Fixing String Alignment on a Bolt-On Neck Guitar - DrKevGuitar.com
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- Опубликовано: 26 окт 2014
- Sometimes a bolt-on guitar neck can shift in the neck pocket, causing the strings to be too close to one side of the neck. It's a common issue and very easy to fix. This is how.
For full details and precautions, see drkevguitar.com/2014/10/29/str...
I'm a guitar teacher and guitar tech living in Paris, France. For more info on my guitar lessons, and teaching and guitar-tech blog posts, go to DrKevGuitar.com 
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This just saves me from tinkering with what I thought was a faulty Evertune! Turned out to be exactly this and now it plays perfectly again! Great vid, THANK YOU!
30 years of guitar and I have never thought to check the damned dots to make sure it was snugged down in the right spot good lord I am humbled
I never thought to look at the dot inlays either! Started playing in 1993... proves you can still learn something new each day!
Yeah its the best way I learned that with this tutorial
Thank you for this! At the young age of 49 years old, I just picked up my first electric guitar today that I found on our town's Facebook group, and it has this exact problem! Like you said, I too thought it was due to a misplaced bridge, especially since this guitar was built by our local middle school's guitar club. I decided that my first guitar was going to be something that I could feel comfortable beating up and possibly modding. I was able to get them to lower the price down to $30. Once again that you for this video, especially since I actually considered repositioning the bridge!
I’m restarting after a 15 year hiatus. At 49 👍
Been playing for over 25 years and this was the first time i'd heard of this. Just saved me a lot of trouble with my new Charvel (which is now flawless). Thanks a million.
THANK YOU! Watching in 2020! Last night I looked down the neck of my guitar (like you did in your video) and was SHOCKED to see the strings so out of alignment with the neck. I never noticed it before and immediately thought my bridge was installed off center. My stomach sank, I love this guitar... Now I know it can be fixed, and easily. Thanks so much Kev, your video from 2014 still helping us out, Respect!
Had an ESP KH-2 with this problem for more than 15 years, solved it in less than a minute.
Thank you.
Like other people I though this was a misplaced bridge during construction.
Thanks for this. I just got a new Elite Stratocaster and noticed this issue and got upset that such a costly guitar could be this flawed. It gives me peace of mind to know that it's a common thing and can be remedied.
Thanks mate. That made my day. I learned something new and got a good, long laugh at my own expense for overthinking things. Oh, and the neck is now in alignment. It took nearly a whole minute. Still laughing.
Saved my life. I just handcrafted my first guitar and when I put the strings on it. Man. What a bummer. But now I can fix it. Thanks.
Merci!
This is what I needed to address the issue. I disassembled the neck to glue back a little piece of the body that came off when remove the pick guard to straighten it and I underlooked the alignment.
Just what I needed to know to fix my MIM Strat, thanks
Same, I just fixed my MIM Strat right now. Same problem
Dude - thanks a TON! New builder here putting a new neck on a new body that wasn't meant for each other. You just helped me get over a major hurdle in getting the neck aligned! I thought I was sunk until I watched this and did exactly what you did. Worked like a charm!!
Excellent news! Good job you!
Thanks for posting this i have this exact same problem and i thought it was going to be a big job to realign the neck again but your quick fix worked like a gem :)
Man, you're a life saver.
I just finished fixing up and putting together a 70's Japanese Les Paul copy to find that the alignment was WAY off, making the low E string slide off the fretboard every time you played. Other sites I looked up suggested filling the holes on the neck, and drilling new ones. This 5 minute video saved me all the hassle of even attempting all of that. THANK YOU!
Sadly, too many websites overcomplicate and misunderstand what could be more simple issues, which is why I posted this. Glad it worked out for you!
You helped me a lot! I thought it was the bridge and was about to replace it, making new holes. Thanks!
You just saved me from doing something really stupid to my EVH Wolfgang. It's my first bolt on guitar and I thought that it just came flawed from the factory. Thank you, this is some of the best content i've seen on youtube. Simple and 100% effective.
Thank you for your reply!
My high E string kept getting caught on the edge of the fretboard on my Squier Affinity Strat which drove me crazy. Your simple tip helped me fix this! Thank you.
Wow, I thought my bridge was misaligned so this is great news. My high e string was nearly falling off and it’s a high end instrument..Thanks for the tip
Thanks man, just sorted my 70’s Classic Strat with this - there was already a mark in the lacquer by the neck pocket and a noticeable gap between the neck and the pocket. Either it’s been dropped or just crap QC but this is the first MIM Fender I’ve owned that had an issue. Sorted now.
Dude you just made my brand new Jag play like I expected it to for how much I paid for it. I knew I wasn’t crazy thinking my low e string felt like I had to bend it just to keep it on the fretboard. Thank you.
