Anyone ever had a similar problem? My neck is slightly curved, just like most guitars in stores. Problem is that tightening the rod almost doesn`t change anything, I have the feeling that I just can`t tighten it anymore because something is going to break. I know the screw is not stripped, otherwise there wouldn`t be all this pressure.

Anything I can do to get that neck straight?

Thanks!

I would not mess with it. Most likely your neck relief is within n.o.r. It takes fairly specialized measuring instruments to determine if the relief is out of spec. I am assuming you don't want to break your truss rod. Especially if it neednt be messed with.
My advice, take it in to a guitar parlor, or your local luthier, and have him take a look. Most guys will adjust the truss rod for free, assuming it is needed.
Good luck, and congrats on owning a great axe.
J

You need a bow in your neck, end of story.

To check if its too bowed put a capo at the 1st fret. Hold down the 15th fret high E string and check between the top of the 8th fret and underside of the high E string with a feeler gauge. You need a clearance of 0.012"/0.3mm (the thickness of a B string on a set of 10's) or there abouts.

If your unsure dont touch it, pay someone to do the job. Its cheaper than buying a new neck off stratosphere.

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No no and no

Hi simonmtl, welcome to the Forum.

Above advice is good: if it don't need adjusting then just leave it be.

On the other hand, if you need to make it straighter and can't, well then I'd get someone else to make the adjustment so's they have to pay for it if they break something.

Is the guitar new and under warranty? If so, take it back to the store and have them straighten your neck for you for free. Any major problems, the warranty will cover it. In fact, if it is within the warranty period I'd do that whether I needed the neck adjusting or not, so that any serious issues are uncovered while you don't have to pay for them.

Good luck - C

The first rule is spray some WD40 down the shaft before you begin then dont tighten loosen it first to see if it loosens because if it doesnt loosen it wont tighten it means its stuffed. And loosen the strings before you tighten, not necessary when you loosen......anti clockwise

Don't forget that you have a lifetime warranty on that EJ strat, if there really is a problem

Thanks for helping, I bought the guitar used but it's almost new, seems like the truss rod had never been touched as it was slack. Note that I have to remove the neck every time I adjust the rod because it is on the bridge side. A real pain, almost can`t believe it!

I tightened the rod a bit further while applying a reverse bend with clamps and a wood structure, just like a pro luthier would do, and to my surprise, the rod was as tight as it used to be, this suggests to me that the inner structure of the neck is ineffective. Nonetheless, I have been able to reduce the relief down to 0.02", which is more than the recommened curve, as a result, I loose 1/64 in action to end up with 5/64" at the 17th fret. I could live with that (almost) but I`ll have to fight like hell to maintain this very average tuning...

Let me tell you something, this is pretty sloppy for a 2400$ guitar! I don`t want to sell it, but I might be forced to do so...

Looks like the frets are not perfect neither, seems like last 2 frets have been filed already to the lowest possible level. My guess it that it has been done at the factory since those 2 frets are not affected by neck relief.

Hard to believe it came from the factory like that. Maybe so but I doubt it.

Did you buy it new or used?

bought it used but there was no signs of abuse, the rod seems healthy other than the fact it does very little to help the neck. I guess I'll pay a luthier to confirm me it`s a bad neck...

Those last two frets being filed down makes me think someone messed with it. The EJ comes with medium jumbo frets.
I hope you get it resolved!

yes, it`s possible someone messed with it, probably because they could not get rid of the relief...

Have you removed the nut from the the truss rod?

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

A real pain that i fully understand, i feel exactly the same way about it too.




Something is very wrong here. You just should not have to clamp and stress the neck this way. Depending on your experience with neck work, you could well have damaged the rod. I dont know your level of experience and so wont offer a definate answer. Truss adjustment should never cause tuning issues they shouldnt cause or relieve any issue up around the 17th fret either.


Ok something is defiantely wrong. Its either something you or the previous owner did to the guitar, or the guitar is a fake and you've been had. The fretwork of guitars in fenders upper echelon's are usually beyond fault. Infact i cant recall one time in 12 odd years that i've seen a bad one.
Fret drop off (the progressive lowering of upper frets) is unheard of on fender guitars, even CS to the best of my knowledge. Infact Mike Eldred evaded answering my question on it a few weeks back. Gibson do it on their VOS's, Suhr does it too. I dont think i've seen any other guitar with drop off from factory setup. Its a specialist thing that to the best of my knowledge is done very much by eye and hand. I tried doing it by putting a feeler guage over the 18th fret, colouring the top of the 19th and flatstoning until i'd taken the colour off the 19th. Needless to say it didnt work. It did the 19th fret ok, more by luck than judgment. I could have easily taken too much off frets 20-21. I then resorted to finishing the job by eye, feeler gauge and a steel ruler. NOT EASY AT ALL. Which is why fender dont do it. As stated previously neck relief only really effects frets 10 down to the headstock.

I really suggest you get the guitar into a repair shop. I'd also question its validity. Post a pic please.

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No no and no

Yes clamping a neck with a straight and blocks is a last resort I have only done that one time. Now I have tighten a neck several times over a few days correcting it. The torque on the nut has slacken off between knocks. I was also curious if there is a washer behind the nut? This is a second hand guitar so you don't no who has done what working on it.

_________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson