QC issues with the JP15-7's?!

[katsumura78]

I want to start by saying that I'm an EBMM fan. I've owned a number of Petrucci model guitars so I'm not posting to bash the company but simply to let you know there is a serious issue. I ordered a JP15 a few months ago from sweetwater and it had a major flaw. The high e string was way too close to the edge of the fretboard. No other way to describe the issue but it clearly effects playability. I sent it back and waited for another.

Fast forward to today. Picked up my replacement from fedex and opened the case..... same issue and it's worse the the last one. They look amazing, sound amazing but I'm sorry, this is a huge flaw that needs to get fixed before they send these guitars out to dealers.

I'm not here to start a flame war or piss anyone off but after waiting months, spending 3k and getting two guitars that out of the box were flawed I felt the need to ask.

 

[ohdamnitsdevin]

Contact CS.

 

[QuietSpike]

Yeah--- CS is step one...

Can you post a pic of the fretboard around the 12-24 fret area-- all 6 strings? Thx

 

[DrKev]

Could it be this?

 

[Magic Jason]

Could it be this?

What a great vid!!! Thanks DR Kev

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I'm really sad to see this. I actually had the same problem on 3 different EBMM guitars, both new and used. One was a brand new JPXI-7 (2013, new order, had to send it back twice), one was a JPX-7 (2014, in stock, sent it back to the dealer after finding the issue), and the last was a GC limited edition JPX with the trans black quilted top. When trying to play on the treble E string, no matter how careful I was, I would constantly lose the strings off the board due to how little space was left on that side.

Dr. Kev makes a good point…while it is theoretically possible this could be fixed by repositioning the neck in the pocket, this WAS NOT the case with the 3 instruments I had. I had the guitars taken to a tech, and all three were so far off that the little play in the pocket couldn't fix it. The GC Limited JPX actually had a completely crooked neck pocket, and the JPXI-7, on top of the neck misalignment, also had the bridge clearly off center in its route (both working against each other).

I was a huge fan of EBMM guitars in the past, and had the pleasure of owning some fantastic instruments from them (guitars moved over the years due to GAS). Today, I do not own a single one of their guitars anymore due to these issues. After getting two duds brand new, I tried going back to 'older' EBMM guitars, as it seemed to not have happened to me there. After finding the same issues on one of those, I sadly just gave up.

As some have mentioned, I called Customer Service a few times with the issues on the JPXI-7, but the general mindset was that this was a fluke, and there was little sympathy for the repeated failure of EBMM to get me a fixed guitar.

In my opinion, the odds of a single customer getting the same repeated issue on two different guitars back-to-back (the JPXI-7 was rebuilt) are near impossible if this is just a fluke. Working in a 'design for production' environment, I personally find when 'flukes' like this become repeatable, they are no longer flukes - they are either design flaws, or issues with tooling/process on the floor. I'm also surprised that the Quality Control department is not picking up on these issues, and sending these instruments out the door.

I'm sorry to hear your issues, and I hope you're taken care of. Seeing more and more people with this problem seems to make it more than a simple case of 'the stars aligning.' Respectfully, I do believe it's time for EBMM to review their design/processes and get a hold on this flaw.

 

[katsumura78]

Could it be this?

Good video and all but it happened on two brand new guitars sent to me within the last 3-4 months... Out of the box they were like that.

 

[ozzyrules]

What a great vid!!! Thanks DR Kev

+1. Great one, doc.

 

[QuietSpike]

Good video and all but it happened on two brand new guitars sent to me within the last 3-4 months... Out of the box they were like that.

True.. But they are bolt on necks, not neck thru or glue like others.... So yes, this can happen and be very common.


DrKev had my thoughts exactly, and why I wanted pics. I have had to adjust my JP12 twice after long transports, but it was fine out of the box originally.

 

[katsumura78]

The first one they sent me had to go back to EB because the techs at Sweetwater couldn't fix it. I've always played bolt ons and never had this issue. Truss rod adjustments are common, strings being misaligned to the point of having to go back to the manufacture? I'm not able to upload pictures using a phone so if I post them it'll be later in the week.

 

[Bob123]

True.. But they are bolt on necks, not neck thru or glue like others.... So yes, this can happen and be very common.


