neck hump les paul studio

[plucke]

Hello, I am new here but have been lurking for awhile.

 

I have a question about my guitar's neck. My guitar is a Les Paul Studio Mahogany that I bought new last summer. About a month after I bought it, I took it to my usual shop to get a setup. When I went to pick it up the guy said that the guitar had a "funky" neck and that the tailpiece had to be raised a lot to get any reasonable action. He said the hump was located around the third fret on the treble side. I am no guitar tech, so I didn't really think anything about it. After playing other Les Paul's over the past year, I noticed that they were much easier to play than my guitar - so I took my guitar in for another setup. This time it was set up by another guy and after going to pick it up he told me that the tail piece should never be raised that high and continued to tell me that the guitar had a "weird" neck - and that there was a hump around the third fret on the treble side. He also said that he lowered the action but couldn't get all the string buzz out of the bass strings - but you it wouldn't hear it through an amp.

 

I wanted to ask if this is normal for Les Paul Studios and if anything can be done to fix this "neck hump'.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[Yaff]

"Neck hump", no, this is not normal. Sounds like the wood has warped.

 

Did you buy it new? If so, I would take it back to the shop and see what they have to say. Gibson give a lifetime guarantee to the original owner, so you may be in luck.

 

I would also say, with the very big frets on the Studio, I am surprised the tech could not file the frets, to cancel out small imperfections in the wood.

 

Hope you get it sorted quickly

[rockstar232007]

It could be that the truss rod wasn't set right, which can cause the neck to warp under the pressure of the strings.

 

The best way to fix it is to have the TR/neck and action set for a lighter gauge of strings (i.e. 9 gauge). This should relieve some of the pressure from the neck and it should begin to straiten out. If it's really bad, the neck might have to be planed/sanded in that area to even it out. But, as always, it's better to have a pro guitar repair person, or a luthier check it out just to make sure.

[plucke]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have it checked out by a pro.

 

Anyone happen to know of a good luthier or pro guitar repair person in the Houston area?

[BigKahune]

... I would also say' date=' with the very big frets on the Studio, I am surprised the tech could not file the frets, to cancel out small imperfections in the wood. ...[/quote']

 

+1

 

Possibly a fret leveling would help. But definitely have it checked by an authorized Gibson dealer/repair so they can check on warranty coverage. Don't have any work done until you hear about the warranty coverage.

[Franzi]

You would think they checked the truss rod, when they made the setup. I would show the guitar to the dealer who sold it to you. A very small percentage of guitars develop a warped neck still months after they roll out of the factory. Address this with your dealer as a warranty query. Better don't make any adjustments liek fret level before you go to the shop, because that could void your warranty. Thanks.

[Big Bill]

Since you're the original owner and it's under warranty, I would call Gibson Customer Service, they will find an answer to solving your problem.

[Rame]

My best suggestions are:

 

1) Contact the dealer your purchased it from to see what they suggest

 

2) Have one of the techs listed at this link take a look at your guitar to determine the best course of action. Texas Warranty Service Centers

 

or 3) Contact Gibson Customer Service at 1-800-444-2766 to set up an RMA to have the instrument sent back to Gibson for a warranty evaluation.

[Trea]

The best guitar guy in Houston IMO is Mike Nedd at www.neddguitars.com

 

I've also heard good things about Ron Pace but I've never used him personally.

[plucke]

Thanks.

 

I contacted Gibson Customer Service, set up an RMA, and sent the guitar back to Gibson for a warranty evaluation.

 

Now I have to wait and see what Gibson says.....can't wait to hear - I really like the sound and the "no frills" finish on the studio faded!

[Franzi]

I hope for a positive outcome! Meanwhile: what are you actually doing there? Do you paint?

[plucke]

Yes! I consider myself a sculptor but I paint and draw as well. I also teach art at the local community college.

 

My profile image is actually a pic of me working on a drawing of one of my sculptures.

[Franzi]

Hello plucke,

 

That is great-any work that involves creating is a privilege! All the best with your Les Paul Studio, let us know what comes out.

[tbonesullivan]

glad to see this got resolved. In general if you buy a NEW guitar and it gets a "hump" on the neck, that's a warranty issue. I'm surprised neither of the techs suggested this, as a neck warp is not something that can easily be fixed, and is in many cases a death sentence for a non-historical guitar. often cheaper to replace the neck than try to fix it.