cracked neck on EXA

[Hesh]

Hi, long time fan, first time builder...

I am putting together an EXA kit and, whilst is has been a rocky start, I feel it is coming together.

However, after staining the neck (with colourless dingo) and coming back to it, I have noticed a crack in the base of the neck (just in the fretboard, not the actual neck) extending up frets.

Now it is possible that my little kids managed to get into the workshop but everything looked in place, so I don't know why it happened, I just want to try and find a solution..

I am not overly worried about feel at this point as I do not tend to go that high on the frets in my play, but would like to try and sort it now rather than later.

So my question is:
What is the best glue / filler to use on this crack? Or is there a better solution?

thanks in advance

Hesh

[Simon Barden]

That's a long crack! Do you know what the board material is?

Looking back at your build diary, I think I can see the crack already there. Have you got any higher res pictures that you can check back on?

This doesn't look like an ebony board as the EXA-1 is quoted as having, but more like a manufactured Blackwood Tek one.

I fear the problem is only going to get worse.

It may be replacement neck time.

[Hesh]

Good eye Simon!

This is what comes from doing things a bit at a time and not sitting down and concentrating on it. Should have picked up this problem back then before staining.

If there isn't another solution, neck replacement it is... are we able to replace necks as standard or does each neck match each body?

[Simon Barden]

They are supposedly all cut from templates, so they should all fit one another - but I really have no firm idea.

You won't be able to clamp the sides of the split together as the board should be firmly stuck to the wood underneath, so you will need something that will both glue and fill, and my first thoughts are either epoxy or thick CA/superglue.

If the fingerboard is Blackwood, then it can be sanded down and polished up with fine sandpaper or micromesh to make it very smooth and more like ebony in feel, which will help hide the glue. I'm doing that with the Blackwood on my ES-1 and ES4-B builds. Superglue will be clear, so should generally show the background colour through. Epoxy is normally a light yellow/brown colour, so would show up more, though there are pigments you can get for colouring it.

However, I'd say that crack has been there from the start, probably when they fitted the frets. I'd email Adam and see what he says. Send him the current and first pictures you took of the neck in a decent resolution.

[chrissyinbkk]

I think that crack was there too, Simon is I believe right... you can see it on this pic....

[Simon Barden]

At least the beginnings of one. I wonder if it might be due to differential expansion. The Blackwood (if it is that) is supposed to be very stable, but maple far less so, under heat and humidity. I wonder if the maple neck expanded, the Blackwood didn't, and split as a result. Or expansion made an existing split worse.

[wazkelly]

One of the first photos clearly shows the crack....


Might be best to go back via this link to click on and enlarge above shot...

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=8410

[Hesh]

Thank you all for your input.

I have been in contact with Adam who tells me they can supply a maple fretboard neck for the EX which is my fretboard of choice anyway!!

I think I will order a new one but may as well try and fix this one up as well... will try out your ideas Simon!

In this meantime, have made some progress on the body (see my other thread) and now have time to get that just right before the new neck arrives...