anodizing creates a layer of oxide which is non-conductive so once removed and bonded to the electronics (pots, switches, etc), you now have a RF shield or at least, the start of one
If you noticed before the strings were removed, the low e was really crowding the fretboard margin. This tells me that even if the gap in the neck pocket is filled in, the string margin distance can only be corrected (a bit) by making a new nut, with adjusted string spacing, since the bridge cannot be relocated.
The string is almost falling off the edge because that neck is misaligned hence the almost 1mm gap £1000 guitar someone needs a new job. If you can't do the job Pick up a broom!
@@steven_uk I suppose from a certain point of view you could get away with less margin on the bass side of the fretboard, since we don't often upbend on the low end (I never do) but it's not ideal. I just finished building a short scale fanned fret offset V with a marginally narrower neck than most electrics. It's for a female player with really small hands. I'm making new nut for it at this very moment to give the edge offsets a bit of a nudge, since it has standard width bridge saddles with 10mm string to string distances. I made the first nut without considering some things lol
@@steven_uk Maybe is was a camera angle thing. Ben was able to look staight down on the strings but just a few degrees on the camera created what we took to be misaligned strings. They certainly looked way off to me.
holy crap, i saw your comment before seeing the video,..holy crap🤣 that is disgraceful, i will never order another fender without an option for exchange.
My first kit was a strat that I did up in the old gulf racing colours and, to keep the theme going, I put an anodised aluminium scratch plate on that and I absolutely love it!
Why no concern with the string alignment with that sloppy neck pocket? I could tell the low E string was almost coming off the fretboard. And when you “fixed” the neck, you didn’t even bother aligning the strings with the neck. The neck was simply bolted back with no consideration for alignment.
Personally I won't call a £1000 guitar a budget guitar. And frankly, I would expect better quality for the money. At this point I would rather silversky SE, cheaper and better.
I've got the J Mascis Jazzmaster with the gold colored aluminium pickguard. It took a minute for the color to grow on me, but I've loved the feel of it from day one. Feels way more luxurious than any plastic pickguard I've had on other Fender style instruments.
That finish is awesome! This might genuinely be my favorite finish on any guitar I've ever seen. And a painted headstock is the best thing ever, it makes any guitar look SO much better.
The QC and workmanship of Mexi Fenders used to blow the USAs out of the water, me thinks fender has upped the quota reducing the hands on time to purposefully reduce quality. If I got a fender with a pocket like that, I would send it back!
I have 2 late 70's strats with appalling neck pockets to the extents that stings were falling off the fret board when playing - actually swapping the 2 necks improved the situation remarkably. CBS era fenders are not generally well fitted.
Every guitar I've owned with a shoddy neck pocket has hit the road due to issues with the way I thought they sounded. One guitar I owned had slop on the treble side, and that corresponded with the lack of volume and body on the higher strings. I'm sure there are guitars with sloppy pockets that sound good, but I would never buy one that had such a pocket without thoroughly test driving it. I don't think anyone would buy a set neck guitar that had such sloppy fitment prior to gluing, not sure why a bolt on should be treated any differently.
Shouldnt be threading the screw into the neck pocket itself before it makes contact with the neck, those holes need to be just large enough for the screw to slip through so the clamping pressure is made by the neck and neck plate.... Not only that but it will assist in aligning the neck when there is a sloppy neck pocket involved... As for the handle being a game changer, my first crowning tool was a small triangular piece of wood with sandpaper taped to the edges, I believe the idea came from either Brad Angove or Dan Thompson way back when. Works great but forever changing the sand paper, just going to waste a lot of sandpaper on the handle as youll only ever touch the very outer edges of the paper, all the inner being left untouched and waster....
Absolutely agree - a real pet hate of mine is the neck screws being threaded into the body, rather than the holes being drilled properly oversize, they just don’t pull the neck into the body properly One of the first things I do with a bolt on is enlarge those holes and I think that’s also what Dan Erlewine does when he sets up and prepares a new bolt on neck guitar
I think the worst neck pocket I've ever seen on a Fender was on a 1970 Competiton Blue Mustang in a Norman's Rare Guitars video. I'm guessing it was nearly an eighth of an inch oversized from what I could see in the video. At any rate, it makes this one look like a precision fit!
looking at all my Strats (yes im the guy with too many Strats lol) that low E looked to be in the wrong place before and after? looked like it was nearly off the fingerboard
VCR flake. It's the colour of old cheap VCRs. I think the (presumed) laser etching behind the pickguard is in hopes of making electrical contact and using the picguard as a shield. Could also add friction so parts are less likely to slip. A loose neck pocket would make me wonder how bad is the heel to body contact. But you're absolutely right of course: as long as the neck to body contact is fairly solid and you can align the neck well and screw it down getting enough friction that it doesn't wobble, it'll be about as good as a neck joint can be. The arrow towards the blood might actually be a marked defect. Someone just ignored the marking or it was mistakenly put in the pass-pile despite needing cleanup.
Razorblade scratches around the potentiometers are supposed to create better contact to aluminium pickguard - which is also a shielding. Guitar shielding isn't Faraday cage; it's more like satellite dish that catches electromagnetic interferences and send it to the ground. Dylan Talks Tone has video about this on his channel :)
I have a Squier Contemporary Strat, the black one with the aluminium scratchplate, and I really like it. Okay, it has a somewhat sharp edge, but it doesn't get in the way at all (my experience). It's a nice guitar with surprisingly good fretwork, no scratches, no edges, so no complaint there. And it's budget too. I appreciate that. Black and alu goes really well together, I honestly have some problems with the gold hardware and the flashier colours (40th Anniversary), looks a bit overdone to me.
They buff the underside to cut down on static electricity held in the plating. If they don't do this, and you have the instrument turned on, you can rub the top of the scratch plate, and get electrical crackling if rubbed with the bare hand.
You know this or is it a guess? The plate would be earthed so, static would flow out IMO. EDIT: wait, are you saying they buff it so that it makes connection with he parts so that it is earthed? In which case I agree :)
I'm thinking the laser etching under the pickguard was because they're using the aluminium scatchplate AS shielding itself. I suspect they etched those spots for the same reason you'd scratch a bit of metal before you solder to it -- to make sure the components make contact with the acttual metal and not an oxide layer or finish.
I'm thinking the back bits of the pick guard are 'matted' down for earthing purposes, ensuring good continuity. I still use coper tape as opposed to shielding paint for the same reason.
I agree. Anodised aluminium is basically an oxide and theoretically not as good a conductor as raw aluminium (so ablating the surface improves conduction).
@@jeremiahfiek5495 really? Ben said they had ablated the anodised aluminium I.e. removing some of the surface. Surely ablating it makes the normally anodised part of the scratchplate more conductive and a good earth rather than insulated? And pots and switches are normally earthed in guitars by connection to shielded film or paint to reduce noise, rather than being insulated. If it was insulated to reduce ground loops then why are pots and switches normallly earthed by foil on the scratchplate? I’ve never heard of earth loops inside a guitar being an issue. Essentially the switch and pot casings are normally earthed and a section of the scratch plate, and the cavity has shielded paint. I see these as “parallel paths” forming a Faraday cage rather than something that would cause an earth loop problem. The only reason I can think of to insulate between the pots and switches would be if they don’t want the entire scratchplate earthed.
@@ali2ndmail ok so this is kind of a weird thing about electricity and rf/emf which ive gotten into recently...so here im adding some info ive gleamed...not arguing or trolling. the switch and pots chassis are the ground points...removing the anodizing will improve the conductivity as you said.....but a ground loop is still a problem / undesirable. but this is not a ground loop(single ground point) as much as it is a faraday cage (multi grounded). ( as you said).... a ground loop can turn into a sort of rf/emf noise echo chamber and funnel..acting as a coil antennae...trapped under an aluminum pick guard echo chamber is not ideal. literally generating noise and amplifying it and choking its ability to get to ground.... right next to the pickups that generate and collect their own noise and ambient noise. now you have 2 rf/emf fields playing together...this is a recipe for disaster without shielding... in a closed loop/space its a breeding ground for interaction of the fields. the key in designing a grounding system for rf/emf dispersion and deadening is avoiding actual circular shapes that turn into coils...and multiple ground points (tictactoe but all tips ground) a Faraday cage can and will block signals but can also encase them within causing an echo chamber & amplification effect... a grid with 1 ground point is a bad fishing net.. hence why CSA /ULC and other electrical standards require multiple chassis grounds (not USA standards tho strangely) TLDR a ground loop in a closed system becomes a struck dome over daffy ducks head. no strike, no problem, kinda nice and dark and quiet....till bugs comes along
@@kazzxtrismus very interesting. So you’re saying it’s not a ground loop but under some circumstances faraday cages are not “problem free”? I think I get the key that you don’t want coils picking up emf, or several grounds that are at slightly different potentials. The classic “ground loop” situation is two bits of mains electrical equipment connected together by a signal cable, but there is a potential difference across the shield of the signal cable because the grounds on the two bits of equipment aren’t quite at the same potential.
I had bought a Dave Murray signature Strat brand new several years ago at guitar center with the same poor neck pocket fit. I opened it and played it in the store and the neck moved while I played. It moved and creaked like 200 year old flooring. Immediately got my money back.
Neck pockets needing to be tight is a myth. The neck only needs to be solid to the bottom and not shift from side to side. I have a guitar I built with an acrylic body. It’s in the shape of a Dano Longhorn. The neck pocket has no sides. The guitar functions as expected. That’s not to say you want a big gap, if for no other reason that it looks bad. This probably made aligning the strings faster in a factory setting. Kind of why Les Pauls have sloppy tenons.
i got a H.E.R. strat last year.. i love it. my neck was quite snug... i didnt have any gaps as you found with yours (Thankfully). my luthier did a little adjustment but was great otherwise.
The anodise was removed from under the components inside the pickguard because the anodise is an insulator and would prevent good electrical contact for ground continuity.
Anodised aluminium is significantly less conductive than bare aluminium, so if they are using the scratch plate for earthing purposes this would explain the oblation of the surface.
Aluminium oxidizes immediately in air as its highly reactive metal. Roughening the surface will make sharp points of contact, helping the removal of the oxide and aiding a good/better electrical connection.
I have just purchased an aluminium scratch plate and you need to remove the finish to allow for earthing on the components before you mount them on the scratch plate.
That neck pocket is a bit of a thing for the Mexican factory, it seems. I had a Hendrix signature at some point and the neck pocket was just like this one. The strings where not perfectly parallel to the fretboard because of that, and the low E was dangerously close to the edge. I was then talking to a friend about this and he said his Mexico strat had the same issue.
That neck was put in slightly crooked to the left, hence the gap + the strings don't align properly (low E looks almost outside the fretboard at the highest frets). That's just botched. What also bothers me slightly is that the pickguard doesn't lay nice and flat all over the body. And with a finish (which itself indeed looks really nice!) like this it's immediately noticeable. The Squier 40th Anniversary series look to be absolutely stunning!! I'd love a Pbass...
I have a flame maple top strat I made. No dye, clear gloss finish. gold hardware, gold aluminium pick guard. The aluminium pickguard finishes it off completely ;-)
I LOVE you! Thank-you. That is incredibly cool to learn about. I always assumed that the anodizing was conductive too.. also nice to know Fender care enough to do this tbh!
Biggest mim flaw I've noticed is the neck screws catch and bind in body, it's the same drill width as screws that go into neck I believe is 4mm, usa strats have the body holes drilled wider, that's why you're neck alignments bad even though the neck is very loose in pocket. That's why at end of video you're worker was painfully screwing the screws though body, they should easy push through. This also kills sustain
Anodized aluminium isn't electricaly conductive as the anodizing acts as an insulation layer. If you scratch off the anodizing you can then make contact with the metal again. If you're using the metalic properties of an aluminium scratch plate for shielding then you'll be needing to actually make contact with the metal by removing the anodizing to take advantage of that!
Love the guitar did alot of work to mine to make it more my own, TBH signatures sure you have people that buy them because of the artist but according to statistics from Fender people buy them due to the Look and the Choices that make the guitar unique Mine - Kluson revolution tuners(black used the stock chrome ferrules), Tusq nut(Black), Schaller SLocks(Black), Vintage Forge Jack Plate(Black used chrome screws), Vintage Forge Black String Tree(Chrome Screw), Custom Black Neckplate used the Chrome screws, Changed the Pickguard and Pickup screws(Black), Gotoh Traditional Bridge 2-7/32 spacing(Black used the Chrome Bridge screws and Fender saddles), Changed the pickups to Dimarzio True Velvets(Black Covers Chrome pole slugs), Obsidian Wire 7 way kit with Chrome Pure Tone Jack and used Vintage Wiring black switch tip, Oh and for shits and giggles used a Tone Claw I had laying around....... Love the look better of the Chrome Glow with the offset of Black rather than the White and simply did a knock out of silver/chrome with the Black, it pops better and looks really unique, needed some TLC on the fretboard setup with 9's on the high 10's on the low hybrid strings floating the bridge setup though was a breeze and it plays amazing.........................When I own a guitar its never stock, except vintage other than modifications that were made back in the 70's and such, well except a Relish Trinity I picked up for a holiday price special, and the nature of that its not really ever stock with the pickup swapping(Tuners and maybe a push push pot for splitting???eventually)
@@johnnorris1983 yeah no not even close to the cost. and no it had to be mine, make the guitar yours, like every other artist worth a damn actually does. Yes it is all reversable nothing is perma not even the nut.
