Cracked Neck Plate

[Miks4d]

Hi,

I bought a Used Music Man Sterling 4HH about 5 weeks ago and when trying it out I was so busy falling in love with the sound and the neck that I failed to notice the crack in the neck plate. This has become my baby so I took it in to get it setup today and showed the tech. He has been setting up basses and guitars for 26 years and had never seen anything like it before. Repairs and sets up bout 1000 a year. Seen them smashed against concrete walls, fallen off trucks, smashed after temper tantrums etc. My initial thought was that the screw had been over tightened but he said he has never seen that happen nor see how that could happen from overtightning. He took it off to see if it goes all the way through and does as seen in photos.

Does anyone have any idea how this would happen? Is there any way of replacing it?

 

[muggsy]

Contact EBMM Customer Service. They will help you out.

 

[sanderhermans]

I actually have seen this on 2nd hand ebmm basses 2 times. It mostly occurs on one of the corners and is caused by over tightning.
As said above: contact ebmm customer service, they can send you a new one.

 

[bassmonkeee]

This is caused by over tightening the neck screws. Probably by someone using a powered screwdriver with the wrong torque setting. I can't fathom how someone supposedly doing 1000 setups a year hasn't seen it, or understand how it could have happened.

 

[danny-79]

This is caused by over tightening the neck screws. Probably by someone using a powered screwdriver with the wrong torque setting. I can't fathom how someone supposedly doing 1000 setups a year hasn't seen it, or understand how it could have happened.

What he said.
The same situation could apply to anything, its just a washer at the end of the day that has split by the screw being over tightened. its also got the Sterling's S/N on it so a exact replacement ? Call customer services and see what they say

 

[pacop]

 

[Movielife]

Weirdly this happened to two basses I don't own anymore, but EBMM just got me two new plates with new serials and made a note on the database of the actual build date.

I am not sure how it happened to mine but I was barely playing them (break due to education) and it just appeared.

They will sort it no problem

 

[sanderhermans]

Weirdly this happened to two basses I don't own anymore, but EBMM just got me two new plates with new serials and made a note on the database of the actual build date.

I am not sure how it happened to mine but I was barely playing them (break due to education) and it just appeared.

They will sort it no problem

Propably tightened verry hard then some wood expansion and crack....

 

[Movielife]

Propably tightened verry hard then some wood expansion and crack....

Ah, I see. I never had any need to take the neck plate off so it must have just been due to how tight it was originally then over the years the wood moved.

I also used to leave my basses at my parents house in their hard cases but laid horizontally on the edge, not the flat part. They were like this for years (occasionally opening the case to play quick and check they were ok) but as I lived away studying and didn't want my high value gear with me, they were left for a long time.

I've now learn to keep the vertical, in their cases, so the neck has zero pressure on it as it is facing upwards. No idea if it makes a difference but I prefer it. I also suggest, as a side comment, to wipe ALL the chrome down every few months to clear off any build up.