Neck Problems

[jimhndrx3]

i just finished wiring up a project guitar of mine a 1966 tesico e-120 and i put all new electronics pickups and bridge in and i strung it up with ernie ball 9 gauge hybrid strings just to be safe because i wasnt sure how much the neck could hold.

the problem is that the strings are too loose its like playing rubber bands. and they buzz like crazy... my idea to alleviate this would be to put higher gauge strings maybe 10's or 11's on and go from there. also in case this has any effect i had to shim the part of the neck pocket furthest away from the bridge to get the neck to go high enough for the strings to even vibrate.

any ideas and or solutions on how to fix this would be great. its my first project guitar and i spet a good $250 to $300 on parts and i dont want to have to scrap this and i really like the neck so getting rid of it and putting on a new one is a last resort

[Mattia]

Put the 10's or 11's on there, and don't worry overmuch. If they're that floppy, you're either tuning wrong (ie. not to standard pitch), or it's a really short scale neck...

First, though, check the neck is straight, no twist, minimal relief, that the nut slot's cut well, y'know, a good setup. If you don't know where to start with that, get one of Dan Erlewine's books, either 'Make your electric guitar play great' (basic) or the Guitar Player Repair Guide, which is a fantastic resource.

[jimhndrx3]

im tuning to 440 neck scale is 25'' neck is straight little relief... nut slot is cut idk. its defintely big for 9's so im thinking that maybe it was meant to have heavier gauge strings on it.... i should also keep in mind that this is a cheap japanese guitar from 40 years ago that i got for $10 off eBay so i shouldnt expect perfection.

so yea ill just try heavier gauge strings and if that doesnt work i guess ill just replace the neck

thanks for the help btw

Edited February 21, 2006 by jimhndrx3