@@johnnorris1983 A Core PRS is $4000 the guitar i paid $1k for and the upgrades well Tuners - $100 Nut - $20(I do all my own work) Pickups - $225(set) Electronics - $110 Knobs - $10 StrapLocks - $30 Screws - $30(official Fender) String Tee - $10 Jack Plate - $10 Tone Claw - $60(had it laying around so figured what the hell why not) Int Total the guitar cost me $1475 it wouldn't have even bought an S2.......... So your bad at math, and you are a musician that is so cookie cutter it hurts. Make a guitar yours(except vintage) Take the parts off get a baggie put them in and label it and preferably don't do anything damaging to what matters, the Woodworking and paint. I moddified S2s all the time and upgraded them and guess what still no where near the cost of a core model.
Anodized aluminum pickguard, anodizing is not electrically conductive, or a very bad one. Need to remove the anodize to get a good electrical connection.
I have a mexican fender strat with a matte fretboard. I like it because it feels more like a rosewood or ebony fretboard than a maple with a lacquer over it.
About 4 years ago I bought a 115 euro Harley Benton jazz bass and I am still amazed by its quality. The neck pocket is perfect I mean really I got way more expensive guitars that are not as good. No shim to get correct angle blah blah no just solid workmanship. Even the ash body looks incredible, if it was on a 1000 even 2000 euro guitar I would be happy ! Oh yeah no neck cracks you can fit a rizla paper anywhere around the pocket. Like I said every time I pick it up it makes me smile for 115 euro !! Also I had once a Japanese Blade R4 that had the biggest gap in the neck pocket that I have ever had on any guitar , but it was one of the most resonate guitars I have ever played.
I've got a Harley Benton telecaster. It cost £80 and I cannot comprehend how that strat could be £900+ better to play. (I do own other guitars that cost me a lot more than £80)
I just bought a Nitrocellulose finished Stratocaster body from G&B Guitars in the UK, and the neck pocket on that has a terrible fit just like this... It's supposedly built completely to Fender specs, but a genuine Fender jack plate cover that I bought can't be screwed in, as the one screw overhangs the cavity...
The matt under the components will be used to have friction to hold the pots, when screwed in the friction will stop the pot from rotating. If it was shiny, the components would slide when being used.
Actually it is done to ensure ground contact from the pots to the scratch plate. Aluminium conducts electricity very well, but the anodized surface does not!
Regarding the plastic vs aluminum pickguard: my first thought is that if it's going to be aluminum, it should be flush mounted into the body. Even properly rounded, I don't much want to feel the edge of an aluminum sheet.
It has a slight round over. You don’t feel it. It’s not sharp. I owned a ‘59 with the aluminum pickguard. Fender would never recess a pickguard. Leo liked things quick and easy (and cheap)!
That type of paint additive is called interference powder. It interferes with the like refraction of the base color and causes all those wild other colors.
I have an 1985 superstrat which had over 1mm gap both sides of the neck pocket. Seems the neck was replaced at some point earlier. Leaning heavily on the neck got it out of tune, so I had to fix it. I sanded by hand two thin birch shims and glued them in. Then I sanded more to get the neck fit in tight. Joint is actually so tight, I can hang the guitar from the neck without the bolts. No tuning problems anymore, it's solid.
@@thegrandpencil4374 Good for you. I wanted this specific model and they don't grow on trees anymore. Nor are they sold for reasonable prices either. Just some woodwork and glue worth of pennies to get a perfectly fitting neck. Getting another similar guitar would've been ridiculous trouble and expense in comparison....and no guarantees in what condition they would've been either.
@@xpander8140 Hey, if it's what you like, it's what you like. There are no right answers when it comes to guitars, imo, other than what is right for you.
@@thegrandpencil4374 Exactly. Sometimes have to just weight the options before looking into something else. In my case it was easy, because to me the problem was not going to be hard at all to fix.
I do kinda disagree about aluminum inlays. I finished a bass recently that I put copper side dots in and they look great but they are VERY hard to see in the wrong light. I would worry that aluminum inlays might suffer from the same problem, but I think I would have to actually see it.
I wouldn't be happy with that neck pocket on a £300 guitar let alone a £1000 guitar! There's no excuse with todays cnc tech. I did like the matt finish fretboard though, glossy necks are not for me.
I've wanted a Dave Murray Strat (MIM), but there's no way I'm paying $1300 for it. I treated myself to an Eric Johnson Virginia Strat for Christmas and it is absolutely divine! Supposedly my last guitar purchase ever, but that never goes well..
Would the components have been grounding out too much being connected to the aluminum. I built a guitar that was grounding out because of the conductive paint that I applied to the cavity and pickguard!
I have a COVID era ( if that's a thing) Squier CV Tele. Scruffiest neck I have seen pocket seen and I have a few guitars at various prices. It works and so kept right or wrong, but prices only going north...... A lot of competition these days at all price points, so hopefully that makes the big companies think.
Two things about this guitar. One Josh needs to put the high E string under the tree... second its the best tone I have heard on any of these demos. As for the cleaning of the anodizing under the scratch plate it is either for better ground OR that whole dissimilar metals and corrosion thing. The neck pocket just makes it shameful that this was even seen in public let alone the huge disappointment in something such a big name has put out. the more I see of these reviews the more I am thinking my kitchen has become my favorite guitar maker and my bedroom is my favorite guitar shop Thanks to Ben, Todd, Gio and a few other luthier influences.
The traditionalist thing with electric guitars is really fascinating, considering how young they are in the overall history of musical instruments. Particularly given that the Les Paul is named after someone who, if they were still alive today, would probably have the most tricked-out tech-heavy guitar of them all.
Yeah, I think that's a big reason why companies like Fender have other brands, e.g. Charvel and Jackson in Fender's case. For example, they know that a heavily modernised Fender Strat isn't going to work well commercially because of the traditionalists, so they do those guitars under a different brand with a different image/customer base. I always say to people when they ask why a Strat doesn't have X or Y modern feature as it seems like a no-brainer these days, and I say it does, it's called a Charvel!
One thing that really gets me is truss rod adjustment at the heel. Seems objectively better in every way, buy it's rare to see on a Fender Strat, presumably as it would upset the traditionalists
@@thewholeroll the fender traditionalists always had it at the pocket end, buried under the pickguard 😉 It's the new fangled fender modernists that have it at the nut end.
@@PaulCooksStuff very true 🙂 sorry, I should have been a bit clearer! You probably already knew what I was getting at and we're just having a laugh, but just in case anyone didn't know what I meant... I wasn't talking about the real old school ones where you have to take the neck/pickguard off (or if you're lucky, just about get to it). I mean the modern style with a nut on the end with holes to shove in an allen key / screwdriver / etc. With those, it takes longer to find something to shove in the hole than it does to make an adjustment! Plus, you don't have to find the specific wrench you need - just anything round the fits in the hole will do. So much better!
They've started editing out the fret dressing stage because it's been heavily featured in many of the teardowns. But a web search for Crimson Guitars CZcams Fret Dressing will also throw up some ten year old dedicated tutorials... How To Use Crimson Guitars Fret Crowning And Fret End Dressing Files, May 2013 Tutorial - Levelling and Polishing Guitar Frets, May 2012 etc etc I'd post a link but automod would probably delete it.
That neck pocket is a disgrace for a £1000 guitar. I have just bought a £150 Harley Benton bass and the neck fit is perfect. You can't see the slightest hint of a gap all the way round the pocket. Slide a cigarette paper in? - No chance. If the Indonesian factories have this level of quality control, why can't Fender insist that between Mexico and the USA, they step up to the plate and be equal to or better than Indonesia, especially when you consider the price differential.
As much as i love vintage stuff, i loathe plastic pickguards and I have swapped ALL of my strats over to anodized aluminum guards. IMO plastic doesnt even belong anywhere on guitars. Its cheap, ugly and feel like a toy under my picking hand. I dont have anything against laser etching but i would agree for the price point they should have cast the neck plates, or just done a signature slide decal.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I'm going to have to save up my pennies and book a build a guitar course with you problem is I'm way too ambitious.im thinking stainless steel frets and single coil, bridge humbucker neck, single coil neck .. with Tbx 😭way too ambitious
Ben. Could you Let Josh make a DVD 📀 of His Guitar playing. This man is Good. One Better put Crimson Team come Together to Do a DVD just playing any after each other. Ben you can Join too. lol
Fender has the worst QC in the business. I recently received an AM PRO II tele where the holes didn't even line up for the neck bolts so they were pulling on either side of their respective holes and it was impossible to align the strings.
Personally I think it would look better with a Multi-Ply white/black/white Pickguard, but that's just me. Also never was a big fan of Automotive Painted Guitars, although I'm sure it's a great Guitar...never understood the hate for Mexican Guitars...I've had a few that were great...
Could it be that the holding apparatus failed when the neck pocket was being routed? I do live that. I’ve been to the Stratosphere parts see if they’re selling the body. But they don’t. I will be having a go at this giveaway.
@@andresilva8444 Doubtful. You’re assuming the neck pocket was the last operation? Everything else would be off. Just sloppy tolerances. What sets apart a factory guitar from a hand made guitar is fit and finish. You really spot this in fretwork. I think both Fender and Gibson make a lot of mediocre guitars. Fender seems to have better QC than Gibson.
@@DavidRavenMoon Yes, I see no other option. I’ve played other HERs and it’s not a thing I’ve seen elsewhere. Not even that paint defect. This is clearly a BxStock
neck pockets are done first...maybe as a Proto neck pocket (undersized by a lot) its the mount point for paint...this guitar is painted and then CNC'd they may be skipping the step to make a proto pocket and just CNC the pocket first. the paint getting in a bit at the corner may not be a touchup but a gap in the fake neck used as a fixture during first stages...(high metallic usually touches up badly as metallics fall away/no static) something tells me the paint in the pocket was masking error not touchup. as a production wood finisher i can tell you this is very very common. if the neck pocket (not proto) is cnc'd first, on a blank without the locating hole reference points the size difference should still be very minor as they should all be done at the same time on a blank rectangle that comes out a basically completed guitar body without pickup/control cavity. ...my guess is they mass produce bodies without cavity...pick the best/favorites for certain models and brands etc in quick eyeball checks as the machine outputs. (industry generalities below) piles of A B or C bodies are made and then picked from at production day. a skid of A's got a B in it and that was the skid used for these models. C 's get sent off to be sold as kit bodies/bulk buys by 3rd parties as near zero finishing is done. mexico may not even get bare wood body blanks? (or only pre sealed and shaped)
Cool guitar. But the string spacing is way too wide for the neck. The low E is about to fall off. That guitar needs a new bridge with narrower saddles. It looks they put a vintage 56mm trem on a guitar with narrow neck. Shame really for a guitar of that price!
The anodizing is there to make the surfaces touching the electronics NON-conductive. You can see the ground circuit ran with black wire... a solid aluminum pickguard would cause ground loops all over and could be a bit noisy. They obviously took extra steps to make this guitar as quiet as possible.
The one problem I have had with some MIM fenders is the neck stability. The truss adjustment seems to reach its limit very easily and then that’s it, new neck time.
I'd bet they etched the underside of the pickguard to remove some of the anodizing to ensure electrical conductivity.
anodizing creates a layer of oxide which is non-conductive so once removed and bonded to the electronics (pots, switches, etc), you now have a RF shield or at least, the start of one
Absolutely it's why they did it!
This!
I came here to say this. You beat me to it!
They etched it so that it is non conductive to avoid having a GROUND LOOP to make it as quiet as possible.
When I had a 1mm neck gap. I just glued a bit of 1mm maple veneer to the side of the pocket!
If you noticed before the strings were removed, the low e was really crowding the fretboard margin.
This tells me that even if the gap in the neck pocket is filled in, the string margin distance can only be corrected (a bit) by making a new nut, with adjusted string spacing, since the bridge cannot be relocated.
The string is almost falling off the edge because that neck is misaligned hence the almost 1mm gap £1000 guitar someone needs a new job. If you can't do the job Pick up a broom!
Yeah, it's strange that he said the strings alignment is fine. It clearly wasn't.
@@steven_uk I suppose from a certain point of view you could get away with less margin on the bass side of the fretboard, since we don't often upbend on the low end (I never do) but it's not ideal. I just finished building a short scale fanned fret offset V with a marginally narrower neck than most electrics. It's for a female player with really small hands. I'm making new nut for it at this very moment to give the edge offsets a bit of a nudge, since it has standard width bridge saddles with 10mm string to string distances. I made the first nut without considering some things lol
@@steven_uk Maybe is was a camera angle thing. Ben was able to look staight down on the strings but just a few degrees on the camera created what we took to be misaligned strings. They certainly looked way off to me.
holy crap, i saw your comment before seeing the video,..holy crap🤣 that is disgraceful, i will never order another fender without an option for exchange.
My first kit was a strat that I did up in the old gulf racing colours and, to keep the theme going, I put an anodised aluminium scratch plate on that and I absolutely love it!
Love that color combo!
you can see at 4.36 the bass E over the edge of the neck, shows to me the neck is out of alignment, probably because the neck pocket is pants.
Why no concern with the string alignment with that sloppy neck pocket? I could tell the low E string was almost coming off the fretboard. And when you “fixed” the neck, you didn’t even bother aligning the strings with the neck. The neck was simply bolted back with no consideration for alignment.
Personally I won't call a £1000 guitar a budget guitar. And frankly, I would expect better quality for the money. At this point I would rather silversky SE, cheaper and better.
I've got the J Mascis Jazzmaster with the gold colored aluminium pickguard. It took a minute for the color to grow on me, but I've loved the feel of it from day one. Feels way more luxurious than any plastic pickguard I've had on other Fender style instruments.
Same here. Great guitar. Doesn’t hold up to my 89 strat (feel), however lots of fun to play and great sound.
I owned a sunburst ‘59 Jazzmaster with the gold anodized pickguard.
That finish is awesome! This might genuinely be my favorite finish on any guitar I've ever seen. And a painted headstock is the best thing ever, it makes any guitar look SO much better.
Strange, I've alway despised painted headstocks on a Fender, regardless how nice the guitar is.
The QC and workmanship of Mexi Fenders used to blow the USAs out of the water, me thinks fender has upped the quota reducing the hands on time to purposefully reduce quality. If I got a fender with a pocket like that, I would send it back!
I have 2 late 70's strats with appalling neck pockets to the extents that stings were falling off the fret board when playing - actually swapping the 2 necks improved the situation remarkably. CBS era fenders are not generally well fitted.
Every guitar I've owned with a shoddy neck pocket has hit the road due to issues with the way I thought they sounded. One guitar I owned had slop on the treble side, and that corresponded with the lack of volume and body on the higher strings. I'm sure there are guitars with sloppy pockets that sound good, but I would never buy one that had such a pocket without thoroughly test driving it. I don't think anyone would buy a set neck guitar that had such sloppy fitment prior to gluing, not sure why a bolt on should be treated any differently.
That arrow is making me think that this neck was meant to go around the loop again and be cleaned up or discarded but wasn’t for some reason.
Those strops would be great! I 100% agree that you get massive hand cramps when you polish frets by hand
I like to take a jenga block and wrap my sand paper around it to finish the frets, works like a charm and is cheap as hell.
From my vantage point, the paint looks golden. Then close up looks silver. Two guitars for the price of one. Thanks for all you do.
Shouldnt be threading the screw into the neck pocket itself before it makes contact with the neck, those holes need to be just large enough for the screw to slip through so the clamping pressure is made by the neck and neck plate.... Not only that but it will assist in aligning the neck when there is a sloppy neck pocket involved...
As for the handle being a game changer, my first crowning tool was a small triangular piece of wood with sandpaper taped to the edges, I believe the idea came from either Brad Angove or Dan Thompson way back when. Works great but forever changing the sand paper, just going to waste a lot of sandpaper on the handle as youll only ever touch the very outer edges of the paper, all the inner being left untouched and waster....
Absolutely agree - a real pet hate of mine is the neck screws being threaded into the body, rather than the holes being drilled properly oversize, they just don’t pull the neck into the body properly
One of the first things I do with a bolt on is enlarge those holes and I think that’s also what Dan Erlewine does when he sets up and prepares a new bolt on neck guitar
I think the worst neck pocket I've ever seen on a Fender was on a 1970 Competiton Blue Mustang in a Norman's Rare Guitars video. I'm guessing it was nearly an eighth of an inch oversized from what I could see in the video. At any rate, it makes this one look like a precision fit!
looking at all my Strats (yes im the guy with too many Strats lol) that low E looked to be in the wrong place before and after? looked like it was nearly off the fingerboard
VCR flake. It's the colour of old cheap VCRs. I think the (presumed) laser etching behind the pickguard is in hopes of making electrical contact and using the picguard as a shield. Could also add friction so parts are less likely to slip.
A loose neck pocket would make me wonder how bad is the heel to body contact. But you're absolutely right of course: as long as the neck to body contact is fairly solid and you can align the neck well and screw it down getting enough friction that it doesn't wobble, it'll be about as good as a neck joint can be.
The arrow towards the blood might actually be a marked defect. Someone just ignored the marking or it was mistakenly put in the pass-pile despite needing cleanup.
Razorblade scratches around the potentiometers are supposed to create better contact to aluminium pickguard - which is also a shielding. Guitar shielding isn't Faraday cage; it's more like satellite dish that catches electromagnetic interferences and send it to the ground. Dylan Talks Tone has video about this on his channel :)
I do like how clean the routing is I have an older MIM Strat that is horrible looking inside because of painted over trash
I have a Squier Contemporary Strat, the black one with the aluminium scratchplate, and I really like it. Okay, it has a somewhat sharp edge, but it doesn't get in the way at all (my experience). It's a nice guitar with surprisingly good fretwork, no scratches, no edges, so no complaint there. And it's budget too. I appreciate that. Black and alu goes really well together, I honestly have some problems with the gold hardware and the flashier colours (40th Anniversary), looks a bit overdone to me.
The etching around the pots and switch is for better electrical contact through the anodizing.
They buff the underside to cut down on static electricity held in the plating. If they don't do this, and you have the instrument turned on, you can rub the top of the scratch plate, and get electrical crackling if rubbed with the bare hand.
You know this or is it a guess? The plate would be earthed so, static would flow out IMO. EDIT: wait, are you saying they buff it so that it makes connection with he parts so that it is earthed? In which case I agree :)
@@cheapskate8656 Yes...That would be correct. I build guitars as a hobby and have to do this myself.
I'm thinking the laser etching under the pickguard was because they're using the aluminium scatchplate AS shielding itself. I suspect they etched those spots for the same reason you'd scratch a bit of metal before you solder to it -- to make sure the components make contact with the acttual metal and not an oxide layer or finish.
I'm thinking the back bits of the pick guard are 'matted' down for earthing purposes, ensuring good continuity. I still use coper tape as opposed to shielding paint for the same reason.
I agree. Anodised aluminium is basically an oxide and theoretically not as good a conductor as raw aluminium (so ablating the surface improves conduction).
They did it so that it's non conductive to avoid any kind of ground loop so that it's as quiet as possible.
@@jeremiahfiek5495 really? Ben said they had ablated the anodised aluminium I.e. removing some of the surface. Surely ablating it makes the normally anodised part of the scratchplate more conductive and a good earth rather than insulated? And pots and switches are normally earthed in guitars by connection to shielded film or paint to reduce noise, rather than being insulated. If it was insulated to reduce ground loops then why are pots and switches normallly earthed by foil on the scratchplate? I’ve never heard of earth loops inside a guitar being an issue. Essentially the switch and pot casings are normally earthed and a section of the scratch plate, and the cavity has shielded paint. I see these as “parallel paths” forming a Faraday cage rather than something that would cause an earth loop problem. The only reason I can think of to insulate between the pots and switches would be if they don’t want the entire scratchplate earthed.
@@ali2ndmail ok so this is kind of a weird thing about electricity and rf/emf which ive gotten into recently...so here im adding some info ive gleamed...not arguing or trolling.
the switch and pots chassis are the ground points...removing the anodizing will improve the conductivity as you said.....but a ground loop is still a problem / undesirable.
but this is not a ground loop(single ground point) as much as it is a faraday cage (multi grounded).
( as you said)....
a ground loop can turn into a sort of rf/emf noise echo chamber and funnel..acting as a coil antennae...trapped under an aluminum pick guard echo chamber is not ideal.
literally generating noise and amplifying it and choking its ability to get to ground....
right next to the pickups that generate and collect their own noise and ambient noise.
now you have 2 rf/emf fields playing together...this is a recipe for disaster without shielding...
in a closed loop/space its a breeding ground for interaction of the fields.
the key in designing a grounding system for rf/emf dispersion and deadening is avoiding actual circular shapes that turn into coils...and multiple ground points (tictactoe but all tips ground)
a Faraday cage can and will block signals but can also encase them within causing an echo chamber & amplification effect...
a grid with 1 ground point is a bad fishing net..
hence why CSA /ULC and other electrical standards require multiple chassis grounds (not USA standards tho strangely)
TLDR
a ground loop in a closed system becomes a struck dome over daffy ducks head.
no strike, no problem, kinda nice and dark and quiet....till bugs comes along
@@kazzxtrismus very interesting. So you’re saying it’s not a ground loop but under some circumstances faraday cages are not “problem free”? I think I get the key that you don’t want coils picking up emf, or several grounds that are at slightly different potentials. The classic “ground loop” situation is two bits of mains electrical equipment connected together by a signal cable, but there is a potential difference across the shield of the signal cable because the grounds on the two bits of equipment aren’t quite at the same potential.
I had bought a Dave Murray signature Strat brand new several years ago at guitar center with the same poor neck pocket fit. I opened it and played it in the store and the neck moved while I played. It moved and creaked like 200 year old flooring. Immediately got my money back.
Neck pockets needing to be tight is a myth. The neck only needs to be solid to the bottom and not shift from side to side.
I have a guitar I built with an acrylic body. It’s in the shape of a Dano Longhorn. The neck pocket has no sides. The guitar functions as expected.
That’s not to say you want a big gap, if for no other reason that it looks bad. This probably made aligning the strings faster in a factory setting. Kind of why Les Pauls have sloppy tenons.
Yup, more important to have the holes in the neck pocket drilled out so the screw slips through, which they didnt do....
i got a H.E.R. strat last year.. i love it. my neck was quite snug... i didnt have any gaps as you found with yours (Thankfully). my luthier did a little adjustment but was great otherwise.
Did yours have the same blood sacrifice on the neck heel?
@@marsvoltron not that I remembered.
The anodise was removed from under the components inside the pickguard because the anodise is an insulator and would prevent good electrical contact for ground continuity.
I've been pondering a finish scheme for a build in progress. Think I found it.
Anodised aluminium is significantly less conductive than bare aluminium, so if they are using the scratch plate for earthing purposes this would explain the oblation
of the surface.
I think the mat sections are there to remove the anodizing which inhibits the ground? ;)
Aluminium oxidizes immediately in air as its highly reactive metal. Roughening the surface will make sharp points of contact, helping the removal of the oxide and aiding a good/better electrical connection.
I have just purchased an aluminium scratch plate and you need to remove the finish to allow for earthing on the components before you mount them on the scratch plate.
if it's anodized both sides it would make a poor ground. So they used the laser to expose bare metal. All 3 pots grounded
That neck pocket is a bit of a thing for the Mexican factory, it seems. I had a Hendrix signature at some point and the neck pocket was just like this one. The strings where not perfectly parallel to the fretboard because of that, and the low E was dangerously close to the edge. I was then talking to a friend about this and he said his Mexico strat had the same issue.
like on this guitar at the highest fret (well before the work of Ben and Josh). I don't know if the montage Josh did in the end fixed that issue.
That neck was put in slightly crooked to the left, hence the gap + the strings don't align properly (low E looks almost outside the fretboard at the highest frets).
That's just botched.
What also bothers me slightly is that the pickguard doesn't lay nice and flat all over the body. And with a finish (which itself indeed looks really nice!) like this it's immediately noticeable.
The Squier 40th Anniversary series look to be absolutely stunning!! I'd love a Pbass...
I saw that the pick guard wasn’t laying exactly flat as well, specifically, around the bottom horn. I’m glad it’s not just me.
I have a flame maple top strat I made. No dye, clear gloss finish. gold hardware, gold aluminium pick guard. The aluminium pickguard finishes it off completely ;-)
Laser ablation so they can ground to the aluminum. Anodize is dielectric...no ground path except through the sides of the screws.
I LOVE you! Thank-you. That is incredibly cool to learn about. I always assumed that the anodizing was conductive too.. also nice to know Fender care enough to do this tbh!
Biggest mim flaw I've noticed is the neck screws catch and bind in body, it's the same drill width as screws that go into neck I believe is 4mm, usa strats have the body holes drilled wider, that's why you're neck alignments bad even though the neck is very loose in pocket. That's why at end of video you're worker was painfully screwing the screws though body, they should easy push through. This also kills sustain
Anodized aluminium isn't electricaly conductive as the anodizing acts as an insulation layer.
If you scratch off the anodizing you can then make contact with the metal again.
If you're using the metalic properties of an aluminium scratch plate for shielding then you'll be needing to actually make contact with the metal by removing the anodizing to take advantage of that!
Love the guitar did alot of work to mine to make it more my own, TBH signatures sure you have people that buy them because of the artist but according to statistics from Fender people buy them due to the Look and the Choices that make the guitar unique
Mine - Kluson revolution tuners(black used the stock chrome ferrules), Tusq nut(Black), Schaller SLocks(Black), Vintage Forge Jack Plate(Black used chrome screws), Vintage Forge Black String Tree(Chrome Screw), Custom Black Neckplate used the Chrome screws, Changed the Pickguard and Pickup screws(Black), Gotoh Traditional Bridge 2-7/32 spacing(Black used the Chrome Bridge screws and Fender saddles), Changed the pickups to Dimarzio True Velvets(Black Covers Chrome pole slugs), Obsidian Wire 7 way kit with Chrome Pure Tone Jack and used Vintage Wiring black switch tip, Oh and for shits and giggles used a Tone Claw I had laying around....... Love the look better of the Chrome Glow with the offset of Black rather than the White and simply did a knock out of silver/chrome with the Black, it pops better and looks really unique, needed some TLC on the fretboard setup with 9's on the high 10's on the low hybrid strings floating the bridge setup though was a breeze and it plays amazing.........................When I own a guitar its never stock, except vintage other than modifications that were made back in the 70's and such, well except a Relish Trinity I picked up for a holiday price special, and the nature of that its not really ever stock with the pickup swapping(Tuners and maybe a push push pot for splitting???eventually)
You could have paid for a core PRS for the cost of the upgrades. You couldn’t have liked your stock axe that much.
@@johnnorris1983 yeah no not even close to the cost. and no it had to be mine, make the guitar yours, like every other artist worth a damn actually does. Yes it is all reversable nothing is perma not even the nut.
@@johnnorris1983 A Core PRS is $4000 the guitar i paid $1k for and the upgrades well
Tuners - $100
Nut - $20(I do all my own work)
Pickups - $225(set)
Electronics - $110
Knobs - $10
StrapLocks - $30
Screws - $30(official Fender)
String Tee - $10
Jack Plate - $10
Tone Claw - $60(had it laying around so figured what the hell why not)
Int Total the guitar cost me $1475 it wouldn't have even bought an S2..........
