Alright, I feel like I'm going crazy. I've been playing for ~30 years, have a bunch of guitars, and generally know what I'm doing. ......but now I'm starting to lose my confidence because I *keep* getting ski jumps on my necks. I've now had 5 Warmoth necks develop this and a super nice Tom Anderson. There is nothing less satisfying for me to play than a guitar where a high fret is chocking out the notes. I hate that sound!!
Anyway, it's been so many that I'm starting to think I'm the problem. I like in the Dallas area, and I monitor teperature & moisture, I do use nice wall hangers - which I wouldn't think would cause this. I don't crank down on the neck pocket screws. I *have* done the thing where you slightly loosen the screws with the guitar strung to get a tighter fit on the neck. I wouldn't think that would cause the issue, but I'm now questioning everything. Why does this keep happening to me?! I wouldn't think 10s or 9.5 strings are particularly hard on the instrument.
This is top of mind because I had a nice warmoth strat where the neck developed a terrible ski jump and after wasting $250 to get the frets leveled to compensate it sucked and all the mojo was gone - felt like a frettless wonder up high, but in a really terrible way. Anyway, I replaced this neck w/ a really nice padauk one and it was perfect for 2 years. Then slowly but surely the slappy sound came back and I noticed I my fret rocker was clicking up high. I just paid $300 to plek it and SOB this neck developed the same ski jump as the rest. I'm sad, pissed, frustrated, and I just feel like all the $$$ I've spent w/ Warmoth is just throwing good after bad.
What am I doing wrong? Please help me. ...and thanks for listening
Anyway, it's been so many that I'm starting to think I'm the problem. I like in the Dallas area, and I monitor teperature & moisture, I do use nice wall hangers - which I wouldn't think would cause this. I don't crank down on the neck pocket screws. I *have* done the thing where you slightly loosen the screws with the guitar strung to get a tighter fit on the neck. I wouldn't think that would cause the issue, but I'm now questioning everything. Why does this keep happening to me?! I wouldn't think 10s or 9.5 strings are particularly hard on the instrument.
This is top of mind because I had a nice warmoth strat where the neck developed a terrible ski jump and after wasting $250 to get the frets leveled to compensate it sucked and all the mojo was gone - felt like a frettless wonder up high, but in a really terrible way. Anyway, I replaced this neck w/ a really nice padauk one and it was perfect for 2 years. Then slowly but surely the slappy sound came back and I noticed I my fret rocker was clicking up high. I just paid $300 to plek it and SOB this neck developed the same ski jump as the rest. I'm sad, pissed, frustrated, and I just feel like all the $$$ I've spent w/ Warmoth is just throwing good after bad.

What am I doing wrong? Please help me. ...and thanks for listening