Hi Guys,
My first post and immediately its in the I need help section..
My first Pitbull kit (EXA-1/ash body explorer) arrived and on opening yesterday I discover it has a badly twisted neck.
Sighting from the heel to the nut the twist is clockwise. (i.e. the low E side is at least a few mill lower).
I immediately sent an email to the address on the Pitbull website (service@pitbullguitars.com), but I guess they haven't seen it yet.
So I decided to post here as there is some urgency with my build (I plan to start it on Thursday with my 90year old father who is visiting QLD from Ireland and will be with me for only 2wks approx. The idea is to finish prior to his return flight). We obviously don't plan a paint finish in that timeframe, so just an oil finish. He is a retired carpenter and will very much enjoy the project.
Anyway, in the event that Pitbull can't just ship me another explorer neck while we start work on the body, im trying to figure out how to fix a twisted neck.. incase im stuck with this one. (My kit took 13days to arrive, so doing a return and waiting on that arriving at Pitbull and then waiting another 13days for my replacement kit to arrive isn't a option in this instance). So im hoping they could send me a good neck (even at cost).
Im a recording musician these days, having played for over 40years and I own a retro studio with 14 guitars, but this guitar being a father & son build will be special to me, so I do want the end result to be playable.
So, if im stuck.. how to resolve a twisted neck?
1 - Significant fret leveling...? (I don't think this is an option given the amount of twist, but given I have yet to try any truss straighten it is possible that by correcting the current back bow that there may be some small improvement in the twist.
2- Remove the frets, level the fretboard and put in new frets. (This might work, but I don't have fret wire or fret puller or fret wire radius tools.... yet. But if I have to order some fast I will).
3- Remove the fretboard. Level the neck, glue the fretboard back in place. (This seems like a lot of work and personally im not sure how to remove the fretboard without making a pigs ear of it all).
4- Try clamp the heel of the neck in a vice and rig weights to counter the twist. Maybe apply heat (leave in Sun!). This sounds like a bad option and likely to end up with the fretboard popping free on one side.
5- Your much better idea???
Im excited to get this project underway I have experience in setups, pickup swaps and electrical mods etc., but never gluing in my own set neck and sanding, sanding, sanding... contouring and more sanding LOL.. will be a fun.
I have a deep pickup drawer here that will come in handy. Will be trying Greco prickups, Burny pickups, JB, Super Distortion, ToneZone, Seymour Custom etc etc.. Before I settle on the preferred tone for Ash body and ?maple? neck with rosewood fingerboard.
Fun fun!
Cheers,
Gerard.