Help! Music Man Cutlass String Alignment

[milosjak]

Hi all,

I need help with my cutlass HSS. I've just noticed that my strings don't really seem to be aligning well with the neck and the rest of the guitar really.
Essentially I noticed that the dot marks on the fret seem like they're skewed toward one side instead of being centered in the middle. Naturally I immediately jumped on the web and looked at other examples of the cutlass, and don't notice this issue. The more I look at it the more I see it... I've now noticed that it's not just the dot marks but also compared to the pickups pole pieces it's the same thing.

Here's how it looks?

https://imgur.com/a/Ck0JeHm

Anybody knows what might be the issue here? I mean I'd suspect the neck but then I measured the distance from neck edge to each outer string at the nut, and noticed that there's half a mm more space on the bass side, so maybe that's enough to compound over the length of the string?

Kinda dissapointed how many flaws I'm noticing on a 4k euro guitar (this is supposedly a BFR model). If it was just the bad orientation of the wood piece used for the neck (flame not noticable from playing position), or that someone was a bit too aggressive with sanding some of the body edges, or the orange skin effect on one spot on the finish, I wouldn't mind, but compound all of them and I kinda feel buyers remorse at this point.
Anyway, rant off, looking forward to your suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Milos

 

[GWDavis28]

It's bolt on neck you can loosen the screws and adjust the alignment I would believe.

Glenn |B)

 

[racerx]

Paging @DrKev -- I think he has a handy guide or video for this. But essentially what Glenn said -- you can consider loosening the strings then the bolts in the back of the neck and gently adjust the alignment of the neck in the pocket. Could've take a hit in shipping, something susceptible to any bolt-on guitar. Try that first and see if that straightens you out.

 

[milosjak]

Thanks, I just did what racerx said, slackened off strings, removed screws completely, then "tensioned" the neck by hand and tried my best to keep it in that position while I screwed back the plate, and seems like it helped. There's still some misaligned, but I think it's pretty acceptable now.

One question on this process though... will I do any damage if I try to apply some extra pressure in the direction where it should go, when the neck is tightened and strings are in tension? Like making a "lever" between body and neck, if that makes sense...
I think I may have done that a few times already, and am wondering whether this would make the holes in the neck expand permanently? I ever so slightly tightened the screws more after doing this.

I'm just thinking whether I should do something about it, if I notice that this happens again? Although, again, racerx might be right, as this guitar came to me in a hard case that had one of its corners shattered, which happened during shipment. So maybe it was that.

Thanks again for quick responses. Really do appreciate it.

 

[GWDavis28]

I don't seem to remember a new guitar day post?

Glenn |B)

 

[milosjak]

I don't seem to remember a new guitar day post?

Glenn |B)

There was a NGD last year!

Here's the link to it, there are some pics there:

NGD Cutlass BFR Blue Magic/ Pickup Issues?

So, after looking around on reverb for a good used deal on one of the HSS BFR cutlasses I got a brand new Blue Magic HSS as the used ones from US would cost me in shipping enough that I just went with a new one. Pretty good impression so far, although it came with insanely high action for a...

forums.ernieball.com

Since then I've been experimenting with the bridge pickup as the stock one, at least to me, can't compete with the liveliness of the single coils that are in it stock. Currently have BKP Riff Raff there, and even though it was a major step in good direction I realized that there's no way I'll get that single coil dynamic response out of a humbucker and am waiting for a humbucker sized P90 to arrive which I hope will be that compromise I'm looking for.

 

[DrKev]

One question on this process though... will I do any damage if I try to apply some extra pressure in the direction where it should go, when the neck is tightened and strings are in tension? Like making a "lever" between body and neck, if that makes sense...
I think I may have done that a few times already, and am wondering whether this would make the holes in the neck expand permanently? I ever so slightly tightened the screws more after doing this.

