Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

[evh_slash]

So I have a really cool mid-priced Indonesian Ibanez RG fluoro Pink 25th anniversary edition RG with custom pickguard, Custom Dimarzio pickups, active electronics, push pull pots, upgraded trem sustain block etc.

In other words it sounds absolutely great and has been totally upgraded HOWEVER, these days the sustain kinda sucks and the neck has many dead spots / notes choke in the upper frets and I have had several fret dresses/pro setups which never address the situation. I think the neck is of a crappy quality and is too beaten up to fix now, no matter how high the action, the sustain will often choke out on the high frets. I feel like the ONLY way to fix this is to get a new replacement neck built and fitted.

My question is, IS IT WORTH PAYING £750 for a new upgraded custom neck for a £600 guitar ? Somebody told me once a cheap guitar, always a cheap guitar... HOWEVER nothing is stock anymore other than the neck, body, and tremolo/bridge so by upgrading the neck surely it should both sound AND play like a more expensive high-end guitar ??

I really like the colour and sound of the guitar and I don't want to give up on it just because of choked out notes/bends and poor upper fret sustain. Surely the quality of the stock body wood can't SUCK THAT MUCH that it would be a waste of an expensive fancy neck!

 

[Detroitblues]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

It depends how much you're spending a neck... I really love Warmoth necks. But I have to finish them myself to make financial sense. Allparts necks aren't bad and can save a few bucks there too.

I suggest buy a new neck, whatever you'd like. But do NOT sell the old neck. When the time comes that you are bored, broke, or otherwise have no need for the guitar anymore, put the original back on then sell it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

This is going to be an odd comparison, but I'd look at it like a pet owner does when it comes to expensive vet visits.

For most people that's too much to spend on a guitar at that price point. However, if it's "your" guitar, only you can decide how much is too much.

That being said, you could try to find another guitar of the same type, and if it plays and sounds great, move all the upgrades over to it and sell the old (now stock) guitar.

I think one negative of cheaper guitars is the inconsistency. I wanted a specific Squier Affinity guitar so I tried 3 of one model. One was horrible, one was Ok and one was good enough for my purpose.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

It will do little, if anything, to increase the value of the guitar. In spite of people insisting otherwise, most guitars eventually get sold when circumstances change. Keep the old neck just in case so you don't take a financial beating.

 

[Taz Rules]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

From a strictly financial point, its a bad idea. But the thing is, everything we use or have, we have to pay for. The question isn't whether or not it will cost you, but whether or not the cost is worth it to you. Only you can answer that, of course. But from what you said earlier about this guitar, I'd guess that it is. All the same, keep the old neck, and if the time does come to sell it, reinstall the original neck and either sell the new "good" neck separately or keep it for a future project.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

That seems like a lot to spend on a neck, but there are people that pay thousands for pickups, so...

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

A whole nuther guitar for that price

Move upgrades over

Dead spots and lack of sustain
Sounds like a neck joint thing to me
What shims do you have in there?
Take them all out
A good solid tight connection will cure thar

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

I agree it's worth trying to optimize the connection with the neck you have. Occasionally this can result in noticeable improvement. In case it doesn't help (or has been tried already), sometimes a better neck can make a world of difference. Even so, IMO a custom neck for £750 seems a bit over the top. Handmade by a famous luthier?
Still, for a guitar you love, only you can say what's too much.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

For that kind of cash you can get a good 2ND hand ibanez. Upgrading lesser gear is always a bad investment if one at all, resell value will be limited to what anyone else is willing to give for it. I' ve been there and found that over time a guitar players taste changes and gear is coming and going.
If you want something custom made to your wishes it is goin to cost you money. There is no way to justify it other than how much you really want it.
Or you could settle for finding a decent 2ND hand neck that will fit. Have you taken the guitar to a tech yet? Maybe a fret level and crown will be enough to make it playable again. Will cost you 200 ish instead of 750.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

IMO a custom neck for £750 seems a bit over the top.

I agree with that, 750£ is over the top. You can get a really nice 2nd hand Ibanez for that money! There's some good quality new guitars around for that price at well, I recently have seen a Jackson Soloist new for slightly less than 750£, it comes with Seymour Duncan pickups and an original Floyd Rose. I'd be looking for another guitar if I was you instead of spending 750£ on a new neck.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

I've built partscasters of all sorts, ordered custom necks, and put together all different types of things. That much money for a custom neck is insane. To my mind that's the equivalent of a gold-plated toilet.

There's no reason you can't get a custom neck for much less.

 

[akio]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

Seriously, a used Ibanez neck shouldn't be more than about $200.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

As others have said, you really have to decide if youre going to keep it, otherwise its probably not cost effective unless like said above, you put it back to stock and keep your good parts. Most times you never get out what you put into it, so keep that in mind as well.

Im biased toward 1983-95 guitars, so my honest opinion would be to sell it and buy an 87-93 RG550 and call it a day because aside from the usual pickup uggrade, as most of us do no matter what we get, youll have a super solid guitar that will retain its value. They can be had for $400-600 typically.

I have a Squier Standard Strat that I bought new in 2013 because it sounded good, so I knew it would take well to mods. Ive since scalloped the neck, trimmed the large 70's headstock down to the smaller shape, brass nut, fret level and polish, 80's Gotoh tuners, Switchcraft pots and jack, new wiring, several Warmoth pickguards and multiple passive pickups, then an EMG-81, then back to a HotRails/APS-1, and now Im going with LiveWire Hot Strats and a single volume. Its alot of fun for sure, but then again that was the whole idea. I have other guitars to play, so Im not relying on it either so to speak, so that makes a difference as well when it comes to trying to make it the best playing guitar you can in a reasonable amount of time, therefore your purchases and upgrades really have to count.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

the neck is the guitar man.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

I'd keep saving and move those upgrades over to a better instrument. There is no promise that a new neck will even solve the problems. In no time you'd have the $$ for the guitar that does everything for you. Any *one* thing on your list of what is wrong with it is enough to move on to something else.

 

[Taz Rules]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

FWIW, I just went through the same dilemma this past week. See thread NFPGD-New-FREE-Project-Guitar-Day

Unlike you, I wasn't already in love with the guitar, so that made it a bit easier. But I looked at the value of the guitar, and the cost of what I would need to buy (even with a cheap, Chinese neck @ $40-60), and the time it would take, and determined that the value just wasn't there. If the guitar had sentimental value, or I loved it as a player, maybe I go a different way. But sometimes we have to say "uncle".

Let us know what you decide...I'd like to see which way you go on this. Oh, and a pic or two would be nice!

 

[Chris0709]

Re: Worth upgrading neck on cheap guitar ?

Neck has huge impact on playability and if you plan on keeping it and that's the neck you want, go for it. Otherwise, shop around a bit, see what you find used or maybe lose some cosmetic options if they aren't important to you. Also the more you do yourself the cheaper it is. But it's your money, and your guitar! New neck or even a refretting is going to make a world of difference, and if you ditch the guitar, keep the neck and put the old back on it, you can always use it on a different piece down the line!