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Post subject: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:56 pm
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I know there have been heaps of posts about neck pocket cracks on Fenders so sorry if I have missed this elsewhere.

Mine is a 7 year-old signature Fender with the truss-rod adjuster at the heel so the neck has to come off to adjust it. I just got it back from a setup with a crack in the finish in the neck pocket, very small but still a crack. Raised it with the tech & he said they are very common on Fenders (I know) and he also said the are unavoidable if the neck pocket is tight.

Is that true, are some Fenders doomed to have a crack in the finish no matter how careful you are? I've got 3 Fenders and until now, none have had this problem and two have the truss-rod adjustment in the heel.


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:28 pm
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You need to find a new tech, preferably an experienced luthier.

Did yours have an explanation as to why so few (if any) vintage Fender guitars suffer such easily-avoidable damage?

It's because few fifty year-old Strats are entrusted to some punk at Guitar Circus who learned his craft solely by watching Youtube videos.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 3:10 pm
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Thank you for your reply, I suspected as much as he'd obviously shown a lack of care when working on my guitar. Unbelievably, this was by an experienced luthier who I'd used before and has a good reputation, his work isn't cheap either. My baby went in still like new and came back with all of the below.

Chip in lacquer near the truss rod adjuster.He has since repaired this but stated he couldn't see how it could have happened with the work he was doing.

Image

Crack in neck pocket, was given the explanation that these are unavoidable on Fenders with tight necks.

Image

Scratches on body. His explanation was that even though he tries to be careful, these things can happen in a workshop environment. He then asked me if I bought the guitar to play or look at.

Image

So no, I won't be using his services again. Unfortunately, I'm now stuck with the results of his careless handling on a guitar that is almost impossible to find now where I live.


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 6:05 pm
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Regrettable to be certain -- an otherwise beautiful instrument.

:(
Start looking around via the internet and your personal contacts, find out where they're taking their instruments for service and/or repair. If you find a candidate try to visit the shop before you actually hire them and check out the environment. Does it seem slipshod and haphazard or do things look polished and professional? Good luck.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:35 am
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That is seriously not funny. I don't mind if I scratch or otherwise damage my own guitars, but I can't imagine my luthier doing that. And neck pocket cracks (even if only the paint) will definitely put off any future buyer.

If you can prove to a civil court's standard (ie: on the balance of probabilities) that he caused this damage, I'd be threatening legal action if he doesn't repair it to the condition in which he received the guitar.

If you recorded any future conversation whereby he again admits he did it, that would be strong evidence. I'm talking about England, of course, where a civil claim costs little, but assuming you're elsewhere, is there a similar system?

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:45 am
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Hi Peter, I looked into taking it further and think I'd most certainly win because I can prove the guitar was not damaged prior. I was pretty angry that this happened as when I dropped it off I had specifically pointed out that it was unmarked and finding another one in NZ, especially in that condition is rare.

After weighing up the effort and cost vs possible outcome I decided against it. You have to prove what the loss in value is, which would be really difficult. Without that, the best I could hope for is some or all of my money back for the setup.

I'm a bit of a Nirvana nut and this is a Kurt Cobain Mustang so the most important thing for me was that it remained immaculate (like my Jag-Stang). I don't think the damage can be repaired without ruining the originality of the instrument (?).

Oh well done on the Rugby by the way, England played a superb game & were well-deserved winners on the day. All the best for the final!


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 5:34 am
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Fair enough, mate - there's no doubt legal action is a step further than most of us (including me) want to take. I was more thinking of having him fix the damage, rather than some sort of calculation of value lost, but yes, that would probably involve a strip and repaint, so originality would be lost. You've obviously considered it carefully, and I can't argue with that!

Not a bad game of rugby, as you said! Not that this was the best All Blacks team I've ever seen, to be honest, but (as they should be) they were still hotly fancied. I said from the start of this tournament, though, that we had a team that could win it. We'll see at the weekend!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Are neck pocket finish cracks unavoidable?
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 10:28 am
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That is a real shame about the state your guitar came back in, I feel for you.

If I have to send anything in for repair, Guitar, camera, watch etc. I always use my phone to shoot a video of the item. I use comment on the condition and serial number in the Vid. When I have sent the item off, I will send the video in an email as part of the booking in process.
Shipping wise I will have the item insured for the full replacement cost of the item, so if its damaged in transit I have recourse against the shipper.

The above might sound excessive, however I have been burnt in the past like the OP.


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