Damn thx my dude...my guitar tech said it was too much of a risk to the neck pocket for cracks and whatnot I really didn't know it was this easy thank you very much🍻🍻
So happy i found your video. Bought a brand new returned mh-203qm and it was off. Gonna try this when i get home. Fingers crossed
Thank you for posting this video. I had an alignment problem on my Bass guitar where the strings were severely off; I just did what you showed here in the video and it worked perfectly.
Excellent!
Thankyou soooo much,trying to work out my intonation,then I see my low E string is not in line with the neck,,much appreciated,so happy now,I was worried,this fixed my dilemma,thankyou again.Stipe.
Thanks so much! Just got a new guitar and was worried since 1st string kept slipping then I saw your video and now the strings and dots are well, near perfect as I did not want to add more stress on the neck since it felt it was already to the max.
Thank you. I was thinking of putting a shim in the neck pocket to reallign the the neck. Never thought the solution would be that simple
Love this. It worked on my home built favorite Strat. Thank you.
I just bought made in USA Jackson DK1 for 720$ (yeah baby!) and after I brought it home I started freaking out about the string adjustment. Luckily I found your video the next day and my guitar is all good after 1 minute of tweaking! Now I need some fret and fretboard treatment as the previous owner changed the frets not so long ago apparently and he did an awful job (putting it nicely).
Thank you! I honestly thought my strat was broken cause then high E would catch itself on the side of the neck. NEVER would have thought it was the neck so thank you for that easy and informative fix!!!
You are very welcome.
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SEARCHING TO FIX MY GUITAR THANK YOU VERY MUCH MY SIR
I really had to tug on mine. I had to pull so hard that I had to have someone else tighten the screws on the neck block. So I'm assuming that the neck cutout and the nut are part of it also. But much better than it was before. Thank you so much!
This is the video I've been looking for! awesome vide, will try this out
This is such a common problem with stratocasters... especially the ones that are vintage reissue-based models...thanks so much for making the perfect video on how to address this! Fender should include this little tip with every guitar they sell... (but then, that would be admitting there is an issue)
Thanks again for sharing!
The shop having a tech review any guitars before they go on the shelf will help matters a lot. People don't complain enough about this, I think. It has happened to half of the guitars I currently own, all of them online purchases.
Was wondering why my low E string kept slipping off the board, on my brand new guitar. Sweetwater tech directed me here, so there ya go. Thanks bro!
Welcome!
Super helpful. Fixed my Kramer doing this. Thanks!
Sweet relief, I will try this tonight. Thanks so much.
I sold a guitar I loved that could have been saved 😭 - I was convinced it was a manufacturing flaw. This is a super video mate. Good man!
Great video! I fixed my YJM Strat slipping off high E! Thank you very much!!!!
It's a big problem on that guitar. I ended up replacing the bridge, but would have tried this first.
You save my day kevin ! Thank you so much for this trick to fix the neck of my sg epiphone it helps me a lot !
You are very welcome. And well done, you!
I finally carefully measured and it was 1/8 of an inch to each side of the e strings at the nut so I decided to loosen up the neck and you were right. It made a big difference. Makes sense all the time when you’re playing you’re pulling down on the neck…. I considered putting some thread locker on the screws, but decided against it. Hopefully it stays tight for a good while. Thanks!
No thread locker! 1) It's only intended for metal to metal, 2) it won't stop the neck moving if the headstock gets a knock and then you will need to loosen the screws out without risk of damaging anything.
Well, you just saved me a ton of work and anxiety, thank you so much. Brand new Fender Player 2022 model here and this worked like a charm. Also, I double-checked this on a more popular site to make sure it's legit. It's legit af, son! ❤
Well done you! And not only is it legit (it's part of my job for a long time) but I know of more than more manufacturer that sends customers to this video as a "how to". Be well, young man! 🙂
Just picked up a fender strat used and noticed the off set right away…. yup. thought it was the bridged. thanks. great lesson in mechanics. Thanks.
Thank you so much! It kind worked, I hope it's a stable fix!
Wow. Who knew it would be this simple. This has been a pain in my neck for years and all this time I could've fixed this with a simple google search. *facepalm*. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much! I was so worried that I would have to take my homemade guitar to a shop to get the strings aligned until i saw your video!
Make of video of your guitar! I'd love to see it!
Thank for the tip. I strip my guitar down and took out the neck. But when i assemble it back the 1st string when off more towards the fret end and it affects the playability as the 1st string tend to go off the fret board when I play a lick. I don't know what to do with it so off I went to RUclips to search for a remedy. Thank you for putting out this video.
MY GODDAMN FAVOREITE TECH DUDE YOU ARE THE MONSTER AND MASTER AT THE SAME TIME!