So your bad at math, and you are a musician that is so cookie cutter it hurts.
Make a guitar yours(except vintage) Take the parts off get a baggie put them in and label it and preferably don't do anything damaging to what matters, the Woodworking and paint. I moddified S2s all the time and upgraded them and guess what still no where near the cost of a core model.
Anodized aluminum pickguard, anodizing is not electrically conductive, or a very bad one. Need to remove the anodize to get a good electrical connection.
As Ben might say were he to have known this, "That is spot on."
I have a mexican fender strat with a matte fretboard. I like it because it feels more like a rosewood or ebony fretboard than a maple with a lacquer over it.
About 4 years ago I bought a 115 euro Harley Benton jazz bass and I am still amazed by its quality. The neck pocket is perfect I mean really I got way more expensive guitars that are not as good. No shim to get correct angle blah blah no just solid workmanship. Even the ash body looks incredible, if it was on a 1000 even 2000 euro guitar I would be happy ! Oh yeah no neck cracks you can fit a rizla paper anywhere around the pocket. Like I said every time I pick it up it makes me smile for 115 euro !! Also I had once a Japanese Blade R4 that had the biggest gap in the neck pocket that I have ever had on any guitar , but it was one of the most resonate guitars I have ever played.
I've got a Harley Benton telecaster. It cost £80 and I cannot comprehend how that strat could be £900+ better to play. (I do own other guitars that cost me a lot more than £80)
They removed the anodizing so the pickguard could be used as ground. Anodizing is no conductive or a poor conductor depending on how they did it.
I just bought a Nitrocellulose finished Stratocaster body from G&B Guitars in the UK, and the neck pocket on that has a terrible fit just like this...
It's supposedly built completely to Fender specs, but a genuine Fender jack plate cover that I bought can't be screwed in, as the one screw overhangs the cavity...
The matt under the components will be used to have friction to hold the pots, when screwed in the friction will stop the pot from rotating. If it was shiny, the components would slide when being used.
Actually it is done to ensure ground contact from the pots to the scratch plate. Aluminium conducts electricity very well, but the anodized surface does not!
Regarding the plastic vs aluminum pickguard: my first thought is that if it's going to be aluminum, it should be flush mounted into the body. Even properly rounded, I don't much want to feel the edge of an aluminum sheet.
It has a slight round over. You don’t feel it. It’s not sharp. I owned a ‘59 with the aluminum pickguard. Fender would never recess a pickguard. Leo liked things quick and easy (and cheap)!
That type of paint additive is called interference powder. It interferes with the like refraction of the base color and causes all those wild other colors.
I have an 1985 superstrat which had over 1mm gap both sides of the neck pocket. Seems the neck was replaced at some point earlier. Leaning heavily on the neck got it out of tune, so I had to fix it. I sanded by hand two thin birch shims and glued them in. Then I sanded more to get the neck fit in tight. Joint is actually so tight, I can hang the guitar from the neck without the bolts. No tuning problems anymore, it's solid.
I would have just bought another guitar lol
@@thegrandpencil4374 Good for you. I wanted this specific model and they don't grow on trees anymore. Nor are they sold for reasonable prices either. Just some woodwork and glue worth of pennies to get a perfectly fitting neck. Getting another similar guitar would've been ridiculous trouble and expense in comparison....and no guarantees in what condition they would've been either.
@@xpander8140 Hey, if it's what you like, it's what you like. There are no right answers when it comes to guitars, imo, other than what is right for you.
@@thegrandpencil4374 Exactly. Sometimes have to just weight the options before looking into something else. In my case it was easy, because to me the problem was not going to be hard at all to fix.
I do kinda disagree about aluminum inlays. I finished a bass recently that I put copper side dots in and they look great but they are VERY hard to see in the wrong light. I would worry that aluminum inlays might suffer from the same problem, but I think I would have to actually see it.
Yeah, side dots just need to be visible. On my GGBO build I used brass dots but the brass was too hard to see in the side so I used "green sparkle"
I wouldn't be happy with that neck pocket on a £300 guitar let alone a £1000 guitar! There's no excuse with todays cnc tech. I did like the matt finish fretboard though, glossy necks are not for me.
My thoughts exactly.
I've wanted a Dave Murray Strat (MIM), but there's no way I'm paying $1300 for it. I treated myself to an Eric Johnson Virginia Strat for Christmas and it is absolutely divine! Supposedly my last guitar purchase ever, but that never goes well..
Would the components have been grounding out too much being connected to the aluminum. I built a guitar that was grounding out because of the conductive paint that I applied to the cavity and pickguard!
I have a COVID era ( if that's a thing) Squier CV Tele. Scruffiest neck I have seen pocket seen and I have a few guitars at various prices. It works and so kept right or wrong, but prices only going north...... A lot of competition these days at all price points, so hopefully that makes the big companies think.
I’ve got a Stratocaster with a larger than normal neck pocket. Plays and sounds better and has more sustain than any other guitar that I own.
That is an awesome guitar I'm buying a few tickets for that. Josh I loved your chillies my friends cover
What was the reason for not putting the high e string under the string tree?
i would also like to know what "No shielding - which is fantastic!" means?
I thought that Fender typically painted the various cavities with conductive paint.
Floppy pocket would be a great band name
Is fender going the way of gibson, quality wise? String alignment issues are alarming!
18:20 "ladies and gentlemen, coming in at #10 on the countdown, the hugely requested song, 'Ive got a Leatherman '" 😂
Two things about this guitar. One Josh needs to put the high E string under the tree... second its the best tone I have heard on any of these demos. As for the cleaning of the anodizing under the scratch plate it is either for better ground OR that whole dissimilar metals and corrosion thing. The neck pocket just makes it shameful that this was even seen in public let alone the huge disappointment in something such a big name has put out. the more I see of these reviews the more I am thinking my kitchen has become my favorite guitar maker and my bedroom is my favorite guitar shop Thanks to Ben, Todd, Gio and a few other luthier influences.
The traditionalist thing with electric guitars is really fascinating, considering how young they are in the overall history of musical instruments. Particularly given that the Les Paul is named after someone who, if they were still alive today, would probably have the most tricked-out tech-heavy guitar of them all.
He only died a few years ago and was still playing a Les Paul
Yeah, I think that's a big reason why companies like Fender have other brands, e.g. Charvel and Jackson in Fender's case. For example, they know that a heavily modernised Fender Strat isn't going to work well commercially because of the traditionalists, so they do those guitars under a different brand with a different image/customer base. I always say to people when they ask why a Strat doesn't have X or Y modern feature as it seems like a no-brainer these days, and I say it does, it's called a Charvel!
One thing that really gets me is truss rod adjustment at the heel. Seems objectively better in every way, buy it's rare to see on a Fender Strat, presumably as it would upset the traditionalists
@@thewholeroll the fender traditionalists always had it at the pocket end, buried under the pickguard 😉 It's the new fangled fender modernists that have it at the nut end.
