Help with Sabre neck relief / truss rod

[Lost In Space]

Just got a new to me Sabre that I think might have a neck issue.

I put a capo on the first fret and press down where fret meets the body (sorry don't remember fret number) and the low E string has NO clearance on the 2nd fret (ie it is touching the 2nd fret). Guitar strings are tuned to standard and the truss rod (which works) has no to minimal tension on it.

When I got the guitar, the saddles were cranked all the way up trying to compensate for the buzzing it is making.

Am I missing something with the type of truss rod on a Sabre (like is it dual action) and I should be adjusting a different way?

I kind of want to keep the guitar, but in my very quick opinion, the neck seems bad.


TIA

 

[racerx]

If you don't have a ton of setup experience, I'd recommend starting with a trusted tech first to get a good baseline. Using your method you would usually check for relief somewhere in the middle of the neck (6th - 9th frets).

There are plenty of great YouTube videos and resource on the MM FAQs site with specific setup instructions FAQ -- but for a guitar of your value, I'd recommend the tech path first. What you're describing sounds like a setup issue and the previous owner might of just done a poor job and/or environmental changes exacerbated it.

 

[Lost In Space]

If you don't have a ton of setup experience, I'd recommend starting with a trusted tech first to get a good baseline. Using your method you would usually check for relief somewhere in the middle of the neck (6th - 9th frets).

There are plenty of great YouTube videos and resource on the MM FAQs site with specific setup instructions FAQ -- but for a guitar of your value, I'd recommend the tech path first. What you're describing sounds like a setup issue and the previous owner might of just done a poor job and/or environmental changes exacerbated it.

There literally is no relief on any fret between the 2nd and 8th fret, with capo on first and holding down low E on 17th. I get very slight tone tapping on the 9th fret (but nothing really to measure with a feeler gauge). There really is no relief to measure and the truss rod is relaxed.

I know for a fact, that the neck was off of this guitar before it got to me. Does EBBM shim their necks? Wondering if somehow a shim might have gotten lost or put in wrong

 

[DrKev]

Oh jeez, I'm sorry but that does not sound good.

Music Man necks are not dual action. If there is no relief in the neck and the truss rod is loose, then you have a problem with the neck and you need to talk to the person you bought the guitar from. Remember, if the guitar was new and under warranty the neck or guitar would be replaced, or you would be refunded or credited the amount you spent. If this issue with the neck was not disclosed by the seller before you paid for it, don't accept nothing as their answer. Feel free to call Music Man customer service and ask their tech advice directly.

A shim will not change neck relief. If you could not adjust the bridge or saddles high enough or low enough to achieve the string action you needed, THEN a shim would be useful but it's not required any other time and cannot solve the problem here.

In case you've missed something, and as future reference for others later on, here is my video on measuring and adjusting neck relief. Capo 1st fret, hold string at body fret (17th-ish), check for gap on 7th or 8th fret. Sounds like you'll have nothing at all.

 

[Lost In Space]

Oh jeez, I'm sorry but that does not sound good.

Music Man necks are not dual action. If there is no relief in the neck and the truss rod is loose, then you have a problem with the neck and you need to talk to the person you bought the guitar from. Remember, if the guitar was new and under warranty the neck or guitar would be replaced, or you would be refunded or credited the amount you spent. If this issue with the neck was not disclosed by the seller before you paid for it, don't accept nothing as their answer. Feel free to call Music Man customer service and ask their tech advice directly.

A shim will not change neck relief. If you could not adjust the bridge or saddles high enough or low enough to achieve the string action you needed, THEN a shim would be useful but it's not required any other time and cannot solve the problem here.

In case you've missed something, and as future reference for others later on, here is my video on measuring and adjusting neck relief. Capo 1st fret, hold string at body fret (17th-ish), check for gap on 7th or 8th fret. Sounds like you'll have nothing at all.

Thanks for the video and advice! Will be sending it back.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Did you take out a fret rocker to check for high frets? Did you remove tension from the truss rod nut until it was loose?