Question Body neck gap

[Guitarchris]

Hi to everybody and ernie ball staff
I am a music man lover and i have some music man guitars
Unfortunately the last Luke that i found have a big gap in the body neck attack, the base of the body is deformed, the two pieces do not coincide. i dont understand how and why music man allows that some instruments leaves the ernie ball home or pass the control, is not the first guitar that i found with problems, anybody found something similar? Here the photo, a paper go inside the attack more than a half of the neck, obviously the screw are well fixed, is a really pity.

 

[nervous]

Is this a new or used guitar? Is that a full pocket shim in there? Looks very odd and hard to think that's factory.

 

[Guitarchris]

Hi, there is no shim inside, is a hole, only the zone of the A and E string have a contact with the body, i think that something go wrong with this guitar, is the second guitar where i found a mistake, before a Luke 3 with a Neck with a big mistake on the ratio Neck, i sent a picture of that un music man, the answer, sometimes it happen!!!!????? And now this Luke limited edition, i am losing my music man religion,
Some instruments can not go out to the shop

 

[mikeller]

Did you purchase new or used? Is that a Luke 3? Something seems wrong there altogether - the guitar appears to be olive gold in the photo, but, to my knowledge, the only olive gold Luke 3's had a full rosewood neck.

 

[beej]

It's hard to tell anything from the photo. I'd take the neck off and have a look, see if there's a paint bubble, shim, or something else preventing it from being properly seated. Could be something very simple.

If it's still an issue after that, send Daniel an email at [email protected] and ask for their advice.

Again, it's impossible to say what's going on without seeing more. As for the other issue you're referencing, again, I'm not sure what you're saying. But let the customer support folks help you out, and go from there.

 

[jones4tone]

Is the neck stable? Were those fret markers used only on a Dargie run?

 

[Guitarchris]

Yes is a music man Luke 2 dargie delight

 

[Guitarchris]

Buy second hand in a shop, is a music man Luke 2 dargie delight , is a really pity, i think i return the guitar

 

[Guitarchris]

Nothing inside the neck, is a really mistake on this guitar, a bad mistake and is the second that i found,
Sorry for my bad english
I just try to say that music man should not allow certain instruments to be put on the market.
I had problems with the neck of a new Luke 3, and the response of music man was, it happens!!!!, of course I had sent photos to understand the problem.
as a lover of the brand I'm really disappointed, even this guitar I think will come back to the store.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Excuse me, but that guitar is around 10 years old, and you have no idea what it has been through, or what has been done to it. If reinstalled improperly, it is very possible to have a gap between the neck and the body.

When you pulled the neck off, what did you find? Were there shims? How many and where?

 

[spychocyco]

If I really liked the guitar, I'd have a local luthier/tech take a look at it before I gave up on it.

On a new guitar, I agree, things like that shouldn't happen (but everyone has a bad day). With a used guitar, as tbone mentioned, you don't know what the previous owner might have done with it. Caveat emptor on second hand instruments. I've had wins and losses there, and I've never bought a used guitar that didn't need some work.

 

[Guitarchris]

hi I understand what you say but I can assure you that the guitar is OK, separating the neck and body, it is clear that no changes have been made, there are no abrasions, with a precision ruler i can clearly see that the part of the edge has a dimple, it is really born bad, it has not been modified.
unfortunately I found the same problem even in a new Luke 3, as well as an error in the ratio of the neck of another Luke 3.
for a music man lover like me, it's really disappointing.
in the dargie there is only the classic shim music man as in others I have.

 

[nervous]

Chiming in again. First I am 100% in agreement that the neck needs to come off for inspection. Easy and that'll answer a lot. Second, Were the Dargie 2 a special order, limited run like the D1? If so, I remain in dis-belief that a high profile special limited run guitar would ever get out with an issue like this, not would any owner along the line, most likely very familiar with these models, would have ever left this as you have it. I would be slower in blaming the mfg for bad craftsmanship on a guitar with a wholly unknown history as previously mentioned. That said I am very curious what you find when you pull the neck and how is the current action and playability, relief etc.? I would think it would have to be miserable, bridge saddles jacked up and all to accommodate that sort of gap.

