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Need help preventing ski jumps

benbreard

Newbie
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16
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
 
Perhaps the necks are being overtightened into the pocket.
I suspect you may be right. I never felt like I was cranking down on the screws a bunch, but. <Shrug>

How tight do you normally make yours? I don't suppose loosening them a tiny bit would reduce the problem, or would it?
 
I like to create a bit of fall away , and tighten the neck screws by hand, tight, but not insane tight. Live in Pacific northwest weather, case or bag them and never had that problem.
 
Hi
What kind of wood are your necks? Both shaft and fretboard? I live in the swamp city of Houston TX. I get all my necks in roasted maple (shaft wood) because of my fear of neck warping.
My guitars are all out on stands, however here in the swamp it's super humid in summertime and just regular humid the rest of the year, so wood never gets a chance to dry out here like it does in places with a change of seasons.

I don't think that the problem has anything to do with the neck screws.
Bye
 
I also want to ask about the woods these neck are made from. I found a tendancy for some necks to develop a "S" shape with a bump around the 15th fret. I experienced this with two Warmoth modern construction necks in the past. The 1st neck was remedied using PLEK, which solved that particular issue. The second neck was only borderline problematic, so I simply adjust the action a bit higher and use lighter strings.

I'm pedantic about having flat and stable necks, so there are 2 things i like to do:
1) When reasonably possible, I like to store the guitar in a case when it is not being used.
2) Choose necks made from roasted maple for the best flatness with no ski jumps.

Single acting truss-rod installation has a triangulated position, so may be better aligned to withstand shear-stress IMO.
 
I suspect you may be right. I never felt like I was cranking down on the screws a bunch, but. <Shrug>

How tight do you normally make yours? I don't suppose loosening them a tiny bit would reduce the problem, or would it?

I tighten them so they are snug, but don't overtighten them.

You could try loosening the screws in your necks if they are really cranked down.

Like @Spud on necks, I tend to put a little fall away on the higher frets when doing fretwork.
 
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