Neck Joint fractures are back... - something to be aware of.

[Project Guitar]

I'm not sure if it was an isolated case or not but I just saw a set of neck joint fractures in an AANJ body the other day on a Jem..... Thought you might like to know.....

[Pablo]

I've got 7 guitars with AANJ type heels and none have fractures. It's the first case I've heard of.

P

[JESTER700]

Both of my SC620 sabres have them.

These are just cosmetic, right?

[Pablo]

I always thought so. The paint is brittle and with the slight bend of the neck joint under stress the paint will crack.


Or am I totally wrong.

[vwall]

I am contesting that they are just finish cracks.
While i havent seen any on an AANJ, *almost all the cracks on the old neck joint as well as many other manufacturers is actually in the wood. This was a highly talked about topic several months ago. I cant seem to find the thread. its likely in the archives. But if i remember correctly, Brian at Universal Jems *was pretty much in agreemant with that contention.
(correct me if I'm wrong B)

[vwall]

heres a link to that thread mentioned above:

http://jemsiteforum.com/board/topic....amp;replies=18

[Project Guitar]

Q: Would you pay prime price for a guitar that shows this crack in the neck joint?

A: Personally "In a Heartbeat" these cracks don't bother me at all. In fact it shows me just like a fine antique that this is more than likely an all original guitar that hasn't been refinished. It really is just asthetics to me and has never shown itself to become a problem with the playing capabilitys of the guitars.

I still stand by this.........

[vwall]

I am a bit mixed on that acceptnace...
Whil a large majority of these *cracks have no real affect.. I have had some that the guitar wouldnt stay in tune and if you try to move the neck it will detune the strings whils still bolted on..

I guess I really dont care for the finish lines..
I have guitars that I bought *with out them and 10 years later there still is no crack.. and this is on the most stereo typicval models thast a very prone to crack..

Therefore i still stand by my idea that the cracks are largly due to misuse and mishandling the instruments. I generally woulnt drop a great deal of money on a guitar with finish cracks..

thats just me though

Scott

[Rich]

it's nice when they don't have them, but normal if they do. If they were *straight* with the grain I could see how you could make a correlation that they're the result of a crack in the wood, but they aren't. They radiate from the joint at multiples of angles cross grain, and wood doesn't crack like that. The condition of the rest of the guitar determines value, not the presence of neck joint finish cracks. And I also have reservations that they anything to do with how it was handled as I've had dead mint guitars with and beat guitars without.

[jemsite]

What Rich said.

With the internet it is just toooooo easy to make a mountain out of a molehill

[Project Guitar]

Rich on 6:35 pm on Nov. 18, 2001
*They radiate from the joint at multiples of angles cross grain, and wood doesn't crack like that.

I'm sorry what?


Like I said in the other thread 9 out of 10 times it goes wood deep



But it can be repaired and stopped when refinishing a neck....

The really good part about it is I have seen very few on the AANJ bodys....... But still since this section is viewed by Ibanez I wanted them to be aware that the problem is still there, just not as common place as before....

[Project Guitar]

jemsite on 8:54 pm on Nov. 18, 2001

With the internet it is just toooooo easy to make a mountain out of a molehill

I totally agree Glen......

It's just a matter for someone at Ibanez to look into since it really is harder to sell a new or very good condition guitar for most shops if there is a surface flaw in the body.....

Before everyone freaks out over these cracks I have followed them down and the deepest one (worse case out of about 25 bodys showing the flaw) only went about 1/8" deep (at it's deepest point) into the wood before stopping. I should know I repair them.

One last note:

vwall on 6:27 pm on Nov. 18, 2001
I have had some that the guitar wouldnt stay in tune and if you try to move the neck it will detune the strings whils still bolted on..

Kid's don't try this with your guitar, Yes necks are flexable but it really doesn't do them any good to bend them...

[vwall]

Bcalvert br]

Kid's don't try this with your guitar, Yes necks are flexable but it really doesn't do them any good to bend them...[/quote]

Yes indeed. *Dont try this as you may damage the guiutar further. ppl like brian and I as well as many others have gotten a feel as to how far you can manipulate things on the guitar. An inexperianced move may end you up in a repair shop quicker than you'd hope;-)

Otherwise, good strong objective points made here *by Glen, Brian and Rich, BTW: whatchyou smoking Rich?LOL

(Edited by vwall at 5:25 am on Nov. 19, 2001)

[Rich]

Same thing I always smoke, just less of it I'm stumped at how the cracks run across the grain, just doesn't make any sence to me. I've definately never had one that made tuning unstable.

[Project Guitar]

A possible solution for ending the problem all together in the AANJ would involve a simple route across the tips of both sides rounding off the square joint and also making the side of the pocket stronger since it would be thicker and less flexable. Just 1/8" or 3mm back with probably the same as a curved base, it could be done in one pass. This would not effect the hold on the neck for the body nor the player.



Since the original problem occured on the thin walls of the old style neck pocket flexing away from the body when put under constant pressure. I was almost positive the AANJ was the solution with the thicker tips, looks like a tiny little extra job would insure this from not happening in the long run.

Rich was right in his thinking, the problem is under the right conditions and with the tighness of grain in the wood used to produce these bodys the wood can actually rip right across the grain. I've seen this effect in fine furnature as well.