haunted neck... updates and video lol

If anyone wants to check out the bizarre-ness, you can do a YouTube search for Kaisermb1 and see a couple short iPhone videos.  Not great quality and un-amplified playing but you'll get the picture. 
 
With respect, it is possible that you may have simply waited to long to apply finish to it.
With that being said, I would still call Rob or any of the other sales reps for further councel.

 
Yes, it is possible.  It spent about a month before a finish was applied but was in the same indoor area the whole time and I thought that with a laminate maple with ebony it would be okay for a bit.  Lesson learned I guess.  Still seems strange that its so unstable.  Never encountered a neck that did that before.
 
You'd be surprised just how many wonky necks are out there.

EVH got all kinds of folks convinced that the only way to play a maple neck was raw, but then again, he can afford to replace a neck pretty much every day. 

Maple is always moving, even with a finish.  Even if it stays indoors in the same dwelling its entire life, the humidity conditions will change, and the neck along with it.

Only real alternative, a wood species that does not require a finish.  Canary is a very good, and increasingly popular alternative in terms of tone.
 
Okay, stranger still....

Been having stability probs with my neck.  When its set up I love it but it doesn't stay that way and moves a lot.

Ive generally kept it on a stand where the guitar hangs by the neck and in a case if I'm not playing for a couple days or more, which is not often.  So it spends most days hanging there.  Convenient, right?

A week or so ago I got frustrated and just put it in the case for a while.  I'm waiting on a new pickup anyway.

Took it out a couple days ago and plays great.  As usual, I'm waiting for the buzzing to start because the neck is moving.  Short story is that I've played it a lot the last couple days and nothing has moved.  Usually I would have had to tweak it several times.  I even changed strings yesterday and it required no adjustment, which it normally would have.  Huh?

Not that I'm arguing with it but I have to wonder if keeping it on a hanger like that may have contributed somehow to the wiggle-ness.  Never heard of that but who knows.  Since keeping her in the case she's rock solid.  maybe she's just happy that I ordered a pickup from Ken.  Go figure....
 
I haven't read through the whole thread, but when the guitar is hanging up, is it near a window, vent, heater, etc....???
 
TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
Only real alternative, a wood species that does not require a finish.  Canary is a very good, and increasingly popular alternative in terms of tone.

Just for the record, when I was ordering my "Midlife Crisis" neck about a year ago, Warmoth Representative "Matt" counseled me to go unfinished on my Canary core but I kept insisting (knowing myself as historically not the best at maintenance) on the Satin Nitro Vintage Tint. Finally, he met me half way suggesting a "Dusting" and I dare say that until my funds reach "Every day a brand new unfinished neck" I will keep insisting on that protective coat and reccomend everyone else do the same.

How long will it take a guitar to settle where you can basically forget about it? Why don't these guitars just maintain themselves?  :laughing7:
 
KaiserSoze said:
A week or so ago I got frustrated and just put it in the case for a while.  I'm waiting on a new pickup anyway.

Took it out a couple days ago and plays great.  As usual, I'm waiting for the buzzing to start because the neck is moving.  Short story is that I've played it a lot the last couple days and nothing has moved.  Usually I would have had to tweak it several times.  I even changed strings yesterday and it required no adjustment, which it normally would have.  Huh? 

There's a certain amount of hysteresis to neck geometry adjustments. In other words, a complete response will lag the stimulus by some amount of time, which is variable depending on environmental factors. This is why when adjusting the truss rod, you make small adjustments, then wait to see what the effect will be. You make small adjustments so you don't overshoot your mark. You have to wait because while the neck will move right away, it takes time for it to completely catch up to the new tension and equalize. If you overshoot your adjustment, you'll have to back off. You can chase your tail forever by being impatient.

You say you've put an oil finish on this Maple neck. I'm not convinced oil is a suitable neck finish, particularly for Maple or Mahogany, but Warmoth says it's acceptable, so I'll defer to them. They have a vested interest in what they recommend, after all. But, I'd wager they mean a good hard finish of oil - not just a couple coat wipe down. My guess is it would need to be many coats applied over time, so as to create something somewhat impervious. The "hard" impermeable finish those woods need.

I have 10 Warmoth necks here, all different species. 3 of them are hard finished, 7 are raw. All of them are rock steady. Over the years, I've owned, played or worked on many, many guitars, and unless the necks were being frequently adjusted, they rarely needed adjustment. This is in Michigan, where temperature and humidity vary quite a bit. The only time I've seen "haunted" necks was about a 100 years ago when a buddy and I both refinished some guitars with oil. Long story short, we didn't do a good job. Two of those necks were Mahogany, and one was Maple. To say they were squirmy little devils would be an understatement. They were like agitated snakes. Needed constant adjustment, and the damn things never would tune nice, although the tuning thing had more to do with the crummy hardware we had to use back then.

So, I guess my recommendation to you would be to get a hard finish on that neck, and calm down with the adjustments. Make a small adjustment - I mean a 1/4 turn or less - and wait a few days. Roll some more in if needed. Eventually, it should normalize, and you won't have to mess with it any more.
 
Something I forgot to ask... what headstock is it?  I've had issues with Warmoth-applied nuts to W style 3x3 headstocks coming loose under pressure and "rocking back and forth" under string tension.  I apply my own nuts now, and am liberal with the adhesive I use.  It was maddening on the first one before I figured out the issue.  It was still somewhat attached (wouldn't come off with strings off), but it would move a bit and screw up tuning/intonation.  I had this issue on 2 different necks and have since reaffixed or installed my own nuts on all W-style and LP headstocks.

-Mark
 
This might also be as simple to solve as applying some nut sauce or graphite.  :dontknow:
 
Cagey, thanks.  I think thats probably sage advice and may be the reason its settled down...I just stopped messing with it for a while.  If nothing else I'm getting some experience solving some problems that I've not encountered before.   

To others; I did do a bone nut that is solid and use nut sauce as well.  I'm just glad I'm getting a handle on it. I think I have enough coats of tru-oil to keep out moisture.
 
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