Cold North Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hello everyone, new user here. I just got an Epiphone Nighthawk Custom Reissue last week and noticed that the neck has slightly more relief on the bass string side. It's completely flat on the treble side. The difference isn't huge, but it's there. I'm worried that it might grow into a problem with time. Is this anything to worry about? Some of my older guitars have had uneven necks like this with no problems in playability. Oddly, there's some fret buzzing on the side with relief, and none on the flat side. I guess that could be because low tones have a wider vibration area (sorry, English isn't my main language). Anyway, I'm wondering if I should return the guitar or just stop worrying about it. Other than this, it's the best 300€ guitar I've ever played. Really great value for money. Looks nice too (trans-amber). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiman56 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hey there, Cold ... welcome to the Forum, or as we like to call it: "The REAL Happiest Place on Earth!" I am also a very happy Nighthawk owner. I've had my Flameburst for several months now, and I agree that it is an incredible value. Interesting question about your guitar's neck. Sounds like there might be a slight twist in it to me. Did you buy it new from a dealer? If so, you might want to take it in and see if they have a guitar tech there that can have a look at it (besides, ANY guitar will benefit from a good set-up!) The problem with a neck twist is that a simple truss rod adjustment will most ikely not cure the issue. If it's twisted right out of the box, I'd probably have them order me another. Keep us posted on how thigs develop ... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hey there, Cold ... welcome to the Forum, or as we like to call it: "The REAL Happiest Place on Earth!" I am also a very happy Nighthawk owner. I've had my Flameburst for several months now, and I agree that it is an incredible value. Interesting question about your guitar's neck. Sounds like there might be a slight twist in it to me. Did you buy it new from a dealer? If so, you might want to take it in and see if they have a guitar tech there that can have a look at it (besides, ANY guitar will benefit from a good set-up!) The problem with a neck twist is that a simple truss rod adjustment will most ikely not cure the issue. If it's twisted right out of the box, I'd probably have them order me another. Keep us posted on how thigs develop ... Jim That's good advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold North Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Yep, got it new from a dealer. They offer a free setup with every guitar, so I'm going to take advantage of that and bring it in today. I'll ask about the neck and compare it to another Nighthawk they ordered at the same time as mine. I was reading about twisted necks and someone said on thegearpage.net forums: "A slight counter-clockwise twist is actually a good thing (on a right-handed guitar) because it lets you set the neck almost dead straight on the treble side - for nice low action and easy bending - and still keep a bit more relief on the bass side - for rattle-free heavy strumming." Makes sense I guess, wondering if it's intentional. Since it plays well enough, my main concern is just to get rid of the fret buzz. I tried loosening the truss rod a bit, but it felt like tightening it, which was weird. The more I turned, the more friction there was. So I just put it back in the default position and will let the guys at the store figure it out. Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanatic Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Thats the way they are supposed to be. A neck with a tiny amount more relief on the bass side is supposed to be ideal, so consider yourself lucky. seriously. The reason for it is that the vibrational pattern of the low strings is larger and they require more relief than the plain strings. The best action is achieved with slightly more relief on the bass side and guitars are manufactured like that for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold North Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanatic Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Sure. And you should be able to make that thing play like butter. Take a look at the other recent NH thread where the guys talks about how low he was able to get the action, and i chimed in and said the same about mine. These NH's have amazing necks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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