Set neck angle question

[Xeromus]

I just recieved my ESP back, les paul style guitar. I've gone through a few of the same model. This one I noticed when setting it up it has a low neck angle. When setting up, I have to screw the bridge and tailpiece pretty much all the way down whereas on the others I've owned they were significanly higher to get the same action. Is this normal or out or spec? The action is low enough as it is, but on the treble side the bridge is screwed all the way down to the body and there's no more adjustment room.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Set neck angle question

It sounds like maybe they didn't route a proper angle in the neck pocket to match the TOM bridge. I hate to say it, but this is something that would cause me to send the guitar back. If you ever move to a heavier string gauge, you won't be able to lower the action anymore. On my Hamer, the action is nice and low with plenty of room for further adjustment. That's how a TOM should be in my opinion.

Make sure you have the truss rod properly adjusted...if that's off, it can cause you to have to lower the bridge more than usual to get the action low enough in the upper registers.

Ryan

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Set neck angle question

If you ever move to a heavier string gauge, you won't be able to lower the action anymore.

Wouldn't you want to raise the action with heavier strings?

 

[FretFire]

Re: Set neck angle question

Wouldn't you want to raise the action with heavier strings?

Heavier strings won't oscillate as much, because of increased tension, so you could actually drop it some.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Set neck angle question

Yeah that's what bothers me the most, it's set up okay right now but there's no room for adjustment down the road if I want to. Every single EC-1000 I've gotten has had some weird problem. It's such a pisser too because they put good quality switches, electronics, hardware and everything in the guitars just to have some minor thing wrong with it that affects everything else. I think I'm done with them. I hope I'm not overly picky because this is definately something someone else wouldn't pick up on probably ever unless they were familiar with setting up and construction of a guitar like I am.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Set neck angle question

Heavier strings won't oscillate as much, because of increased tension, so you could actually drop it some.

What he said...11's can be set lower than 10's or 9's for this reason.

Ryan

 

[Docrock]

Re: Set neck angle question

Dude...you really need to consider "hands on buying".....

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Set neck angle question

Dude...you really need to consider "hands on buying".....

Most of the stuff I buy isn't available nearby. This guitar in particular is pretty much sold out around the country so my options were limited. But yes, I tend to agree with you. I think that's what I'm going to do from now on.

 

[Hellion]

Re: Set neck angle question

Heavier strings won't oscillate as much, because of increased tension, so you could actually drop it some.

Boy, not to argue with you, but everytime I switch to a heavier guage of string, seems like I have to raise the action at least a little bit. There's more mass on a heavy string. I'm not talking about the unwound ones, those are pretty much the same, but if you go from a .046 to a .052, you're talking about some serious vibration increases.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Set neck angle question

flatwounds tend to oscillate alot less though

 

[FretFire]

Re: Set neck angle question

Boy, not to argue with you, but everytime I switch to a heavier guage of string, seems like I have to raise the action at least a little bit. There's more mass on a heavy string. I'm not talking about the unwound ones, those are pretty much the same, but if you go from a .046 to a .052, you're talking about some serious vibration increases.

Well, if your action is already pretty low then you might need to raise it to account for the larger diameter, but the fact still remains that a larger string (when tuned to the same pitch) will have more tension on it, and will therefore have a more narrow oscillation. In other words, you should be able to drop the action lower without fret buzz.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Set neck angle question

....Every single EC-1000 I've gotten has had some weird problem. ......

Without wanting to rehash one of my speeches, that´s a plug for Gibson if I ever heard one

But on a more serious note: Check the trussrod....if the neck is properly relieved and the TOM is "floored", then it´s possible that the neck pocket is off....a neck reset or a new guitar will solve the problem

And on a side note: String guage /Action relations is one of theose things where theory and practice don´t match up....in theory Fretfire is right, the string should oscillate less...and it does.....but interestingly enough, the increased mass (or more, the larger diameter) usually outweighs this, causing the action to be raised a bit

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Set neck angle question

Without wanting to rehash one of my speeches, that´s a plug for Gibson if I ever heard one

But on a more serious note: Check the trussrod....if the neck is properly relieved and the TOM is "floored", then it´s possible that the neck pocket is off....a neck reset or a new guitar will solve the problem

And on a side note: String guage /Action relations is one of theose things where theory and practice don´t match up....in theory Fretfire is right, the string should oscillate less...and it does.....but interestingly enough, the increased mass (or more, the larger diameter) usually outweighs this, causing the action to be raised a bit

Yeah it's been set up professionally. I even looked over it myself. The neck is adjusted properly with a small amount of relief. Sometimes I have the truss overtightened a little so it plays super fast at the expense of a little fret rattle. There would have to be a good degree of upbow to be able to raise the bridge to about where it would normally be. I posted another thread in the off topic room. I'm done with these. I'm just going to sell it off. I'm going to pick up a mexican strat today to hold me off until my Carvin arrives and I'll use the money to do my custom strat project. I've been using a gibson les paul for the past two weeks and a buddy of mine brought a les paul classic into the studio last night that I was really impressed with.

 

[Davey]

Re: Set neck angle question

It's such a pisser too because they put good quality switches, electronics, hardware and everything in the guitars just to have some minor thing wrong with it that affects everything else.

that's why i much rather go with a manufacturer that puts lower quality hardware on a guitar and sees out that the build quality of the guitar is higher.

you can always replace electronics and hardware, you cannot alter the feel of the guitar without some serious modification

 

[bryvincent]

Re: Set neck angle question

................................................................... I've been using a gibson les paul for the past two weeks and a buddy of mine brought a les paul classic into the studio last night that I was really impressed with.

:smack: i remember you saying ESP and LTD EC-whatever wil kill any Gibson Les Paul. and ESPs run circles around Gibsons. :question:

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Set neck angle question

:smack: i remember you saying ESP and LTD EC-whatever wil kill any Gibson Les Paul. and ESPs run circles around Gibsons. :question:

It does. I like it a lot better than most gibsons. Right now I think both companies have serious issues with their quality control. But they are still very different guitars. I don't think I can directly compare them like I did a while ago. They feel and sound completely different. Any comparison then I think would be innaccurate, including mine, upon further experience with both.