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Musichap

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Mar 2, 2013
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Has anyone experienced an unstable neck on their JPX. Purchased one a little over a month ago and have had to adjust the truss rod weekly to eliminate buzzing and set action as per spec.
 

DrKev

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1) Welcome to the forum family!!

2) Get in touch with customer service - they're the best in the business and issues like his are exactly what they are there for. Let them help you.

3) Wood moves with temperature and humidity changes. Thinner necks are more pone to this than thick necks. It's totally normal, it's one reason why we have adjustable truss rods and why Music Man have made their so easy to adjust.

4) Factory spec is John Petrucci's set up. That may not suit everyone's playing style and picking technique and some of us need more action or neck relief to bring fret buzz to an acceptable level.

5) unofficial forum rule - your guitar doesn't exist without pictures! :)
 

Musichap

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1) Welcome to the forum family!!

2) Get in touch with customer service - they're the best in the business and issues like his are exactly what they are there for. Let them help you.

3) Wood moves with temperature and humidity changes. Thinner necks are more pone to this than thick necks. It's totally normal, it's one reason why we have adjustable truss rods and why Music Man have made their so easy to adjust.

4) Factory spec is John Petrucci's set up. That may not suit everyone's playing style and picking technique and some of us need more action or neck relief to bring fret buzz to an acceptable level.

5) unofficial forum rule - your guitar doesn't exist without pictures! :)

Thank you!

I did contact them, spoke with Billy who suggested I send it back to them for inspection and possibly replace the neck. Thing is I absolutely love this guitar and don't want to part with it. Also, am worried that the new neck will not match the body colour. The fret ends were very sharp when I first got the guitar home and have since gotten a lot better. I'm wondering if the wood is adjusting to my ideal conditions in my home compared to in a music store and causing it to move the way it has been?? Anyway, I did post some pics of my girls.

For what it's worth, I have been playing for over 30 years and have had lots of high end guitars like this one including thin neck Ibanez Prestige guitar and other JP BFR's. The neck on this moves more than all the others probably due to what I said above.
 

JayDawg

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CS does excellent work. If Billy is asking you to send it back so they can remedy the situation, then I would do that. I don't believe they would send you back the guitar in worse shape. Plus EBMM CS stuff usually has a pretty quick turnaround. I have heard nothing but good things about them.
 

fbecir

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Hello and welcome

If the frets were sharp when you bought your guitar, that means that the hydrometry of the shop was not so good (too dry). Now in your house the neck will adapt itself to its new environment. It can take time. Perhaps it's a good idea to wait a bit before sending it to CS.
 

Musichap

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Hello and welcome

If the frets were sharp when you bought your guitar, that means that the hydrometry of the shop was not so good (too dry). Now in your house the neck will adapt itself to its new environment. It can take time. Perhaps it's a good idea to wait a bit before sending it to CS.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. Purchased it at Long & McQuade which would be a smaller scales GC. Their conditions are less than ideal for guitars. Good thing this one was behind the counter so no one hacked on it. The front counter is right by the front door though!
 

Razzle

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Well I've had my JPX for 3 months now and I have to adjust the truss rod almost every time I play it.

My music room is in my basement and so the temperature gets pretty cool, when I get in there and heat it up then the temp gets adjusted again. But when I start playing and have to adjust the truss rod, it's before it warms up, so it must be the cooler temp that's doing it. I wonder if I should monitor it to see HOW cool it gets.

But yea, I adjust mine all the time, and I've seen several posts here where people are, and it seems it's the JPX more than the other JPs. I absolutely love the guitar though.
 

Musichap

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Well I've had my JPX for 3 months now and I have to adjust the truss rod almost every time I play it.

My music room is in my basement and so the temperature gets pretty cool, when I get in there and heat it up then the temp gets adjusted again. But when I start playing and have to adjust the truss rod, it's before it warms up, so it must be the cooler temp that's doing it. I wonder if I should monitor it to see HOW cool it gets.

But yea, I adjust mine all the time, and I've seen several posts here where people are, and it seems it's the JPX more than the other JPs. I absolutely love the guitar though.

I love it too! This is why I don't want to send it in. I wonder of the ebony fretboard has anything to do with it. I have a regular JP6 and a couple of high end PRS's which move but not enough to warrant an adjustment. Anyway, time will tell.
 

