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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 6:52 am
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OK....we need to clarify on the knot issue. There seems to be a lot of misinformation going around.

In a piece of wood, a knot and a definitive one at that is actually a branch or more specifically a section of what used to be a branch growing out of that piece of wood.
On a guitar neck, the grain is going to have certain characteristics depending on what grade of lumber it was labeled as when cut, as well as how it ( the log ) was cut. wether flatsawn or quatersawn.
Say i have a piece of maple stock 30" x 4" x 7/8+ which I will use for a neck (Fender style.)
I am first going to inspect the grain and assess how it runs in linear lenght. If there is some figuring ( grain arcing left or right ), that is fine, character is good. But say anywhere on that piece of stock that there was a solid knot, I would not use that piece of stock for a neck.

Most importantly knots are very difficult to cut thru and finish, because of their density, they will dull your cutting blades, a dull blade will mean that once you go past the knot, the blade will chip the wood it contacts instead of cutting it cleanly. :? ( for an illustration, take a dull hand plane, run it against a piece of wood against the grain and you will chip, burr and ruin that piece of wood.
Also importantly, since a knot's ( or sliced branch ) grain runs perpendicular to the rest of the grain on the neck, you will have an unstable spot which as the lumber is cured will reveal itself as a separation ( or a breaking point to the structural rigidity of that neck stock.)
For those reasons, I doubt very much Fender would use such an inferior piece of wood.

As far as spalted, figured, birdseye in the wood, those are not knots but rather the result of a disease in the wood which conveniently for us makes that piece of maple more visually desirable.

So back to the minor problem...Find a reputable guitar repairman, preferably someone who has built guitars from plain stock and has an idea of what wood looks like before it is dressed to be fitted as a neck.
There is no need yet to list on Craig's List and yeah when buying a guitar unseen, unplayed, there is usually cause for some expense to have that guitar dialed in.
This should not be an expensive adjustment, but you get what you pay for.

I would not have my A4 worked on by anyone who isn't familiar with VAG or for that matter has not been certified by Audi.
A guitar and a nice one is no different, you have to have a knowledgeable, experienced person repair, adjust, or whatever needs done attending to your guitar.
The ability to spin a screwdriver on a Fender guitar does not qualify anyone as a true guitar repairman/woman.....

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 6:54 am
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A knot in a Am Delux neck I would question. Ive never seen that before. Are you sure its the original neck. I am with 53 on this.


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 6:58 am
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TFi2397856 wrote:
Anything can happen with wood. It is very unperfect. That is why buying a new guitar is always a crap shoot even big buck guitars. You can find the perfect guitar first time out or after the 10th try, I bought and sold guitars and that is how it is.

I also repair guitars and found most any slab guitar can be fixed if you work at it. That is a drag if you are paying the bill.

I think hands on or great return policy is the answer to buying guitars.

In this case I would craigs list it, take the loss and move on to the above system.

A great guitar makes you want to play it. A bad guitar is like a bad relationship, It just sucks.

Thomas
As I was typing my unusually long 2 cent's worth,one of the knowledegable people I spoke of 53magnatone posted,please also see his post.
Not "just anything can happen to wood" on a piece of properly kiln dried selected maple that has been sawn,sanded and fitted by skilled workers.....yes a neck can warp or need to be straightened,the reason for a truss rod.
Buying a Fender Strat is not a "crap shoot" by any stretch of the imagination,if it were a fact that you had to buy 10 Strats to get 1 good one,the Fender name would be a memory only to people like me and Arjay and others who would have bought them and trashed the brand in the late 60's...or by our predecessors in the music business.
I'm not sure what type of business you do in the guitar repair world,but you would not get any work from me by simply stating what you just did...and statements like those and "guitar techs" of your status are what mislead people who are looking for sound advice from qualified people.
I'm not defending the brand name Fender so much as any "big buck guitars",as you put it...you might want to try a different line of work.....there are people here who know their stuff.


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 9:04 am
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53magnatone wrote:
The ability to spin a screwdriver on a Fender guitar does not qualify anyone as a true guitar repairman/woman.....


I'll say......look at the junk I end up with!

:lol:

Seriously -- as my friends 53Mag, Reb, Ceri, and others have opined -- get a "second opinion" before committing to any course of action. The fix may not be near as drastic (or expensive) as you think.

JMO

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 9:09 am
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Never seen a knot in a neck, not even on the cheapest, crappiest guitars I've ever seen. You don't need a very big piece of wood to make a neck and there's lots and lots of great maple out there.

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 9:34 am
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Out of interest.......did you leave the guitar with the tech to get the neck replaced?

If you did you are a brave man then coming on here and asking advice...... :shock:

What do you mean exactly about a 'warped spot forming'? I have too many questions without pics...