@@PaulCooksStuff very true 🙂 sorry, I should have been a bit clearer! You probably already knew what I was getting at and we're just having a laugh, but just in case anyone didn't know what I meant... I wasn't talking about the real old school ones where you have to take the neck/pickguard off (or if you're lucky, just about get to it). I mean the modern style with a nut on the end with holes to shove in an allen key / screwdriver / etc. With those, it takes longer to find something to shove in the hole than it does to make an adjustment! Plus, you don't have to find the specific wrench you need - just anything round the fits in the hole will do. So much better!
Hooray- another fret dressing tutorial...
Please do a Jason Isbel Tele. Would love to know your thoughts.
Could anyone direct me to a video, of what happens after the levelling-beam bit, when you've got different high & low frets? What's the next step?
about 299 of them here on this channel with full tutorial / how to
probably one of the best places to learn the whole thing!
They've started editing out the fret dressing stage because it's been heavily featured in many of the teardowns. But a web search for Crimson Guitars CZcams Fret Dressing will also throw up some ten year old dedicated tutorials...
How To Use Crimson Guitars Fret Crowning And Fret End Dressing Files, May 2013
Tutorial - Levelling and Polishing Guitar Frets, May 2012
etc etc
I'd post a link but automod would probably delete it.
My 1979 USA Strat had a neck pocket like that!
I wish someone looked at me the way Josh looks at a frets when he polishes them.
The shape of the scratch plate doesn't follow the lower horn towards the neck...
Please let me know when you (if you) guys start selling that fret polisher ;-)
Why is no shielding paint great. 🤔
Polishing frets is hurting Josh's hands? Poor thing. Let's tape some sand paper to a piece of wood, it'll be a game changer.
Thanks for sharing the neck pocket shouldn't be like that
Anodised aluminium is non conductive, that is why they have laser ablated under the components to ensure a good connection with the screen
That neck pocket is a disgrace for a £1000 guitar. I have just bought a £150 Harley Benton bass and the neck fit is perfect. You can't see the slightest hint of a gap all the way round the pocket. Slide a cigarette paper in? - No chance. If the Indonesian factories have this level of quality control, why can't Fender insist that between Mexico and the USA, they step up to the plate and be equal to or better than Indonesia, especially when you consider the price differential.
As much as i love vintage stuff, i loathe plastic pickguards and I have swapped ALL of my strats over to anodized aluminum guards. IMO plastic doesnt even belong anywhere on guitars. Its cheap, ugly and feel like a toy under my picking hand.
I dont have anything against laser etching but i would agree for the price point they should have cast the neck plates, or just done a signature slide decal.
Boss the lowE string has no room it's too close to the edge of the fretboard near the body 😞
It is a bit closer than I would like, well spotted. this damn neck pocket will make that a very easy fix on Monday though
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I'm going to have to save up my pennies and book a build a guitar course with you problem is I'm way too ambitious.im thinking stainless steel frets and single coil, bridge humbucker neck, single coil neck .. with Tbx 😭way too ambitious
That neck pocket.. or the alignment of the neck in it looks off too..
a 1000 punds for a mim strat!! The world has gone insane! This one shouldn't have left the factory
Ben. Could you Let Josh make a DVD 📀 of His Guitar playing. This man is Good. One Better put Crimson Team come Together to Do a DVD just playing any after each other. Ben you can Join too. lol
I have a 93 MIM Strat that I've had since new, and the neck pocket is horrible as well
11:50 to get better conductivity.
Fender has the worst QC in the business. I recently received an AM PRO II tele where the holes didn't even line up for the neck bolts so they were pulling on either side of their respective holes and it was impossible to align the strings.
Sister Rosetta and Joni Mitchell should bot have signatures. A Gibson for Sister and an Ibanez for Joni.
"Abalone" ends in an "ee" sound; it rhymes with "matrimony".
Personally I think it would look better with a Multi-Ply white/black/white Pickguard, but that's just me. Also never was a big fan of Automotive Painted Guitars, although I'm sure it's a great Guitar...never understood the hate for Mexican Guitars...I've had a few that were great...
Could it be that the holding apparatus failed when the neck pocket was being routed? I do live that. I’ve been to the Stratosphere parts see if they’re selling the body. But they don’t. I will be having a go at this giveaway.
It’s done on a CNC these days.
@@DavidRavenMoon sure, but even on a CNC, the body needs to be held down and that must have failed and slipped.
@@andresilva8444 Doubtful. You’re assuming the neck pocket was the last operation? Everything else would be off. Just sloppy tolerances.
What sets apart a factory guitar from a hand made guitar is fit and finish. You really spot this in fretwork. I think both Fender and Gibson make a lot of mediocre guitars. Fender seems to have better QC than Gibson.
@@DavidRavenMoon Yes, I see no other option. I’ve played other HERs and it’s not a thing I’ve seen elsewhere. Not even that paint defect. This is clearly a BxStock
neck pockets are done first...maybe as a Proto neck pocket (undersized by a lot)
its the mount point for paint...this guitar is painted and then CNC'd
they may be skipping the step to make a proto pocket and just CNC the pocket first.
the paint getting in a bit at the corner may not be a touchup but a gap in the fake neck used as a fixture during first stages...(high metallic usually touches up badly as metallics fall away/no static)
something tells me the paint in the pocket was masking error not touchup.
as a production wood finisher i can tell you this is very very common.
if the neck pocket (not proto) is cnc'd first, on a blank without the locating hole reference points the size difference should still be very minor as they should all be done at the same time on a blank rectangle that comes out a basically completed guitar body without pickup/control cavity.
...my guess is they mass produce bodies without cavity...pick the best/favorites for certain models and brands etc in quick eyeball checks as the machine outputs.
(industry generalities below)
piles of A B or C bodies are made and then picked from at production day.
a skid of A's got a B in it and that was the skid used for these models.
C 's get sent off to be sold as kit bodies/bulk buys by 3rd parties as near zero finishing is done.
mexico may not even get bare wood body blanks? (or only pre sealed and shaped)
Pleas finish the travel guitar. Thanks
They couldve done block inlays 😍
Cool guitar. But the string spacing is way too wide for the neck. The low E is about to fall off. That guitar needs a new bridge with narrower saddles. It looks they put a vintage 56mm trem on a guitar with narrow neck.
Shame really for a guitar of that price!
Do any guitars have perfectly level frets, the answer is no!! Especially after a few months of hard playing plus the wood is always moving.
The anodizing is there to make the surfaces touching the electronics NON-conductive. You can see the ground circuit ran with black wire... a solid aluminum pickguard would cause ground loops all over and could be a bit noisy. They obviously took extra steps to make this guitar as quiet as possible.
How can I CNC machine mess up a neck pocket? 🤪
I'm a fool. I'd say the inlays should be white pearlescance.
The one problem I have had with some MIM fenders is the neck stability. The truss adjustment seems to reach its limit very easily and then that’s it, new neck time.