Neck pockets on new Charvels?

[Mickey_C]

I purchased a new Charvel, and am a little concerned over the neck joint. I haven't seen a lot of Charvel USA workmanship, and was basing my faith in their products based upon my experience with my Anniversary Charvel Seral 13, which is extremely well made.

I would really appreciate anybody taking pictures of their new custom shop neck joints on their USA Charvels. I'd greatly appreciate that.

Here's my HRF neck joint top side:



And bottom side:



Here's the top from a slight distance (still visible gap):



Whatd'ya think? Am I honestly being stupid over this? Is it really nothing?

[Joe_Steeler]

Damn, that is a big gap specially on the trebble side. Kinda flares out.

Does the guitar resonate well? does it play well? if it does, don't worry about it. You have four screws holding the thing together, you are not depending on that little lip for resonance or tone.
For a Custom Shop instrument, comanding the kind of dough it does for a single pup w/vintage trem guitar, it should not look like that. They ought to know better.

All in all, a killer looking axe you got there.

[owlhead]

Killer looking guitar, but from a custom shop I wouldn't expect any gaps in the neck pocket. How does this guitar play and feel?

[AzPilot]

Personally I would send it back and have them fix it. However if they say that is acceptable and they wont fix it, i would fix it myself. Putty and paint.

[Mickey_C]

I loosened the strings. I loosened the screws. I gave it a good hard tug, and put it back in place. It's hugely improved. I'll take some pictures here in a little bit. Putting the neck back in place also corrected the nut ping, though it threw the intonation off again (I had to intonate when it arrived - hadn't considered that the neck was whacked out of position).

After staring at it all weekend, I decided that it was an artifact of an improperly packed guitar, riding on it's head, with nothing supporting the body, all the way from the east coast. When I placed it in the case, it's obvious from the angle it sits, that the neck got smacked on repeatedly at a down angle (down from the top horn perspective, that is). The bottom gap was flared out by the pressure of the neck hitting it. I am thinking some moist heat could put it back.

Which leads me to a major, major gripe. The case is crap, obviously for a dinky or some other jackson. The proper case for this guitar should prevent the body from flying around, by providing enough case pocket to stop the top horn. This one does not. A proper designed case would've cradled the guitar body, keeping the neck safe from damage.

I've played the hell out of it now - the guitar rips, with a great strat tone, and I think I'd like to keep it. Am I nuts? Not saying I won't cuss out Music Zoo monday for packing the guitar shitty. Besides, it will be many months, and a lot more money to get another Hot Rod Flames.

Mickey

[dannyr]

The gap in the neck pocket is what would bother me. Everything else is minor. YOU are the one that needs to be satisfied with you purchase. If so, then keep it and enjoy it. If not, send it back and get a refund. There will be many more cool Charvels available soon.

The case issue has been discussed several times. They are using a cheap G&G case that isn't really form fitting and does not keep the guitars from moving around especially in shipping. J/C is aware of the problem but hasn't done anything to change it that I am aware of. I'm sure TMZ's packing job also sucked. Most dealers don't go out of there way to pack well.

[shreddermon]

Those G&G cases are great for lugging your guitar around town and for a vintage vibe. But for shipping a guitar coast-to-coast (or less), they flat out blow. The G&Gs need a form-fitting insert for the body to be held snug into, just like the SKB cases used for the Jackson line. i.e., Thus also preventing the neck/head from moving and/or being banged within the case.

I'm sure someone will come along and say that this wouldn't be a problem if the guitars were just packed properly for shipping. That's true, but shouldn't be necessary to begin with. A form-fitting insert would obviate that need totally, and prevent a lot of shipping damage, etc. It's overdue, IMHO.

[busdriver]

Yes, those non-form fitting cases are crap when it comes to shipping. When I ship guitars in these cases I do this to prevent the guitar from moving inside the case:
I take an old newspaper, coil it up as tight as possible and put it between the accessories compartment and the upper horn. The headstock can't touch the case anymore and the guitar won't move. You only have to take care that the newspaper (or whatever you put in between) is as broad as the case itself, otherwise there's a risk that it moves away during shipping.

[dg]

I totally agree with what Pat said about them needing to make an insert if they aren't going to just do it right & come up with a form-fit case. In the meantime, though, I don't see why the dealers (forget about C/J doing it in the first place, they've proven they don't give a shit) don't put some packing material in there to secure the body for at least the final leg of shipping.

[toejam]

I think the only manufacturer who knows how to pack a guitar right is Neal Moser. Everyone else just throws it in a case and then in a cardboard box and that's it. It's sad, really.

[surfreak]

Those gaps should not be there on a guitar of this quality, but at least it seems that the neck did not need to be shimmed, which in my opinion is more important, in terms of optimal neck/body contact and resonance.

[Mickey_C]

Those gaps should not be there on a guitar of this quality, but at least it seems that the neck did not need to be shimmed, which in my opinion is more important, in terms of optimal neck/body contact and resonance.

And I am sure they weren't until it was shipped in a lousy fitting case, and smacked the neck around, flaring out the sides of the neck pocket.

[Joe_Steeler]

I don't think so Mickey, if that was the case you will see hairline cracks on the finish as the wood compressed. I can't see any, can you?

I have received guitars that the neck slopped around during shipping and in the case of Nitro it will crack and spider a bit. On Poly guitars I've had chips of paint fall off, the size of rice krispies.
I believe what you have is someone got a bit overzealous sanding the area and did not keep the sander/sanding paper straight out of the pocket thereby flareing it out, before applying paint. When it came time to slap the neck in... well they just did.

[Mickey_C]

I don't think so Mickey, if that was the case you will see hairline cracks on the finish as the wood compressed. I can't see any, can you?

I have received guitars that the neck slopped around during shipping and in the case of Nitro it will crack and spider a bit. On Poly guitars I've had chips of paint fall off, the size of rice krispies.
I believe what you have is someone got a bit overzealous sanding the area and did not keep the sander/sanding paper straight out of the pocket thereby flareing it out, before applying paint. When it came time to slap the neck in... well they just did.

So, there's no way to fix it then, right? And I really should just ship it back.

I've been longing for another HRF for over 20 years. This breaks my heart.

[surfreak]

I believe what you have is someone got a bit overzealous sanding the area and did not keep the sander/sanding paper straight out of the pocket thereby flareing it out, before applying paint. When it came time to slap the neck in... well they just did.

Aren't they supposed to be CNC-cut, with just a little manual touch in shaping the neck back?