I'm with those who say seek a second opinion. It's not an issue I have come across before but I have come across the issue of tech's making things up!!! :roll:

Ask him how he came up with that about the maple.....I'm really interested......maybe I could use that one!! :twisted:

BTW when you bought it 'new' off e-bay was the seller a 'shop' or an individual? JUst because you got documentation doesn't make it new................also if it is a shop and they are selling it new, your receipt through PAypal/Worldpay whatever method you paid for it would be enough to go to Fender surely........

I am assuming (waiting to be shot down unceremoniously now..... :shock: ) that to sell a new Fender, online or instore you would have to be an authorised dealer or you wouldn't have the thing 'new' in the first place......... :?:

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 10:09 am
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Yep, knots suck! I have a 15 year old MIM Strat ( my first Fender and Strat ) that has what I used to think was gorgeous figuring in the maple neck. It had all sorts of knots, swirls, and areas of differing color! What that really means is areas of different density and structural stability!!!! After 15 years, my neck has now formed a back-bow, but only from the nut to about the 4th fret. This area is not affected by the truss rod, but he rest of the neck seems to be !!!! Knots suck.......... :evil:


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:25 pm
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Thanks for all the replies everyone! I enjoy reading your posts.

I went to the repair shop and saw what the tech was talking about. There is about a quarter size knot in the middle of the maple part of the neck at about the 4th fret, and next to the knot is a lighter colored line that runs across the neck that is about a half inch wide. Like the wood is lighter color in that line. That is the area where the neck starts to bulge.

I did notice that the maple grain on my deluxe strat stands out more than other strats I was looking at in the guitar store.

I don't have pics yet because I immediately dropped the guitar off at another shop to get a second opinion on the issue. I didn't have a good camera with me so I didn't take pics. But I will take pictures on Monday when I go in to talk more with the tech about what's going on with the neck once he has a chance to take a look at it.


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:27 pm
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Steve-oh-no wrote:
Yep, knots suck! I have a 15 year old MIM Strat ( my first Fender and Strat ) that has what I used to think was gorgeous figuring in the maple neck. It had all sorts of knots, swirls, and areas of differing color! What that really means is areas of different density and structural stability!!!! After 15 years, my neck has now formed a back-bow, but only from the nut to about the 4th fret. This area is not affected by the truss rod, but he rest of the neck seems to be !!!! Knots suck.......... :evil:


When you say 'differing color', do you mean the wood is lighter/darker in certain areas? See my post above, as my neck has a lighter colored line running across it about a half inch wide.


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 4:44 pm
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jerde wrote:

When you say 'differing color', do you mean the wood is lighter/darker in certain areas? See my post above, as my neck has a lighter colored line running across it about a half inch wide.


Don't want to cause alarm.......could that be an old neck repair...........? Figuring and flame and birdseye is, normally, a slightly darker colour than the main colour in the neck. A lighter line running across the neck (is it the whole width?) could indicate a previous break.....

I have heard that highly figured maple necks can have issues as they get older but yours is only 4 years ols and, I think, this issue is debated...again I may be wrong.

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 6:44 pm
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Wow, this issue seems to be a first for the forum.

I'm sure we all wish we could put our hands on it to see the problem for ourselves.

If you didn't buy the new guitar from an authorized Fender dealer, your chances of a warranty repair/replacement are slim. Bummer. Maybe that issue is why the guitar was sold on ebay in the first place?

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 6:52 pm
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this is a fine example to all the guys who say
"oh ive never had an issue with buying a guitar off ebay". or "its safe".
well heres your sign.

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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 10:10 am
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I await the 2nd opinion on this, and pictures :roll:


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:52 pm
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Ok, so I talked to the second repairman this morning about the warp issue I'm having. He also came up with the conclusion that it was the knot that was causing the fretboard to warp up and said that it is a fairly common issue. He offered me a solution this time by saying that heating up the neck and then pressing it can straighten the warp out. I told him to go ahead and give it a go and that I would be in a few hours later to have him do some other maintenance on another strat of mine.

When I got there he should me the neck and behold the warp had been pressed out successfully! This repairman was a older guy probably in his mid 60's and I asked him how long he had been working on guitars and he said over 35 years. I wasn't able to get the pictures of the warp in the fretboard because by the time I got there he had already pressed it out, but I do a pic of the big knot that caused the warp (and a second smaller knot) in the maple of my strat neck. See below...

Image

Image

Image


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Post subject: Re: knot in the maple doing damage to my fender strat neck.
Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 4:13 pm
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WOW thats great he fixed it. Its good to have a good guy to go to. I,ve never seen a knot in a neck like that.


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