This is a pot replacement and setup for an Ibanez Prestige RG.
The pot was scratched, so we replaced it with a new one.
We adjusted the high string height, which made it difficult to play, and made it easier to play.
Ibanez guitars, especially newer, high-end models, feature necks reinforced with titanium for increased strength. However, some people seem to believe that these necks “do not warp” or “maintain a consistent warp.”
Even with such high-strength metal reinforcement, the neck will still warp, so it is essential to store the guitar with the strings loosened.
This is a setup for a Squier Classic Vibe 60 Precision Bass.
It was purchased new, but from the start, there was little slack in the truss rod.
Adjustments brought the truss rod to its limit.
Due to the weaker strength of modern wood, the truss rod is already set to a higher tension from the start, resulting in less initial slack.
When brand-new and freshly assembled, the neck is almost straight with 100% truss rod slack, but once strings are installed, it naturally bends forward.
This is a normal condition.
However, if the wood of the neck itself is weak, what happens? As expected, it bends forward significantly.
If it bends significantly, adjusting the truss rod by turning it extensively is necessary to correct the bend.
For this reason, new instruments are often sold with the truss rod already turned extensively from the start.
In other words, since the strength of wood has weakened in recent years, the solution would be to use reinforcing materials during production, but few manufacturers have implemented this.
Additionally, as expected from this state, due to the weak strength, the neck will continue to bend forward over time as strings are played.
Initial adjustment bow (over-tightened) + continued use bowing = limited truss rod adjustment range.
In recent years, it has become more common to see new instruments with almost no truss rod adjustment range or at their limit, and this is the simple reason why.
As you can see, someone with proper knowledge would naturally wonder, “Will this instrument last long?” and it is correct to say that such instruments have little chance of lasting long, even though I cannot predict the future.
It’s a shame because it sounds good and is easy to play.
To avoid purchasing such instruments, always ask the music store to check the “truss rod clearance” when purchasing.
This should be a standard procedure that music stores perform during inspection.
If they genuinely want to provide customers with good instruments, it should be a given.
However, in reality, they don’t do it.
Additionally, you must also check the effectiveness of the truss rod.
Even if there is ample truss rod adjustment, if it doesn’t work properly due to a malfunction, it’s meaningless.
Ideally, someone with knowledge should actually turn it themselves and judge the adjustment and effectiveness.
I hope this article reaches music stores.
Sell with consideration for the customer as a matter of course. Think about how you would feel if you were handed an instrument in this condition.
If you have the knowledge to indicate the amount of truss rod travel on used instruments, do the same for new ones.
It’s fine to sell instruments as “outlet items” at a discount due to reasons like insufficient truss rod travel, but clearly state the reason for the discount. If you don’t provide a reason, label them as “junk items” instead of “outlet items.”
If the instrument is in poor condition from the start, don’t sell it—return it to the manufacturer.
It has a fairly large reverse bow and high string height.
Although it is a low-priced model, recent models are easy to play, and there are almost no problems compared to older models, so it is recommended for beginners.
We were able to adjust it to make it easy to play.
Additionally, at the customer’s request, the strings were left as they were for adjustment, but the octave position of the first string became irregular.
Even with new strings in the lower price range, the octave position often becomes irregular, but with old strings, it deviates significantly from the typical position.
As they are consumables, adjusting with new strings is definitely better, but recently, the cost of strings has increased, making it difficult to replace them casually.
This is a setup jack replacement for an LTD Explorer.
The jack was replaced with a new one due to poor contact.
There was no particular problem and it was in usable condition.
LTD was not in good condition in the past, but there was nothing wrong with the low-priced models in recent years.
Although the low-priced models can be used without any worries nowadays, it is necessary to check each part before purchase because some of them may be clogged with sound even if they are brand new.
This is a setup and jack replacement for a Fender Trojan Thunder model Precision Bass.
Although it was recently purchased, there was significant warping causing sound blockage. Upon adjustment, it was found that there was almost no slack in the truss rod.