Warg Master

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My JPX seems a little more sensitive too. Not as much as either of you describe.. but more so than my other guitars. It's strange.... But I love the guitar.. it's fantastic! For reference, I've had mine for a year and 3 months. Mine had an issues I did have to send it back to EBMM for. The nut was wearing away and was too deeply cut on the 3 bass-side strings. I attribute that to the fact that my JPX was a guitar center rescue. Most guitar I've rescued from there have some strange problems that come from all the hands touching them and abusing them.. and sometimes guitar center neglect....... :eek:
 
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Musichap

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Mar 2, 2013
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My JPX seems a little more sensitive too. Not as much as either of you describe.. but more so than my other guitars. It's strange.... But I love the guitar.. it's fantastic! For reference, I've had mine for a year and 3 months. Mine had an issues I did have to send it back to EBMM for. The nut was wearing away and was too deeply cut on the 3 bass-side strings. I attribute that to the fact that my JPX was a guitar center rescue. Most guitar I've rescued from there have some strange problems that come from all the hands touching them and abusing them.. and sometimes guitar center neglect....... :eek:

I know what you mean. I live close to the U.S. border so I frequent GC in Buffalo. It seems like they're making more of an effort to keep their higher end guitars behind the counter so you have to ask to try them out. They have a BFR JP6 in Island Burst that might need be be rescued by me.
 

PY38

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KEEP IT IN YOUR CASE!!!!! Sorry for the caps but its an important message. I have had my JPXI7 for 6 months and use to adjust the truss every 2 weeks. I experimented a month ago and everytime Im done playing it I put it back in the case. I have not had to adjust my neck once. Hell, I havnt tuned a single string in a month (I dont use the bar). I play it every day. Some times a few hours, some times a few min....I also use a 32/64 ruler to measure and it literally has not moved.

Try it out, take detailed measurements and then case it when your done..........
 

Musichap

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KEEP IT IN YOUR CASE!!!!! Sorry for the caps but its an important message. I have had my JPXI7 for 6 months and use to adjust the truss every 2 weeks. I experimented a month ago and everytime Im done playing it I put it back in the case. I have not had to adjust my neck once. Hell, I havnt tuned a single string in a month (I dont use the bar). I play it every day. Some times a few hours, some times a few min....I also use a 32/64 ruler to measure and it literally has not moved.

Try it out, take detailed measurements and then case it when your done..........

I will certainly try that. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

mikeller

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My JPX required constant tweaks the first few months I owned it. However I don't think I have had to touch the truss once in the past year or more.
 

Warg Master

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FWIW, I have had to make little to no tuning adjustments in the last year on my JPX :) even after a string change, stratch those string and let them settle and the tuning is phenomenal.

I do use Big Bends Nut sauce on the nut and the Trem posts. I'm sure it just adds to the awesomeness that is the JPX :D
 

Musichap

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Mar 2, 2013
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I don't think it's bad at all. If your action stays the way you set it, then no need to. I too have ones that there is no need to adjust.

See, that's what I was looking for. Since my fret edges are still a little sharp, not as much as when I bought it, I think with time it'll settle down. Damn mass market music stores! Also, as I mentioned, I really, really don't want to send it back even realizing how great EB is with warranty issues. Just love it too much.
 

Razzle

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Get in touch with customer service - they're the best in the business and issues like his are exactly what they are there for.
They are! But what can they do? Replace the neck? I think it's inherent in the design.

I wonder of the ebony fretboard has anything to do with it.
I don't think so, if anything it should add stability (i.e. denser wood?)

I experimented a month ago and everytime Im done playing it I put it back in the case. I have not had to adjust my neck once.
Huh, well that's interesting. So the case either provides the temperature stability (were you exposing the guitar to any sort of temperature swings?), or structural stability (what I'd guess). Unfortunately this just won't work for me, my guitars are out -- I play them regularly. Plus, none of my other guitars do this, even my other two EBMMs (Axis & SM-Y2D).

My JPX required constant tweaks the first few months I owned it. However I don't think I have had to touch the truss once in the past year or more.
Well that's promising! Perhaps I'll revisit this topic in a year from now. There's hope!
_______________________________________________________________________

I normally wouldn't put up with it, but this guitar is the best playing guitar in my stable.
(trying out some other JPs is on my 'list-o-things' to do) In my opinion, this is being caused by a combination of the thin neck, and chambered body.

So I haven't heard anyone mention string gauge? Can anyone interested in this topic post their string gauges?

I use Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9's (9's on the top, 10's on the bottom)
(ahem, of course, but they really ARE the best string on the market IMHO).
 

mikeller

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So I haven't heard anyone mention string gauge? Can anyone interested in this topic post their string gauges?

I use Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9's (9's on the top, 10's on the bottom)
(ahem, of course, but they really ARE the best string on the market IMHO).

I use 9.5 - 44's on all my EBMM Guitars.
 
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