No, the holes in the neck won't expand. The biggest risk is cracking the corner of the neck pocket. The paint there cracks frequently anyway (because stress builds up on corners, which is why pressurized aircraft have round windows) those little finish cracks are normally only cosmetic and nothing at all to worry about. I'd say half of all bolt-on neck guitars have cracks, maybe more, most people just don't notice them ever. But if the guitar plays well, you are good to go.

Note also that string alignment is never actually "perfect" anyway. Because the strings have different thicknesses, the question arises "should the strings have equal space between the strings, or equal spacing from center-to-center, or something else"? In the guitar world most people never notice that the dot markers and gap between the D and G string may not be perfectly centered. In the bass guitar world some people worry about this all the time. The imaginary line between the A and D string is never centered on the neck and so the position markers at the 3rd fret looks off. Some manufacturers have experimented with off-centre dot markers, but that just solves visual problem by introducing another.

Anyway, for future reference, and the $ 0.00025 that each view of the video makes for me, here's my instructional guide to neck alignment, from a much younger looking me from a mythical time pre-marriage and child and when I had eyebrows.

 

[milosjak]

Anyway, for future reference, and the $ 0.00025 that each view of the video makes for me, here's my instructional guide to neck alignment, from a much younger looking me from a mythical time pre-marriage and child and when I had eyebrows.

Haha, nice one... Just watched it, and yeah, that's pretty much how I've done it, except I loosened the strings and then unscrewed the bolts all the way out of the neck then did the rest same as you. Funnily enough, I actually watched a few of your videos before and didn't realize that it's you on the forums, even though the name is pretty clear

 

[fbecir]

Kevin is our hero ... that's why France decided a few years ago to kidnap him. We keep him locked in Paris ...

 

[Tollywood]

Anyway, for future reference, and the $ 0.00025 that each view of the video makes for me, here's my instructional guide to neck alignment, from a much younger looking me from a mythical time pre-marriage and child and when I had eyebrows.

Eyebrows are overrated.

 

[DrKev]

Eyebrows are overrated.

 

[Sleeping At Sea]

I saw this thread and then looked at my JR Cutlass and it's actually very similar to the Ops with the dot inlays more to the left side. I've look at quite a few images of this guitar online and while some are a bit better, others looks just like mine. I do think that the High E slips off a bit too easily and there is more space on the Low E side so probably could do with the adjustment.
Last night I unscrewed the neck screws 1-2 turns and attempted to put some pressure on the neck and adjust it but couldn't really get it to move and I chickened out haha. SO nervous about doing some damage to this super expensive instrument. Think I'll just leave it!

 

[milosjak]

I saw this thread and then looked at my JR Cutlass and it's actually very similar to the Ops with the dot inlays more to the left side. I've look at quite a few images of this guitar online and while some are a bit better, others looks just like mine. I do think that the High E slips off a bit too easily and there is more space on the Low E side so probably could do with the adjustment.
Last night I unscrewed the neck screws 1-2 turns and attempted to put some pressure on the neck and adjust it but couldn't really get it to move and I chickened out haha. SO nervous about doing some damage to this super expensive instrument. Think I'll just leave it!

It didn't want to move for me either with just a couple of turns, so I completely slackened the strings and then unscrewed the screws until they were essentially out of the neck, and then I readjusted it and tried my best to keep it in that place while I was screwing it back together. The dots align better now, I'll see to post some pics when I get the chance. But yeah, if it isn't just me, then it might be just the nature of the guitar or something idk... Hopefully it won't move again, but only time will tell.

 

[Sleeping At Sea]

It didn't want to move for me either with just a couple of turns, so I completely slackened the strings and then unscrewed the screws until they were essentially out of the neck, and then I readjusted it and tried my best to keep it in that place while I was screwing it back together. The dots align better now, I'll see to post some pics when I get the chance. But yeah, if it isn't just me, then it might be just the nature of the guitar or something idk... Hopefully it won't move again, but only time will tell.

Thanks for this, that's helpful to know. If I get enough nerves I might attempt it again! I'd say if you've screwed it back in nice and firm it shouldn't move again hey. Fingers crossed!

