Disappointed

[ildar]

I finally ordered a neck for my VW project. I wanted to go wenge/canary, but finances dictated otherwise and I settled on maple/ebony. It arrived today, but had a crescent shaped ding in the ebony board. So, I'm returning it. I'm bummed, but it probably sevres me right for not waiting on the wenge.

 

[tfarny]

Bummer!! An actual dent, or an odd coloring in the ebony?

 

[ildar]

An actual dent. From the looks of it, it happened in the shop, as the shipping box is fairly well intact.

 

[shanejw]

Stuff happens.  My Carved Top Soloist had a small ding on the rim of the tremolo routing.  I would have returned it but i already had to wait 14 weeks when they said 10.  I'm still happy though.

 

[GoDrex]

Warmoth's QC slipping? My neck had a major issue too, in my opinion.

 

[dbw]

What was wrong with it, Drex?

 

[simple]

Warmoth's QC slipping? My neck had a major issue too, in my opinion.

Quality Control is at an all time high actually.

 

[simple]

Small dents in wood can be remedied with a damp rag and a solder iron. The moisture and heat applied to a small spot can bring the wood back to its original position. Wood has a memory and wants to return to its former state. In the instances that this is applicable, it is a fast and effective remedy.

 

[GoDrex]

What was wrong with it, Drex?

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=3120.0

I don't know if this was an oversight or just my lack of experience - I've never ordered a neck before and have never had one with binding. I'm certainly far far far from being an expert and I know from reading here that the neck pocket sometimes needs sanding for a good fit if the finish makes it too tight (I didn't have this problem). But I did think that the neck would be ready to go on to the guitar. But then again, yet another reason why I should have paid to have it done because I don't know every little detail that needs to be checked. Anyway - if you order a neck with binding be sure to check it carefully. Especially if it's going on a LP body with a carved top.

 

[Wyliee]

What was wrong with it, Drex?

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=3120.0

I don't know if this was an oversight or just my lack of experience - I've never ordered a neck before and have never had one with binding. I'm certainly far far far from being an expert and I know from reading here that the neck pocket sometimes needs sanding for a good fit if the finish makes it too tight (I didn't have this problem). But I did think that the neck would be ready to go on to the guitar. But then again, yet another reason why I should have paid to have it done because I don't know every little detail that needs to be checked. Anyway - if you order a neck with binding be sure to check it carefully. Especially if it's going on a LP body with a carved top.

There seems to be a common expectation that guitars are like snap-tight models in that you can just snap the guitar together and it works.  While this may be true in the simplest fashion, a high quality guitar, just a like model, custom car or whatever, is going to take a certain amount of tweaking.  That time spent sanding, predrilling, measuring, measuring again, is going to make the difference between a playable guitar and a world class instrument.

 

[simple]

What was wrong with it, Drex?

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=3120.0

I don't know if this was an oversight or just my lack of experience - I've never ordered a neck before and have never had one with binding. I'm certainly far far far from being an expert and I know from reading here that the neck pocket sometimes needs sanding for a good fit if the finish makes it too tight (I didn't have this problem). But I did think that the neck would be ready to go on to the guitar. But then again, yet another reason why I should have paid to have it done because I don't know every little detail that needs to be checked. Anyway - if you order a neck with binding be sure to check it carefully. Especially if it's going on a LP body with a carved top.

If you ever do have a problem, contact Warmoth before you do anything. I do have to hand it to GoDrex here though, he just plowed ahead and made his own fix. I'm like that too for better or worse.  :laughing7:

Sometimes people do have the expectation that everything should fit perfectly the first time when they put together a guitar from parts. And sometimes people will get a guitar from us that does but that is just because we have been doing this a long time so the averages are higher with us than anyone else that that will happen. Most of the time you do have to do some finessing, using wood tools and sand paper to get parts to fit and work well together. The initial expectation of the customer is the wild card; Warmoth's work is pretty consistant overall given the organic nature of the product line.

