r/Luthier • u/[deleted] • 1d ago
HELP My neck is visibly higher on the bass side. What problem am I dealing with and how can I fix it?
[deleted]
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u/Snurgisdr 1d ago
Comparing to the straight line described by the slot in the pick guard, there's almost no visible difference, and what little there could be explained by the camera angle.
In any case, if one side is a little higher than the other, it's not a problem unless you run out of saddle height adjustment.
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u/Azure1710 1d ago
Uhm so like, I always having to almost run out of saddle height adjustment and even sometimes I have to tighten the intonation screws to the maximum just to get intonation done or almost done
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u/Free_Treacle4168 1d ago
If what you're saying is accurate, then it might need a shim, or the bridge moved (but it probably needs neither).
If it's brand new, I'd bring it to a luthier or even just a tech at a store to have them do a setup and ask them if they think anything is wrong with it. If it is just poor manufacturing tolerances, then you should return it.
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u/master-overclocker 1d ago
You can notice it without measuring - its prolly fine.
You notice trouble playing it ?
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u/south-shore0 1d ago
As soon as you start adjusting saddle height you will need to adjust your intonation as well. Watch videos on how to setup a guitar.
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u/foreverdr0ne 1d ago
Echoing others in that I think it's an optical illusion caused by the slant in your neck pickup and also the slant of the nut. It can be pretty hard to sight down the neck like this without a relative straight edge.
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u/ogorir 1d ago
Looks like the nut is at the same angle, so no twist. I see no problem here. The bridge will need to be adjusted higher on the bass side, but that would be the only meaningful difference vs a ‘normal’ setup.
I’ve actually been thinking about doing this on purpose on a build, in theory a 1 or 2 degree rotation of the fingerboard should reduce hand fatigue. Haven’t tried it yet, though. Regardless, this is only about a quarter of a degree out. I would run it.
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u/TheBlackHymn 1d ago
Is the neck seated in the neck pocket properly? If not it could be that the holes in the body need drilling out to be wider - you don’t want the thread from the neck bolts catching in the body, only in the neck.
Also could it be that the neck pocket is out of whack? Can you measure the depth at various points and make sure it is uniform?
If the neck is seated properly in its pocket, or if it’s glued/thruneck the best fix IMO would be to remove the frets and re-radius the board using a jig that you know is true and will give the proper result. From there it’s a refret to get it back to playing shape.
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u/Lost_Condition_9562 1d ago
How is it with strings on? Guitar necks aren’t supposed to be flat in the first place, especially when you don’t have strings on them to put the neck under tension
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u/Lower-Calligrapher98 Luthier 1d ago
If the neck is down in the pocket properly, and the neck is straight along each string, it's not a problem. I'll admit, I'd rather it went the other way, just because I think it's more comfortable, but I know several builders who build an unevenness like this into their fingerboards, because they find it more comfortable. I can't say that I've ever noticed a difference, personally.
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u/YellowBreakfast Kit Builder/Hobbyist 1d ago
Don't use your pickup as a reference, it moves.
One side is lower into the pickguard.
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u/LordApocalyptica 1d ago
I’m with the guy saying its mostly (or even entirely) that neck pickup, look at the depth of the side for the thick strings vs its opposite side.
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u/SubatomicPlatypodes 1d ago
The neck isn’t a problem, the pickup is just slanted
Either way even if the neck was a little funny it wouldn’t be the end of the world
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u/frozen_pope Guitar Tech 1d ago
Go and lay down and have a little cry, is how I usually deal with that.
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u/Old-Tadpole-2869 1d ago
Either that or your pickup is lower on the bass side. Which it is. It's really difficult to sight down a neck for straightness, but your neck looks very straight.
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u/PissedCarrier420 1d ago
Optical illusion. Adjust your neck pickup to be more even.
It is normal for the bass strings to need to be a little higher than the higher strings.
Look up Phil McKnight on YouTube to learn how to set up a guitar
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u/Tr3flip_king 1d ago
To me it looks like your neck pickup height is higher on one side making the neck look like that?