New Owner - few questions

[sheehanje]

Hello all - I just got a MM Majesty (6 String) today. It's my first Ernie Ball Guitar. I decided getting one after my Gibson SG just wasn't quite pushing my Mesa Mark V the way I wanted - and happened upon John Petrucci demoing the Majesty while looking for videos on boosts. I decided to buy one.

So far, I really can see myself falling in love with this guitar - but I've already run into a couple issues on day 1. I ordered the guitar online - but picked it up at Guitar Center as it was in stock. It was in a box - so I'm assuming it was the original factory setup on it.

The first issue is I found the strings to be buzzing quite a bit up the fretboard (15th - 21st fret) - especially on the A and D string. The fretboard had a bit of a bow to it which was adjusted then one of the other GC techs raised the saddles a bit and it took most of the buzz out (still a little on the low E). I think he raised the high E too high and I ended up breaking 2 strings in short order. I lowered it, and seems to be ok right now...

Is it normal for these guitars to come out of the factory like this? I know most guitars need a good setup - but I don't think I've encountered a guitar coming brand new like this before. Especially for one this high end. Right now the saddles are pretty high up which is raising a red flag with me.

The second issue I'm seeing is from the 12th fret to the 17th fret you can see where the glue is under the frets - like the binding never was set, or that they were raised and re-glued at some point. Here is a pic:




How concerned should I be? I do really love the sound of this - and while it plays really nice, I think it could be setup better. I just never expected these issues right out of the box. Maybe I've been spoiled...

 

[gurtejsingh]

I'll let the experts comment on the factory setup. Since my JP15 was being shipped overseas, I specifically had asked the seller to add in a bit of relief to be on the safer side. Keep in mind that the truss is sensitive to weather conditions and does change depending on the weather, but with the awesome JP guitars, it's very very easy to adjust it.

If your neck has too much of a bow, you probably need to reduce relief a bit by rotating the truss nut clockwise and making the neck a bit straighter. That should lower your action and allow you to bring down the saddles a bit. Having too straight a neck can also cause more buzz towards the lower frets, so turn it a little in one go and check. Repeat if needed. You will be able to find the right balance for your playing after a few tweaks.

Could not make out much about the glue issue in your pic as it's a little blurred. Have you reached out to CS regarding the same? They are awesome and will surely help you out.

I would not be too alarmed, as these guitars play awesome after the right setup. Take it to a good tech in your area in case you are not willing to adjust things yourself.

Hope this helps.

 

[DrKev]

Contact Customer Service. This is what they are there for. Between CS and GC you'll be sorted.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Yup, defo, CS is the way to go.

IIRC, in the manufacturing process, after the frets have been installed and the neck sanded, they apply a hot type wax to the ends of the fret tangs - it's a blurry picture and it's difficult to make out - but that's what it could be?

 

[sheehanje]

Yup, defo, CS is the way to go.

IIRC, in the manufacturing process, after the frets have been installed and the neck sanded, they apply a hot type wax to the ends of the fret tangs - it's a blurry picture and it's difficult to make out - but that's what it could be?

Possibly - it looks like wax or glue - but it seems to be visible only for a few frets, not along the whole fretboard. Sorry for the blurry photo, my phone does not take good pics no matter how hard I try!

 

[sheehanje]

So I went back to Guitar Center today - talked to one of the techs and they say the binding thing definitely isn't normal and should have been caught in QC. Also - I tuned down 1 half step and buzzing again on the high frets.. Think I got a rare lemon. Think I'm going to return this one.

 

[kestrou]

I'd have a REAL setup done before getting rid of it...

I see you're in New York - it's cold and DRY there right now so I guarantee that's affected the setup.

If the last techs solution was "raise the saddles", then I'd have a different tech take a look.

Kevin

 

[DrKev]

So I went back to Guitar Center today - talked to one of the techs and they say the binding thing definitely isn't normal and should have been caught in QC. Also - I tuned down 1 half step and buzzing again on the high frets.. Think I got a rare lemon. Think I'm going to return this one.

In case you re not already aware, allow me to point something out...

Buzzing when you tune down is not a sign of a lemon. When you tune down, the string tension drops. That will result in less neck relief and if you don't re-balance the floating bridge the action will drop too and of course string vibration (amplitude) is greater. More string buzz is normal without making a few adjustments.

Too bad about the fret ends. BTW, this is not 'binding'. Binding is the plastic edging you commonly see on the edges of, e.g. the Armada guitar, or Gibsons, or around the edges of the on the body of the e.g. the Axis. The Majesty has no neck binding.