 

[GoDrex]

Thanks Gregg, I think. I probably should have waited but I didn't read your post soon enough. I had been working on getting the guitar together and just wanted to get it done. I'm sure I wasn't thinking clearly, because I was feeling faint and I thought I might puke after seeing the fretboard bending. I felt like my mind was bending. I've had lots of bad luck with guitars and this just seemed like my nightmare coming true again. I'm pretty sure I'm done with guitar building. I can't handle it.

 

[Wyliee]

Thanks Gregg, I think. I probably should have waited but I didn't read your post soon enough. I had been working on getting the guitar together and just wanted to get it done. I'm sure I wasn't thinking clearly, because I was feeling faint and I thought I might puke after seeing the fretboard bending. I felt like my mind was bending. I've had lots of bad luck with guitars and this just seemed like my nightmare coming true again. I'm pretty sure I'm done with guitar building. I can't handle it.

The desire to press on is a common one.  The best recommendation I can make is take a break.  Most of us are not on tight schedules to get our guitars built.  Break the process down and do a little bit at a time.  If you're getting stressed, just stop.

On my strat build, I was trying to fit a lot of wiring in the small strat top rout cavity and it wouldn't quite fit.  I felt like I was literally attacking the cavity with my Dremel to open it up further.  My wife had to come in and take the Dremel away from me.  Only then did I realize I was burning the motor out and there was a strong woodburning smell in the house....  Cooler minds prevailed and I didn't trash the body.  I wasn't sure I wanted to build anything after that, but that was several guitars ago....

 

[-CB-]

Small dents in wood can be remedied with a damp rag and a solder iron. The moisture and heat applied to a small spot can bring the wood back to its original position. Wood has a memory and wants to return to its former state. In the instances that this is applicable, it is a fast and effective remedy.

Oh ditto's and then some.  This works great.  Take a paper towel section... fold it on itself for about 4 thicknesses, wet it, lay it down and use a soldering iron.  You want some steam to form, and you want to press on the towel and force the steam into the wood.  Woods like mapo, ebeenie, mahogwood, hash even alanalda wood work good that way.  Soft wood (yes...) like basswood, etc.. are more prone to the fibers breaking, rather than compressing.  When fibers break, the steam can't repair em.  It only works on compressions. 

USDollars to some greezy Homer donuts... ebony has a compression, not fractured fibres, and will spring back like a plump thighed Democrat.

 

[JR]

gee hope my neck isn't too banged up once it gets to australia. 

 

[nathan a]

Small dents in wood can be remedied with a damp rag and a solder iron. The moisture and heat applied to a small spot can bring the wood back to its original position. Wood has a memory and wants to return to its former state. In the instances that this is applicable, it is a fast and effective remedy.

Wow. That makes so much sense. Why did I not know about this? Great to hear.

 

[ildar]

Well, I decided to try and fix it. I'm, not too happy about the damage, though it's not really a big ding. I just don't want to go through the process of returning the neck, waiting for a refund, and then ordering another piece.
I'll live with it.

 

[dbw]

Small dents in wood can be remedied with a damp rag and a solder iron. The moisture and heat applied to a small spot can bring the wood back to its original position. Wood has a memory and wants to return to its former state. In the instances that this is applicable, it is a fast and effective remedy.

Oh ditto's and then some.  This works great.  Take a paper towel section... fold it on itself for about 4 thicknesses, wet it, lay it down and use a soldering iron.  You want some steam to form, and you want to press on the towel and force the steam into the wood.  Woods like mapo, ebeenie, mahogwood, hash even alanalda wood work good that way.  Soft wood (yes...) like basswood, etc.. are more prone to the fibers breaking, rather than compressing.  When fibers break, the steam can't repair em.  It only works on compressions. 

USDollars to some greezy Homer donuts... ebony has a compression, not fractured fibres, and will spring back like a plump thighed Democrat.

Damn, you seem happy...what's wrong with you today?  Did your divorce go through or something?

 

[OzziePete]

gee hope my neck isn't too banged up once it gets to australia. 

Hi JR,
I'm also in Australia and I've ordered two bodies and necks from Warmoth over the years. No problems whatsoever. All items delivered in one piece with no damage at all.

The thing going for Warmoth is that they've been in this business of shipping guitar parts longer than most, so they do know how to pack stuff in so it shouldn't suffer damage in transit.