Anyone else have this issue with a neck..?

[merseybeat1963]

I have a solid body ele guitar where the neck in the winter bows and in the summer it straightens..(which is where I prefer it).

Both extremes are on the treshold of too far.The summer it almost backbows & late winter it bows to where its a bit too much.

Anyone else have this issue?

Would moisturizing the guitar in the winter keep neck straighter?

 

The neck is a one piece curly birds eye maple Cunetto Relic Mary Kay Stratocaster.

Because of this issue the guitar is not exactly perfectly dependable but is such a good sounding guitar..as good as the best maple ash originals.

When I got it in 2004 I had the repair guy carve out an access to truss rod (as many old guitars seem to have) cause taking the neck off everytime was too unstablizing.

So its been at a good spot where it semi stays in that range without adjustment.

It probably does not help that the strings are xx light

[duluthdan]

Is it a bolt on neck? wonder if that might be part of the issue?

[jt]

The wood expands in summer/humid weather and contracts in winter/arid weather. Hence the bowing. You need to adjust the truss rod seasonally.

[jedzep]

A Mary Kay strat? What the hellzthat? I've had two acoustic necks behave that way in my lifetime. A real nice '58 Goya M26 and my current D18. Both were cured with a heavier gauge string, as I was always using 10's a while back, and I'd notice just about the time of year static electrical shocks appeared (cold weather) string buzz, as slight as it was between fret 3 &5, would disappear. Warm weather and humidity brought it back on. My house is bone dry in winter, and I figured if the problem was that subtle I was pretty damn close to perfect string height. I did end up adjusting to get the slightest relief and with the 12's on haven't noticed any buzzing, but it was indeed interesting, especially with the Martin which moved almost daily, to be able to use it for a weather report. I made the adjustment so that I could drop the tuning down half step and not buzz.

[stein]

This is interesting to me.

 

I have had a lot of Strats, and one thing I have noticed about the Strats, is that they seem to be rediculasly stable...so much so I don't mind the hard to deal with truss rod adjusment.

 

Not that I can explain it, aside from that Maple is a very hard and stable wood.

 

Don't know what to say, except that I would have done the same thing as you- which is route the body and make the adjustment when needed.

[merseybeat1963]

Its a Fender Jed. The first Relics.

Typical Strat bolt on neck dan.

 

Seasonal adjustments..I didn't realize its kind of ok to do so often(twice a year).

My guitar repair guy, an old timer..he is 90 years old now..used to say to me with an Italian accent "No touche'...No looke' " concerning neck adjustments.

Ive noticed if you get it close, and make it a point to not adjust the neck much, it kind of settles nearly in to place over the years.

But a few like this are more eratic.

Once had a Greven Guitar(in 1985)new..Super curly maple thing..looked like glass. But moved day to day..had to sell it.

 

Ill get a humidifier & put it in there for winter hopefully that works : )

[jedzep]

Mary Kay...as in PINK?

[stein]

Mary Kay...as in PINK?

Lol...a "Mary Kay" is a nickname for a Blonde Strat with gold hardware.

 

There was this female musician (Mary Kay) who appeared in a promo pic with such a guitar, and it became thought that this "bolnde with gold hardware" strat was a custom ordered or prefered guitar for her. As in, thought to be a sort of 'signature' model.

 

It's just the one promo photo, and she actually seldom if ever used it, but the nickname stuck. So, "Mary Kay" means Blonde with gold hardware. Usually most think it as a maple neck as well.

 

For the record, pre- '60 Strats with a "custom color" were VERY rare. Blonde was considered a custom color. And, gold hardware was even more rare. In reality, an origonal would be an extremely rare guitar, I'm guessing only a few, like 5 or ten, although I don't actually know.

[merseybeat1963]

This is interesting to me.

 

I have had a lot of Strats, and one thing I have noticed about the Strats, is that they seem to be rediculasly stable...so much so I don't mind the hard to deal with truss rod adjusment.

 

Not that I can explain it, aside from that Maple is a very hard and stable wood.

 

Don't know what to say, except that I would have done the same thing as you- which is route the body and make the adjustment when needed.

 

My brother used to say its cause Fender uses a lot of soft maple for necks instead of the hard type ..and figured wood like this is less stable.

I ordered 2 Strat Masterbuilt with this in mind & concerned,so I asked for Quartersawn necks..one very fat like a 1955...and the other a 1965 but with an ebony fingerboard.