Mine actually looks pretty exactly like this image from EBMM's webpage. The neck seems shifted to the left side to me. I guess it's pretty normal and probably within spec!

 

[milosjak]

Thanks for this, that's helpful to know. If I get enough nerves I might attempt it again! I'd say if you've screwed it back in nice and firm it shouldn't move again hey. Fingers crossed!

Sorry, had a busy couple of weeks... Only just now had the chance to take a couple of photos of how it looks after I adjusted the neck:

https://imgur.com/a/LGj5AwM

It is much better than it was in the original photos I took. Whether it's perfect is up for debate, but it definitely doesn't bother me now.

 

[fbecir]

Well done, it looks perfect now.
Dr Kev videos are good but sometimes not :

(why do you have to drink tea, when you can drink wine ???)

 

[DrKev]

Well done, it looks perfect now.
Dr Kev videos are good but sometimes not :

(why do you have to drink tea, when you can drink wine ???)

François, mon cher ami, I am Irish. Turkey is the only nation on the planet that drinks more tea than the Irish. People think Ireland is all whiskey or Guinness but that's not actually true. If I don't drink at least 5 cups of tea each day (Barry's gold blend, delivered to my Paris apartment direct from Cork city) they will take away my passport.

 

[milosjak]

François, mon cher ami, I am Irish. Turkey is the only nation on the planet that drinks more tea than the Irish. People think Ireland is all whiskey or Guinness but that's not actually true. If I don't drink at least 5 cups of tea each day (Barry's gold blend, delivered to my Paris apartment direct from Cork city) they will take away my passport.

Haha, nice. Off topic, I visited Cork once, was there for a couple of weeks. Had a chance to check out Blarney castle on a very sunny spring day with all the trees in bloom, although I skipped the opportunity to kiss the famous stone.

 

[fbecir]

Cork a few years ago ... (now the little boy is taller than me ... no respect for his old father).

For me Cork is the city of Rory Gallagher (I know ... he was born in Ballyshannon but raised in Cork).

But you cannot change my mind : tea is just hot water with dried leaves of a tree that lives far away ...

 

[gcastbr]

Hi all,

I need help with my cutlass HSS. I've just noticed that my strings don't really seem to be aligning well with the neck and the rest of the guitar really.
Essentially I noticed that the dot marks on the fret seem like they're skewed toward one side instead of being centered in the middle. Naturally I immediately jumped on the web and looked at other examples of the cutlass, and don't notice this issue. The more I look at it the more I see it... I've now noticed that it's not just the dot marks but also compared to the pickups pole pieces it's the same thing.

Here's how it looks?

https://imgur.com/a/Ck0JeHm

Anybody knows what might be the issue here? I mean I'd suspect the neck but then I measured the distance from neck edge to each outer string at the nut, and noticed that there's half a mm more space on the bass side, so maybe that's enough to compound over the length of the string?

Kinda dissapointed how many flaws I'm noticing on a 4k euro guitar (this is supposedly a BFR model). If it was just the bad orientation of the wood piece used for the neck (flame not noticable from playing position), or that someone was a bit too aggressive with sanding some of the body edges, or the orange skin effect on one spot on the finish, I wouldn't mind, but compound all of them and I kinda feel buyers remorse at this point.
Anyway, rant off, looking forward to your suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Milos

BTW I got same issue, 4k pounds in a sabre, with a huge problem on string alignment, already cracked in the neck(I barely used this guitar), have issues on measurements, also got issue with the music man database,

In my opinion, they are much about release new models, colors than on quality nowadays, I'\m very disappointed, will never buy a music man again -

the support team was OK, but their approach was useless, they basically said - as you bought from a retailer we cannot do anything, we will not fix it, help you, nothing - they only want to sell and sell and sell more - I will just not sell it as I bought a lot and I will not sell for a half price or less -


for me their are just a big brand name and nothing more currently -