The sound was distorted when active, and it appeared that the jack had been replaced internally, resulting in poor wiring.
We replaced the jack and the battery, which was dead, with a new one.
Additionally, parts were touching the internal noise-reduction coating, causing noise, and the internal finish was in very poor condition.
Later, the guitar warped again, making it difficult to play, so we adjusted the truss rod again.
The guitar was warped again, and when we turned the truss rod, it was close to its previous limit.
This condition is not due to warping from the previous adjustment, but rather due to the truss rod not being properly secured internally (a manufacturing defect).
Because the T-shaped part of the truss rod is not properly engaged internally, the truss rod is coming loose and causing the bowing.
While turning the rod does have an effect, the amount of truss rod travel has increased compared to when it was last adjusted, indicating that the rod is loosening internally.
In such a state, the issue will recur, so in this case, it is a defective product, and the only option is to contact the store where it was purchased for a return or repair.
If you were to repair it, it would involve removing the fingerboard and re-installing the truss rod, but this would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Considering the cost, it is not practical, so you could replace it with a commercially available Fender neck, but even that would cost over 100,000 yen.
To identify such issues with the manufacturer’s condition, it is essential to first physically turn the truss rod to check its effectiveness and remaining travel before purchasing, as failing to do so could lead to problems later.
More precisely, since such symptoms may occur in individual instruments, it is necessary to turn the truss rod to its limit and confirm whether the condition changes (as in this case, where poor internal engagement causes the warp to return to its original state).
Additionally, it is advisable to confirm in advance how the store where you purchased the instrument will handle such issues.
The truss rod is located in an area that is not visible, and the amount of play or effectiveness cannot be confirmed without actually turning it.
A music store that thoroughly inspects every detail and accurately describes the condition of the instrument can be trusted.
However, such stores are rare.
Therefore, it is necessary to educate yourself and adopt a stance of not purchasing without first confirming these details.
Most stores prioritize profit over considering the needs of the buyer.
You may have an image that “expensive and well-known makers have strong necks and the warp is not stable,” but this is not the case, and when it warps, adjustment is necessary.
After the adjustment, it is easy to play and the overall sound is thick but crisp.
It is an older model, but in pretty good condition.
It was probably purchased new and left unplayed for a long time.
It was purchased at a low price, and I think you are very lucky.
I think you are very lucky to get it at such a low price.
It is a very nice sounding and in good condition, so it is definitely a lucky one.
This is a brand new Japanese model.
It is a 300,000 yen model, but it was brought to us because of its high nut height and easy to go out of tuning.
The bridge is not easily returned to its original position when the arm is used.
There are many factors that can cause this, but everything that the strings are in contact with can be the cause.
The nut height is high, so I adjusted the groove cut and tried everything else, but it appears to be a stud and knife-edge stud problem or a spring problem.
The bridge position is hard to get back to the original position, so if the arm is down, the tuning will be lower, and if it is up, the tuning will be higher.
The truss rod has little room to spare from the start.
In recent years, the strength of wood is too low, so there is often not enough room in the truss rod from the beginning.
This is a nut groove adjustment and setup for a Yamaha LL16L.
Only the nut is abnormally high and the low fret side is hard to play.
The saddle string height is low for some reason, and if only the nut is fixed, the entire instrument will become easier to play.
If the nut height is too high, the string height cannot be adjusted correctly, so the previous owner probably shaved the saddle to make it lower because of the high string height.
The nut groove has been re-cut correctly to make it easier to play.
The string height is low for an acoustic guitar, but it is easy to play and sounds great.
This is a nut replacement and setup for a Tokai ES-335.
The sound was clogged by the nut.
By replacing the nut with a new one and setting up the instrument, we were able to restore it to a problem-free condition.
Used instruments and instruments that have been used for many years often have problems with the nuts and frets due to wear and tear.
These must be repaired before they can be used as a proper instrument, so please be careful.
However, as mentioned above, they are consumable items, so you need to be aware of the need to fix them when you purchase the instrument.