 

Oh well as long as the neck is even it'll be ok. It had crossed my mind selling it...but finding another one with its qualities will be too hard to find.

I don't know if the other Cunetto guitars were as good but this thing really is like an old one.

[merseybeat1963]

Lol...a "Mary Kay" is a nickname for a Blonde Strat with gold hardware.

 

There was this female musician (Mary Kay) who appeared in a promo pic with such a guitar, and it became thought that this "bolnde with gold hardware" strat was a custom ordered or prefered guitar for her. As in, thought to be a sort of 'signature' model.

 

It's just the one promo photo, and she actually seldom if ever used it, but the nickname stuck. So, "Mary Kay" means Blonde with gold hardware. Usually most think it as a maple neck as well.

 

For the record, pre- '60 Strats with a "custom color" were VERY rare. Blonde was considered a custom color. And, gold hardware was even more rare. In reality, an origonal would be an extremely rare guitar, I'm guessing only a few, like 5 or ten, although I don't actually know.

 

: )

Real beauties though.

I read once the guitar is owned by one of her relatives.

[stein]

My brother used to say its cause Fender uses a lot of soft maple for necks instead of the hard type ..and figured wood like this is less stable.

I ordered 2 Strat Masterbuilt with this in mind & concerned,so I asked for Quartersawn necks..one very fat like a 1955...and the other a 1965 but with an ebony fingerboard.

 

Oh well as long as the neck is even it'll be ok. It had crossed my mind selling it...but finding another one with its assets will be too hard to find.

I don't know if the other Cunetto guitars were as good but this thing really is like an old one.

I don't think I've ever had a quarter sawn Strat neck...I would think it would be different, but I can't guess how.

 

I do remember one I had with what I think was a Charvel/Jacksom made neck. It had a very light finish, slight birdseye to it, and was extremly thin. Normally wouldn't care for a thin neck, but for some reason, this one felt good. But anyway, it WAS adjustable and "flexy" with the truss rod. It actually had an issue where it had a sort of "kink" in the middle around the 7th- or so fret, where it wouldn't bow smoothly. I also thought the wood was softer than most, even though it was thin as heck.

 

Other than that, the only thing I have ever thought to have to look for was having any bow at all. Then Strat necks are HARD. Usually I am happy if I have to adjust it at all, in which case, after the pain of taking the neck on and off and tuning and such (seriously, what a hoot!), always seems to stay put for years, through cold trunks and everything.

 

Above all, a true Fender Custom shop to me is every bit of hit and miss as any quality Strat, although, pretty high on quality. Would NOT want to part with one I bonded with.

[jedzep]

Thanks for the history lesson. As Homer would say...DOH!

[merseybeat1963]

I don't think I've ever had a quarter sawn Strat neck...I would think it would be different, but I can't guess how.

 

I do remember one I had with what I think was a Charvel/Jacksom made neck. It had a very light finish, slight birdseye to it, and was extremly thin. Normally wouldn't care for a thin neck, but for some reason, this one felt good. But anyway, it WAS adjustable and "flexy" with the truss rod. It actually had an issue where it had a sort of "kink" in the middle around the 7th- or so fret, where it wouldn't bow smoothly. I also thought the wood was softer than most, even though it was thin as heck.

 

Other than that, the only thing I have ever thought to have to look for was having any bow at all. Then Strat necks are HARD. Usually I am happy if I have to adjust it at all, in which case, after the pain of taking the neck on and off and tuning and such (seriously, what a hoot!), always seems to stay put for years, through cold trunks and everything.

 

Above all, a true Fender Custom shop to me is every bit of hit and miss as any quality Strat, although, pretty high on quality. Would NOT want to part with one I bonded with.

 

The Eric Johnson maple Neck Stratocaster is spec'ed with a Quartersawn maple neck..take a look at one its standard production & usually at a Guitar Center(if you can bear to walk into one of those horrible stores).

The wood is beautifull and in theory more stable..

In theory an instrument should all be in quartersawn wood, but not in modern practice it seems but with some success most of the time dispite that compromise.

Id have gone for one of those EJ guitars but Mr.Johnson had spec'ed no bodies to be over a certain weight..I think it was 8 lbs...and Fender seems to use only 8 lb bodies so there is no chance to get a light one(back when I looked)and the bodies feel like they are still full of water for some reason.