 

[Guitarchris]

hello, I assure you that the guitar is in order, neck, bridge, saddle, action, everything is in order, the guitar was already with a good action, I only changed a little, then I realized this crack between neck and body , I unscrewed the neck to see if any work had been done, but everything is ok, there are writings with dates and no sign of work done, then to understand where the problem was I made measurements with a ruler and neck it is ok, while its seat in the body is perfect in the inner part while at the margin a void is created, a crack, a wrong job has been done originally.
it's a shame because the guitar sounds good and I like it, I have to understand if I can mentally tolerate this thing or better if I can give it back.

 

[beej]

I realize English isn't your first language, but it's hard to understand exactly what the problem is.

You're talking about an old guitar- who knows what's been done to it, or what the exact problem is (since we don't have a picture of the neck cavity). If there's a ridge, gap, etc., you can likely have it fixed by a luthier so there's better contact. It's not rocket science. But again, I would contact Music Man first and ask their opinion.

You've mentioned an "error in the ratio" of another guitar. I have no idea what that means. Whatever the problem was, it's also the sort of thing that should have been addressed with customer service.

Anyhow ... should you keep the guitar? That's the question, right? Forgetting about the gap, what does it play like? Do you like the sound of it? That's really all that matters. Whether the neck has a gap in the pocket or not isn't really a big deal, honestly. And again, that can be fixed if you don't like it. So decide whether you like the guitar and keep it. Or not.

 

[Guitarchris]

I realize English isn't your first language, but it's hard to understand exactly what the problem is.

You're talking about an old guitar- who knows what's been done to it, or what the exact problem is (since we don't have a picture of the neck cavity). If there's a ridge, gap, etc., you can likely have it fixed by a luthier so there's better contact. It's not rocket science. But again, I would contact Music Man first and ask their opinion.

You've mentioned an "error in the ratio" of another guitar. I have no idea what that means. Whatever the problem was, it's also the sort of thing that should have been addressed with customer service.

Anyhow ... should you keep the guitar? That's the question, right? Forgetting about the gap, what does it play like? Do you like the sound of it? That's really all that matters. Whether the neck has a gap in the pocket or not isn't really a big deal, honestly. And again, that can be fixed if you don't like it. So decide whether you like the guitar and keep it. Or not.

yes i am from italy, sorry for my bad english

I told my experience with two new instruments that had problems, a luke 3 with the wrong ratio, ratio I mean the ratio of the fingerboard, in the luke the ratio is 12, in the one I bought the ratio did not exist, it was a slanted line instead of a curve, I pointed out this with a photo of the ernie ball support, their answer was: sometimes it happens........, I was expecting a better answer, all here,
another luke 3 instead they had the wrong two points of attack of the bridge, they were not in line, one more ahead than the other, now this has happened to me on this used luke dargie and for this reason I wanted to talk just to understand if it had happened to someone else, for me who am a lover music man is a regret find so many instruments with errors, new or used, in my case the luke dargie is perfect but there is an error in the realization, as you say, I have to understand if it can go well for me or not, I am sorry because it would be the third music but n I send back, it's a record.

 

[beej]

Your English is much better than my Italian! No apology necessary.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Can you post a picture of the issue with the bridge you are talking about? Are the Saddles out of line? Or the bridge studs?

Also can you post a picture of the "dimple" in the used Dargie? Again it's very possible that someone did something to it in the 10 years since it was made. I have 4 EBMM instruments, 1 was purchased new, one was almost new, and two used. None of them have had any problems such as this, and all the problems they did have were setup issues and worn parts.

 

[Guitarchris]

Can you post a picture of the issue with the bridge you are talking about? Are the Saddles out of line? Or the bridge studs?

Also can you post a picture of the "dimple" in the used Dargie? Again it's very possible that someone did something to it in the 10 years since it was made. I have 4 EBMM instruments, 1 was purchased new, one was almost new, and two used. None of them have had any problems such as this, and all the problems they did have were setup issues and worn parts.

I returned to the shop, the guitar that had the off-line bridge, it had one of the two pivots further forward so the bridge was tilted, it was a new Luke 3, as I bought and returned a Luke 3 with a wrong fingerboard.
You see the dimple of the Luke dargie used in the photo I inserted, I removed the neck and everything is in order, as soon as I can i disassemble it again and send the photos, again, the Luke dargie is OK, bridge, neck, saddle, action, sounds good, has only this lack of adherence between the two parts.

 

[Mace13]

fretboard ratio = fretboard radius (I think).