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Post subject: Head Stock
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:46 am
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This maybe a dumb question, but I am new to owning a Fender Strat.

I was playing my strat last night and noticed that the head stock is not perfectly straight with the neck. It looks like it angles forward just ever so slightly. Is this normal? I bought it brand new and want to make sure I did not get taken.

Thanks!


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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:53 am
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Have You Photo ? send please :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:55 am
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I've noticed this on a few strats that i've seen people(even artists) playing, do you have a string tree??

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:02 am
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No, it should not tilt forward. We know why, but one of the strange idiosyncracies of Leo Fender is that he never moved to a slightly back-tilting headstock, as found on Ibanez-type instruments: but at any rate, it should be flat to the line of the fingerboard.

The optics of the situation can be misleading. You need to sight along the headstock to the neck holding the guitar with the body furthest away from you. Try different angles, and make sure to have a blank background behind the guitar, like a flat bare wall, to avoid optical effects. For all neck matters, never sight from the body towards the headstock.

Also, to be sure, measure it. Trouble is the nut gets in the way. So. With the strings off you lay the guitar flat and place a slim piece of wood with a regular thickness along the top of the frets. That wood wants to be just thick enough that its top surface is higher than the nut. Next place a steel ruler edge on along that piece of wood, so that one end of it extends out above the peghead. Now, keeping everything scrupulously still, measure the distance from the lower edge of the ruler to the surface of the peghead near to the nut and again at the top. Digital calipers are the ideal tool for this job: otherwise, another steel ruler, carefully deployed. Compare these measurements and draw your conclusions.

If there is nothing or very little in it, and you are otherwise pleased with the guitar, live with it. If you don't like what you find and the instrument is under warranty it is a trip back to the store for you.

Oh dear: did you buy it online? How tiresome...

C


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 12:55 pm
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Next time you change the strings, lay the guitar on a flat, level surface... lay a 12" metal ruler on edge on the face of the headstock running in the same direction as the frets... from the headstock, view down the neck to confirm or dismiss warpage.


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