NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

metalspider

metalspider

New member
got an evh black and yellow plays very well and after a setup it now also stays in tune,lots of loose bolts and the bridge was tilted to the bass side.
however since i had to adjust the spring tension for 10s i got to see the trem springs cavity and i am quite shocked at how bad it left the factory and passed through the online retailer i baught it from.
doesnt seem to have been sanded well and there are loose wood fibers everywhere inside.

the bridge is also tilted backwards a lot but still works well,theres a gap of about 4-5 millimeters on the posts side but string action is very low.
i am considering either shimming the neck to change the angle or blocking the floyd so it will be parallel to the body.

for the price the the guitars exterior looks great sounds great and plays very well it's just these "minor" issues that im still debating what to do about.
feels a little like a toy but what can i expect,maybe its just a matter of time to break it in.




IMG_20180315_215438.jpg

IMG_20180315_215451.jpg

IMG_20180315_215557.jpg

IMG_20180315_220002.jpg

IMG_20180315_214711.jpg

IMG_20180314_172311__01.jpg

IMG_20180314_223148__01.jpg
 
Last edited:
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

is it a counterfeit?

if it plays well only you will know
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

i bought it from a very well known online retailer in Europe so i really doubt it would be a counterfeit.
i've sent them an email about this and will see what they have to say.

from posts i can find,newer evh guitars seem to have the issue with the bridge angle/post height which is a shame,however the state of the spring cavity which appears to have only gone through the initial routing but has'nt been sanded or painted was a real shocker.
i've owned many guitars in the past both cheap and high end and never saw something like this before.
maybe it wont effect the guitar in the years to come or maybe it will,i never read about this kind of issue before.so im trying to ask and see what anyone has to say about it.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

I have several cheap guitars but never seen a guitar with a cavity that crude, let alone from a respected brand like EVH. They didn't bother to fn' paint that thing? WTF?!

Can you not just adjust the Floyd Rose to straigthen it out?
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

Looks like a beautiful guitar other than that cavity. I hope it plays well for you after the setup.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

the bridge angle i have shown here is after i did a setup.the string action is very low right now with even a little fret buzz on the high frets but not to much to choke the strings.
in order to straighten the floyd and keep it in dive only mode so that the d-tuna will still work i will need to either block the floyd or shim the neck pocket.

that is a real shame but at least i know what to do about that certain issue.
what i dont know and therefore am asking is will a trem cavity in such a raw state cause issues in the long term? since the wood in that area is not painted or oiled.so it is not sealed and will absorb humidity over time.

besides these 2 issues i am happy with the guitar and think it plays well and sounds great,was surprised how high the output is from the evh pickup.

the neck is a tad thinner then i am used to but not too thin.it also has a very light satin finish. i thought it was supposed to be lightly oiled but that is more a matter of personal preference.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

Does the known european store start with thom and ends in ann with a .de? then think again before you touch any tool. They won't accept the return.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

i am still waiting for a reply from the retailer to the message i sent them last night so i dont think i should say where i got the guitar from yet.

besides the setup i did check the very rough painted area behind the bridge inside the cavity with a flat head screw driver very lightly to see how loose those fibers are.
i talked to a friend that said he would even sand and lacquer the trem cavity for me for free.but i would really like to see what answer i get from the retailer first.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

Don't do any setup, ideally don't touch the instrument. Welcome to .....".de"
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

I have to say, that does look pretty crude...
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

There's no neck pickup
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

i have found 3 threads on "strat-talk" forum about bare wood Mexican tremolo cavities,some people there are saying this has started from 2015.
however i have yet to see pictures in those threads where the wood is as crude as mine,they look pretty well sanded at least even though there's no sealant or paint.
guess this is legit FMIC cost cutting crap.
 
Last edited:
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

The cavity of my Mexican Strat Plus (2013) is unfinished but cleanly routed and sanded to smooth. If you like everything else about it can you just sand the cavity and paint it?

I'd demand a refund by the way, if possible.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

like i wrote before the guitar does actually play very well sounds good and stays in tune now that i set it up.
my friend who is an amateur luthier has offered to sand and paint the cavity for free.
the bridge angle i'll ask him about that too but if i need to shim or block the trem that is a shame but found posts about that issue even here on these forums theorizing its now like this because the template for the pickup cavity is too shallow.

given the amount of money i paid for shipping and import taxes and will probably pay for shipping the guitar back im not so sure it would be worth returning,
currently i am hoping to get some compensation for these issues from the retailer and to get them fixed locally.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

You have the trem tilted back so the D-Tuna works? Are you concerned with shimming in order to raise the action (as you say it's already very low?) If that's the case, do you not want to raise the posts only so the bridge doesn't tilt back further? Are you concerned that you can't get the pickup lower (hence the comment on the pickup route being too "shallow?" It looks like you have a bit of room to work with if you did want to lower the action, and if you want to raise it seems like you would want a shallower route anyway. Just making sure I understand your goals.

As for the cavity, I guess I wouldn't be too bothered myself but I can see that it's different from a lot of guitars out there; if I had to choose between rough/splintered wood and caked/splattered paint (the usual case) I'd take the bare wood myself.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

the bridge is supposed to be completely in contact with the body and dive only.
evh claims it adds low end to the tone etc.if i set the bridge fully floating the d-tuna wont work and for now i like playing around with it and trying it out.
the current angle of the bridge is already too extreme while keeping this dive only setup and i cant lower the posts anymore since the string action is already as low as it can be.

as for the comment i made about the shallow pickup route that is a theory i read in a few posts i found.right now i have angled the pickup as well to be parallel with the strings but there is still some play there though i wont know for sure until i fix the angle of the neck in the neck pocket.
however i am worried that will change the tone too much and therefor think i'm probably better off just blocking the floyd and keeping it slightly in the air,but i'll probably try adjusting the neck pocket angle with some wood shims at some point just to see how that goes.

i have not received any reply from the store yet but they wont be back at work until monday.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

i guess an update is in order...
so first they ask for the serial number of the guitar and then i get this response:

" The manufacturer confirmed us that the instrument looks like it should look.
The spring cover is not lacquered for example, that normal.

Please let us know if you would like to keep the instrument or if you prefer to send it back to us for a refund."

i asked again about the post height today...

decided to try shimming the neck with some sandpaper seems to have helped quit a bit however now it does seem the treble side of the pickup cavity is indeed a bit too shallow,getting a little bit of warble because of the magnetic pull on the high e.

and yes its thomann,they seem pretty useless so far,but i think i can fix this myself and would be a shame to have to send the guitar back.(also the cost of shipping etc is a lot).
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

No self respecting company sees a customer complaint and says "Yeah, it's supposed to be ****ty."

That's just awful.
 
Re: NGD EVH stripe series but with some issues

mine isnt like that inside, lot of them had the bridge tilted back:( I lowered it by 2 whole turns and it sits on the body better
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top