Uneven neck?

jolly · #1 01-30-2004, 10:48 AM

I've got my JEM 555 lately, just to try before I get a JEM 7V.

Here's the problem, there're 3 places on the back of the neck stick out a little bit. When I put my hand sliding from here and there slowly, I don't feel smooth and flat on the position of fret 1, 3 and 7. I check out my JS 1000, there's one place like that, fret 5.

Is there anything does with the truss rod or because it is just a brand new guitar?

Any comment will be appreciated.

frankfalbo · #2 01-30-2004, 12:13 PM

That's normal. It's not a good thing, but it's normal. It's from the hand sanding and final shaping of the neck. I guess if you or I hand sanded necks all day, some of them would have lumps and dips in them. The Korean 555 is more likely. That's a more common occurrence for the Korean factory than the Japanese. I think it's a management/quality control issue.

Rich · #3 01-30-2004, 01:47 PM

Strange but the only "unevevenness" I've felt on the back of any necks was where there's an anomaly in the wood [you can see it in the grain] that has swelled a bit.

frankfalbo · #4 01-30-2004, 07:58 PM

Oh yeah! Around the headstock and the neck joint is the worst. I've had Ibanez necks that felt like roller coasters. I'm holding an '87 Saber like that now, and I have an '89 that's terrible. My Prolines are lumpy too. If they have an oil finish I fix them and refinish them, otherwise I just leave it. It's easier to feel it if you close your eyes and press kind of hard. And you have to use your fingers and thumb, not your palm. If you're just playing the guitar you won't really feel it.

The wood anomaly is a fine observation. It's also possible that the section of the wood that has "swelled" as you put it is harder in composition and therefore did not sand the same. I always finish shaping my necks with a fine flat file, because then you know it's straight.

Rich · #5 01-30-2004, 08:09 PM

Something I still never feel, I "feel" the back of every neck finding those little clearcoat bumps/dirt that I whack off with a razor blade, find plenty of those on necks but I'm just not aware of anything "uneven". Maybe it's just something that doesn't bother me or I don't notice?

Rich · #6 01-30-2004, 08:11 PM

I have had 2 guitars where one side of the scarf joint was raised. Could never explain that one, no seperation, nothing, just one side about .5mm higher where it met the joint. One was the killer GMC I sold to Tony Tattoo [so it's probably a dog**** beater by now anyway] but I could never think of a logical explanation for how the joint got like that?

jolly · #7 01-31-2004, 01:16 AM

Thanks for you guys replies.

Then if I go buy a brand new MIJ JEM which the above problem is existed, is it reasonable to ask for another new one for changing?

For the ones I own, do I have to slove them by sanding? If so how?

Thanks.

frankfalbo · #8 01-31-2004, 03:08 PM

You can do whatever you think is fair with the new one, but I would just accept it. They are factory guitars. As far as the older ones, sanding the area usually just maintains or magnifies the problem. You'd have to use a razor blade to scrape in alternate directions, or a flat file, or a hard sanding block you knew was flat. I believe it's too much for someone who isn't experienced at woodworking, and it's not so bad that you can't ignore it while playing.