo... I might actually be able to go down a gauge to 11's to see if that helps.
Fingers crossed it does! I'm grabbing some strings on Thursday. Way less expensive than a neck, right?
Also, fuck 250K pots, middle pickups, and the volume placement on Strats. I'm so rewiring it this weekend., LOL.
*EDIT* Alright, overnight experiment. Tuned the guitar to Drop B. Loosened up the truss rod a tad. Gonna let it sit. Tension should be similar to 11-54 in Drop C, right? If it handles it, then I'm using 11-54 from now on in this guitar. Fingers crossed!
Finally got to spend some real time playing it... the strings feel stiffer than my Esquire for some reason, and WAAAAAY stiffer than my Gibson. Sooooo... I might actually be able to go down a gauge to 11's to see if that helps.
Fingers crossed it does! I'm grabbing some strings on Thursday. Way less expensive than a neck, right?
Also, fuck 250K pots, middle pickups, and the volume placement on Strats. I'm so rewiring it this weekend., LOL.
*EDIT* Alright, overnight experiment. Tuned the guitar to Drop B. Loosened up the truss rod a tad. Gonna let it sit. Tension should be similar to 11-54 in Drop C, right? If it handles it, then I'm using 11-54 from now on in this guitar. Fingers crossed!
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
It's still doing it.
It's obviously doing it less since the strings are pulling less.
But it's still doing it.
It's obviously doing it less since the strings are pulling less.
But it's still doing it.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Because it was backbowed, so unplayable.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I've decided. I'm getting a new neck as soon as the stuff I posed for sale sells. I honestly think it's fucking ridiculous to have to wait for a guitar just to work when none of my others guitars have had that problem ever. Not my 400-dollar Esquire or my Ibanez with the 17mm neck. Plus it doesn't really look like it's getting better. At least not at the rate I'd want it to just to be able to play the guitar. I was playing it yesterday, and just from the hour or so that I played it, the relief was thrown out of whack. It's ridiculous.
I understand it happens sometimes, but at the same time, I'm sure there are plenty of necks that don't that too, so why settle?
Then... what neck should I get? Fender baked maple would be the obvious choice... but is there anything else? Maybe Warmoth? Mighty Mite? Musikraft?
I understand it happens sometimes, but at the same time, I'm sure there are plenty of necks that don't that too, so why settle?
Then... what neck should I get? Fender baked maple would be the obvious choice... but is there anything else? Maybe Warmoth? Mighty Mite? Musikraft?
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I don't want to sell it, because I don't want to pass a potentially bad neck to another person. If I disclose it, I'm going to lose a bunch of money. If I don't, I'm being dishonest.
I do feel attached to the body because the guitar itself sounds nice acoustically. I posted it in my other thread about my first impressions. I'm sure that has at least 60% to do with the body and hardware which I get to keep.
It's not the whole guitar I'm pissed off at. It's just that stupid neck, LOL. If it were a Gibson, yeah, I'd be stuck. But luckily, it's a Fender with an easily replaceable (albeit a bit expensive) neck.
I do feel attached to the body because the guitar itself sounds nice acoustically. I posted it in my other thread about my first impressions. I'm sure that has at least 60% to do with the body and hardware which I get to keep.
It's not the whole guitar I'm pissed off at. It's just that stupid neck, LOL. If it were a Gibson, yeah, I'd be stuck. But luckily, it's a Fender with an easily replaceable (albeit a bit expensive) neck.
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gimmieinfo
New member
I bought a strat about 6-8 months ago, a 2002 MIM classic 70s with rosewood neck. Same issue, tho mine would get straing at the very end of the rods travel to where i could not tighten it any more. Next day there would be relief, maybe .012 I like a lot less than that, darn near straight. Maybe .02. Anyways, it would not stay day after day it always did the same thing. Tried shims to no avail. I finally got it to give me a tiny bit of extra straigtness by using a clamping system to clamp the neck into a back bow. Then i wicked water thin super glue under the frets and let it stay in the clamp over nite. The glue fills the micro gaps and worked similarly to using frets with a larger tang to induce more back bow. It barely got e any more adjustment but enough to do the trick. When i first got it it wasn't as tightly forced into the end of the rods travel but over a short time of having to tighten it more every day it eventually arrived at the end and the neck was still in too much relief.
The problem that happens with neck like these is that when a neck is mad it's got to be consrtructed to that when the necks relief is in the middle of the range of most to least relief that is typically used, the rod is then in the middle of it's range. But because you can't control what wood is going to do in time some necks end u moving too far in one or the other direction causing the rod to be at one or the other end of it;s travel while the relief isn't were it should be. For example, a neck where you looseen the rod and when its completely loose the neck is dead straight or even backbowed. Or the opposite like mine where you tighten the rod as far as it'll go ad theres still what would be considered average relief so that you cannot use minimal relief like many people like myself prefer. The foxes are either to refret it with frats that have a wider or narrower tang, or to have it refretted and have the fretboard leveled with the neck set where it should be when it's level. In other words, if there too much backbow, set it with some back bow either with the rod or camped if necassary then level it like that.
The problem that happens with neck like these is that when a neck is mad it's got to be consrtructed to that when the necks relief is in the middle of the range of most to least relief that is typically used, the rod is then in the middle of it's range. But because you can't control what wood is going to do in time some necks end u moving too far in one or the other direction causing the rod to be at one or the other end of it;s travel while the relief isn't were it should be. For example, a neck where you looseen the rod and when its completely loose the neck is dead straight or even backbowed. Or the opposite like mine where you tighten the rod as far as it'll go ad theres still what would be considered average relief so that you cannot use minimal relief like many people like myself prefer. The foxes are either to refret it with frats that have a wider or narrower tang, or to have it refretted and have the fretboard leveled with the neck set where it should be when it's level. In other words, if there too much backbow, set it with some back bow either with the rod or camped if necassary then level it like that.
