Learning about distant lands and cultures by sampling their guitar necks!

GuildedCage

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This is not Guild related but I am sure others might have had this same idea so I thought I would post. A friend bought a strat neck before the holidays on the bay that was unbranded but very well made. It was from china but looked like decent maple, nice even grain, straight, thick rosewood fingerboard and block inlays like a LP special. After congratulating him on lucking out with his purchase I started looking at the selection of bargain necks out there with my old ash tele in mind. I did not look for very long before I found this slick looking 22 fret neck that would be a good fit according to the listed dimensions. I thought I would be the coolest kid on the block with a rosewood boarded tele neck sporting the Steve Vai Jem Vine of Life inlays! Not too bad right? I had not done a project in a while so I grabbed the last one. To my surprise the neck arrived and there was no mention of CITES issues or duties, it looked great and the fret job was actually quite good but that's where the positive stuff ended.:blue: The heel was 1.5 mm smaller than expected so in order to make it fit I would need to be Shimi Hendrix but it could have worked. Unfortunately my dreams of a Vai Tele were crushed when I noticed the back-bow. It has a two-way truss-rod ( a little skinny for my taste) but even with the truss rod that neck will never be playable. I flew too close to the sun on wings made of back-bowed maple I guess. Pity, I think it would have looked bitch'in.
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Nuuska

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So

- how much did it cost?
- who was the seller?
- return policy?
- etc etc

most important : learning about distant lands and cultures?

i.e. Canada is distant from Finland

- what's that to do with any of this ? ? ? ?
 

GuildedCage

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So

- how much did it cost?
- who was the seller?
- return policy?
- etc etc

most important : learning about distant lands and cultures?

i.e. Canada is distant from Finland

- what's that to do with any of this ? ? ? ?

Prices range from 50usd to 75-80usd for the fancier inlay necks. I can't recommend my seller since he was eager to answer any questions in order to make a sale but refuses to reply once there is a problem. There are many sellers on Ebay with a wide selection of necks but the best tip I can give is check Amazon, there are many of the same necks there and if it is not the one for you a simple exchange through Amazon is much easier. Return Policy for my purchase was 30 days after it is received and buyer pays cheapie return shipping. As for ''Distant Cultures'' and my post title, I guess the only thing you can learn about a country or culture from their guitar necks is whether they make a good neck or not!:wink:
 

Nuuska

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Right so :triumphant:

Reason I asked "who was the seller?" was not because I want to buy a neck, but to see what kind feedback history he had on eBay. I've done a lot eBay buying + some selling. And often it is true, that if it is too cheap to be good, then it really sucks.

I needed short distance no-latency audio wireless audio line. So I bought this really cheap set, that had transmitter and receiver - both with L+R+Video. hooked them up, and at best they worked for about one minute up to 6 meters/20feet distance. After that at best like 6 inches . . . Audio quality was good, but range of 6 inches was a joke. After some writing back and fort he gave me full refund.

Once I bought an USB Blu-ray player, since my computer reads everything else but blu-ray. And I got one blu-ray disk from Santa. So it arrives - very low cost total. Turns out it plays anything else but blu-ray. Seller tried hard to tell me I could use it for this and that - and that it was a mistake in ad and he would refund 20 or 30 %. After telling him I would take it to eBay as fraudulent ad he gave me full refund.

Few more issues like that - but every time I got full refund by either taking it to "eBay court" - or just talking to seller. Very easy while using PayPal.

Seems like in Far-East there are all sorts of companies - one just have to be firm with them. And all correspondence has to be done via eBay-message, so in case of problem there is something to show.
 

GuildedCage

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Thanks for the tips Nuuska! I have sold a little on Ebay but I am a rookie buyer. The seller was awful friendly to start off but after 5-6 days of not replying I had to have Ebay mediate. Ebay kindly offered us ''More Time'' to work out the issue. I imagine the Let's make a deal portion of the transaction will take place now. He will offer partial refunds until he is offering the neck to me for $8. For $8 I might consider keeping it and using it to practice fret jobs or put it on a wall hanger guitar or something. The wood used on those necks looks good, if they hadn't used the worlds cheapest truss rod and it wasn't so bowed it would have a home on my tele for sure.
 

Nuuska

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Well how much was it then with shipping?

8 bucks for deco piece is ok . .
 

Quantum Strummer

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I'd make a long-term project out of that neck. See if you can finesse it into shape over time. If I had a spare body I'd bolt the neck on, string it with 13 gauge acoustic strings, tune it to F standard (or F# if the strings can take it) and let it sit for a year or two. Then see what you've got. :)

-Dave-
 

Nuuska

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I'd make a long-term project out of that neck. See if you can finesse it into shape over time. If I had a spare body I'd bolt the neck on, string it with 13 gauge acoustic strings, tune it to F standard (or F# if the strings can take it) and let it sit for a year or two. Then see what you've got. :)

-Dave-


Hello

THAT is a brilliant idea Dave :triumphant:

I did not catch the "backbow" from original message. But yes - if normal strings do not give enough pull - just wire it with heavier gauge - old- new - whatever - make it really tight - leave it sit and check once in a while.

If you do not have extra body - you can put it on the floor fretboard facing up - have little support under at nut - put something heavy in the middle - check every now and then.

In both cases you have to observe the truss rod nut being loose. Or in favour of desired direction.
 

GuildedCage

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I'd make a long-term project out of that neck. See if you can finesse it into shape over time. If I had a spare body I'd bolt the neck on, string it with 13 gauge acoustic strings, tune it to F standard (or F# if the strings can take it) and let it sit for a year or two. Then see what you've got. :)

-Dave-

That might be a cool experiment! I decided to not mount it after noticing the backbow and the fact that the truss rod won't quite straighten it out. There is still a nasty looking wave in it. 10's or 11's might not do the trick but slacking off the rod and following your game plan could possibly make it playable at least. If it stays I will give it a shot. Worst that can happen is I learn a thing or two.:positive:
 

GuildedCage

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The seller refunded me and told me to keep the neck. I am going to mount it without permanently altering the pocket and string it up with some Big ol' SRV suspension bridge cable sized strings and let it sit until spring. The transition from winter to spring in Canada might give me the movement I need. It would be nice to get a couple years of play time on it because it has a great profile, slightly slimmer Fender modern ''C''. Nothing to lose now! If it won't work I will use it as a practice tool for fret leveling and crowning, and when thats done I'll grab another cheapo neck and be the first to water-ski on guitar necks! :witless: Thanks for the ideas Dave and Nuuska.
 
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