I think that what you are seeing here is that the fret ends have protruded a little from the finger board and have raised the finish where they stick out. Protruding fret ends are a sign of neck shrinkage due to a temperature and/or humidity change. You can be pretty sure the guitar didn't leave the factory looking like that. This is kind of thing that could happen during transport or storage. And GC should have caught it before selling it to you, assuming it did not happen after it left GC. Incidentally, the neck shrinking like that would also be accompanied with a change in neck relief, which would explain any setup/fret buzz issues.

Fortunately, this is the kind of thing your warranty is there for. GC and EBMM customer service will take care of this for you.

 

[sheehanje]

Guitar Center is exchanging the guitar for another - just have to wait for it to be shipped.

The fret buzz was happening well before I tuned it down - but was obviously more pronounced after.

When I first checked out the Guitar at GC, it was buzzing all over. They adjusted the neck which was a little bowed, then they adjusted the saddles because they were laying totally flat on the bridge piece. They had to raise them pretty high - in fact I had to lower the high E because I broke 3 strings on it.

I did not notice the fret problem until I got home, but I don't think the frets were protruding as it is smooth along the sides of the neck. I get the feeling it was something that was adjusted at the factory - this guitar came straight out of the cardboard box at GC. I had too many red flags raised on this guitar. One of the things I learned really early on is don't buy a guitar if the saddles have to be raised to the point where they can't be raised much higher - and again this is after the neck was adjusted.

I will definitely get a pro setup on the Guitar when all is said and done. I do on all my axes. But - I usually don't get guitars like this either straight out of the box or the ones sitting on the floor in this type of shape. I've bought quite a few guitars in my 30 years of playing - this isn't the first red flag one I've gotten, but I've always dissapointed when I keep a guitar that I have concerns about. Maybe the weather played a roll during shipping - but most (if not all) music stores pay close attention to humidity levels. I sure that factory does too. Sh*t happens.

I do look forward to getting the replacement guitar. I really do think this will be my main axe for a long time to come. Other than the concerns I mentioned here, I love the feel of the guitar, the access, the electronics and the sound of it. I did get to play it a few days. I am sure I will be in guitar heaven once I get a properly set up and performing Majesty. My arthritis will thank me for getting such an eloquent and easy playing piece of art.

 

[Tollywood]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[DrKev]

The frets would not stay protruding, as the wood would expand back to what it should be when the temp and humidity return to normal. Anyway, no matter any more. Warranty to the rescue.

From what you are writing, I'm skeptical the particular GC tech who first adjusted it new what they were doing. Not a slight on GC as such, many many 'techs' in guitar stores the world over don't really know what they are doing. If you have a pro that you trust that you normally work with, just let him take care of it.

Like you said, sh*t happens. Every brand of guitars has a warranty return rate of a about 1%, which means that you were unlucky, that's all. I'm sure you'll enjoy the replacement!

 

[sheehanje]

The frets would not stay protruding, as the wood would expand back to what it should be when the temp and humidity return to normal. Anyway, no matter any more. Warranty to the rescue.

From what you are writing, I'm skeptical the particular GC tech who first adjusted it new what they were doing. Not a slight on GC as such, many many 'techs' in guitar stores the world over don't really know what they are doing. If you have a pro that you trust that you normally work with, just let him take care of it.

Like you said, sh*t happens. Every brand of guitars has a warranty return rate of a about 1%, which means that you were unlucky, that's all. I'm sure you'll enjoy the replacement!

I definitely agree most of the associates in a music store aren't qualified to do more than the basics of guitar adjustment. I definitely had that feeling when 3 of them started hovering over the guitar and discussed what to do with it. Usually most of the bigger stores will have one guy that's fairly qualified though. I do have a couple guys - one for adjustments and a luthier I know for overhauls or complicated repairs. I can do the basics myself - and at least know enough when something is wrong.

To be honest, I usually don't buy guitars from Guitar Center (I do buy a lot of electronics there though). Not that I'm against them or anything, but I have a local shop that I know a lot of the guys and have built up a trust with. Also, I rarely buy a guitar online - as I usually like to play them before I buy. But for some reason I had a little voice in my head saying "click buy" one morning. Part of it was EBMM reputation. Part of it was watching John Petrucci playing these guitars in all the videos I was watching to get tips on my Mesa Mark V. It all culminated in a very impulsive decision.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Norrin Radd]

but most (if not all) music stores pay close attention to humidity levels

As a former GC employee of many years, I have to thank you giving me this good hearty chuckle. It's a mammoth struggle in a store that big JUST to keep the acoustic room near an ideal humidity level. Don't even ask about the warehouse......

 

[ksandvik]

Now, one of my EBMM guitars that I got from GC needed a little bit tender and love and it's now in my monthly rotation as one of the standard guitars. It's totally understandable with large companies, huge inventories, people fingering guitars, can't keep the humidity levels precise with huge warehouses or resale areas and so on and so on.