DrKev had my thoughts exactly, and why I wanted pics. I have had to adjust my JP12 twice after long transports, but it was fine out of the box originally.

I've owned literally hundreds of bolt on guitars. I can't say I've had this happen, much less be "very common".

 

[Tanax]

Wow, no flamewar yet with a thread such as this? This thread might actually not be locked!
Sad to hear you've been having such bad luck with your guitars, did you contact customer support yet? Others said the same but I thought I'd ask it anyway!

 

[kbaim]

At least with a company like Music Man, you know they want to get it right.
I had a similar experience about 8 years ago.
They are really good about fixing things to make customers happy when issues arise.
Stuff happens.

Frustrating at first...but eventually you come to realize that the process forges a stronger bond between company and customer. At least that's what i've found through personal experience and reading about others on this forum.

 

[QuietSpike]

I've owned literally hundreds of bolt on guitars. I can't say I've had this happen, much less be "very common".

This will only happen with bolt on necks. I haven't owned "hundreds", and (like my post says) I have had to do this (Kev's vid) a couple times on mine, and several times on others' guitars. How tight are your tolerances for a "straight" neck? We might differ there...

So to say it is "very common" might be a misrepresentation--- but I have seen it a lot in my career. Enough to where I don't fret about it (pun intended ).

 

[Etudica]

I have a JP6 that gets out of whack each time it gets shipped out and back. I'm pretty sure it's from UPS/Fedex throwing it around. In order to get it playing properly I do the Dr. Kev trick, but I have to put a good amount of pressure on it so it's at the most extreme angle physically possible within the neck pocket. I'm always worried about cracking the finish each time I do it, but that hasn't happened yet thankfully. All that room in the neck pocket and yet it just barely gets there. Barely.

 

[straycat113]

To be honest I am glad this thread has not been closed as it does seem to be an issue with quite a few JP'S. It was a problem 25 years ago on some of the EBMM EVH sigs and when the guitar switched to the first year of the Axis the neck was made 1/32" and that put that issue to rest. The only guitar this problem seems to be an issue with is on some of the JP's, as I have never saw threads of it it being an issue on any other model since I have been on this forum. I know EBMM has one of the best QC and CS departments in the industry and sometimes issues arise and maybe it is better to hear a few issues guys have had so the top builders can relook at what can be causing the issue and put it to rest. Perhaps making the necks 1/32" wider will solve the issue like it did on the EVH/Axis.

 

[kbaim]

To be honest I am glad this thread has not been closed as it does seem to be an issue with quite a few JP'S. It was a problem 25 years ago on some of the EBMM EVH sigs and when the guitar switched to the first year of the Axis the neck was made 1/32" and that put that issue to rest. The only guitar this problem seems to be an issue with is on some of the JP's, as I have never saw threads of it it being an issue on any other model since I have been on this forum. I know EBMM has one of the best QC and CS departments in the industry and sometimes issues arise and maybe it is better to hear a few issues guys have had so the top builders can relook at what can be causing the issue and put it to rest. Perhaps making the necks 1/32" wider will solve the issue like it did on the EVH/Axis.

Mine was a Luke actually

 

[Mariner-aaron]

I would like to see pics as well of this issue. Maybe that would catch EB managements eye


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[DrKev]

Guys, EBMM have production numbers and warranty return data and all that good stuff. They can see where the warranty claims are being made and why. If there is a problem with the JP15 they're probably already dealing with it. But let's not jump to conclusions based on a small number of reports on a forum compared to the total number of guitars out in the world. OK?

In the mean time, whatever the reason, Customer Service and warranties are there for exactly this kind of thing. Remember, every guitar manufacturer has a small percentage of warranty returns. "Perfect" production every single time is simply impossible. That's why we say "call Customer Service" - it's their job, that's what they are there for, let them help! And those guys and gals can't constantly monitor the forums. Getting in touch with your dealer and or customer service is not only the fastest and most effective way to solve your problem, it's also the fastest and most effective way you can help.

Straycat - the EVH neck width was EVH's own production spec. Sure, a lot of people thought it was too narrow and it was changed as soon as EVH left EBMM but there was no production fault and this is not that.

 

[Mariner-aaron]

I agree I had issues with 2 of my Strandberg boden's and was fixed in a matter of a few months and they was a much smaller company.


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