Neck problem... any specialist around?

[Sly_D]

Hi,

The neck of my Ibanez scares me a little... I don't know if this is the result of last summer's humidity, followed by the beginning of the heating season up here up in the North (the wood expanded and then shrunk), but the higher E tends to fall off the neck, especially when I try some pull off licks (e.g. the classic 8-5-0 pull off) and it makes an ugly metallic sound when I pull off the string and it falls off.

Is this something that can be corrected with a simple neck adjustment, or is it a nut problem or can it be a major flaw of the guitar?

I read somewhere that neck with badly done binding can have this default. I really hope this can be corrected because I really like this guitar overall.

Just curious to know what it can be before sending it to a guitar tech.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Neck problem... any specialist around?

If I understand you correctly, your high E string is too close to the edge of the fretboard, and pulls off easily. I had this problem with my Highway 1 strat, and a simple neck shim took care of it. I used the thin end of a wooden window shim, you can buy them at any hardware store. Loosened the neck screws, applied a little pressure to shift the neck, put the shim in to hold and tightened the screws....problem solved.

You could also help with a new nut, but look at shifting the neck first.

 

[MattPete]

Re: Neck problem... any specialist around?

Try using some lemon oil (pure lemon oil) on the fretboard first. That might expand it enough, and it's cheap.

 

[Sly_D]

Re: Neck problem... any specialist around?

This is a set neck Jeff_H, but thanks anyway for taking the time to explain.

I have lemon oil, I'll give it a shot before doing anything more expensive. Maybe the neck shrunk too much.... my guitar is in one of the hottest room of the house, this may be the problem.

Thanks guys!