You saved me! I bought a brand new Stingray 5H from a reputable dealer that was a steal of a deal. It came with the worst looking neck I've ever seen. Even the owner of the store was aghast when I showed him. I pushed on the saddles to straighten them out, and the strings aligned to the pup magnets. Okay, now if I can only get the neck, maybe this will work. Your video worked like a charm! Bless you!
I have a problem like you had. I will try it. Hopefully it will work.
I can tell by this dude voice he really is a Dr. And does NOT just play one on TV
Also thanks for explaining how to fix what is likely the issue w my kids ibanez pgm mikro, bc its not the truss rod and saddle adjustment
This is great vid, thanks for sharing this Kevin. Cheers.
U have saved me so much trouble! Thank you sir
Thanks Kevin Kretsch,solved my problem with my Mim tele!
Great! Well done you!
Thanks Dr. Kev! I have a partscaster super strat I built as a tribute to the man himself and it has this exact issue. Apart from the high e slipping off the board the intonation is also REALLY touchy, which I suspect is because the frets aren't quite perpendicular to the strings. I had hoped that the neck would seat straight when I first built it because I didn't tighten the neck screws fully until after I strung it and tuned to pitch, but clearly it still needs a bit of elbow grease to make it sit right in the pocket.
If you push too hard getting the neck in the pocket you may cause a small (purely cosmetic crack) in the neck pocket. May already be there, so check first. If necessary use a small sanding block to widen the neck pocket. Work slow and carefully. See this video forruclips.net/video/76O54CUovD0/видео.html
Super easy... fixed my boggle where my low e was running off the board. It was only happening on the higher frets so i wasn't sure this would work but it did and I didn't have to pay someone 30-50 bucks to do it.
You can make a donation to me via paypal if you like. :-D paypal.me/DrKevGuitar
Glad it worked out for you. Well done! Have a great weekend!
Thanks for the video. This was super helpful.
Man. This video made my week!
thanks! this helped me with my 87 japan strat !now it plays like butter
Hoiray! Great work!
Best damn video on the whole internet right here.
Ha ha! Thank you!
Thank you for this, good sir. I hope Santa beings you a MusicMan Majesty made in solid gold!!
Ha ha! Thank you Tiago!
Interesting video. I think I need to try this on one of my guitars.
Wow, this really works. I just fixed my Suhr. Next up, my sons YJM Strat. Thx for sharing.
Great stress relieving info! Thanks!
I think I need to sand my neck pocket in my American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster. I've attempted several times and it seems there's 0 movement in the needed direction. My strat is less of an issue as it's Japanese, Jk. I found your blog and love the treble bleed write up. I'm about to do a whole mess of parts swapping on my Bass VI. Been trying to figure what values w ould I change on the Fender American performer type setup, [the parallel cap and resister and a smaller series cap] to use with 1meg pots. Or do they use the same values across the line I wonder. Been collecting parts and now it's just caps and resistors. Thanks for the great content.
I’m looking at a used USA Strat that has this issue.. was thinking this might be fixable but wasn’t sure. The strings are off just a bit over the fretboard and the pickup poles too.
Saved my jazzmaster a trip to luthier, thanks a lot!
You’re welcome!
Literally thought I was gonna have to buy a new Ibanez. Thank you so much
Just had to do this to me luxury Ibanez JEM 7V SBL and was nervous. But MAN it was off big time! The low E was way too close to the edge of the fretboard so I did this and VIOLA! Fixed! Actually took a couple of tries but now its aligned. Good space open now on the top of the neck pocket which is surprising for such an expensive guitar but guess thats just how it was made. A tad bit off but good now!
dajzilla Glad it worked out! Well done!
Thanks for the video, your music man expensive guitar? what model is that?
So this would work with my new Stingray 5 HH? I have to correct in the opposite direction than yours
Thanks, you saved my guitar :)
Thanks, this was super helpful
Good job Stanley
You are a Saviour❤️
Thank you! Perfect fix.
Thanks! Just what I needed.
Super helpful!! Thank you so much!!
Worked like a charm!
Great work, you!
Awesome video thank you!
Many thanks for sharing the video😊
My OCD maked me want to do violent things to my guitar when I see misaligned dots. Thank God this is an easy fix.
Thx it worked! Although it was hard to tighten the bolts again with one hand
Yes it can be but the right size screwdriver, with a big thick handle and a tip in good condition makes a big difference. I recently did this on another guitar with my compact travel screwdriver. Even though the tip was the right size it was not easy. Not recommended in fact!
Thanks for your help 🙂
Thanks for tip worked good on my strat.
Great!
Life saver! I was having dark thoughts about power tools... 👍
No power tools required! 😅
Excellent concise video- a rarity these days 😅- thank you !
Thank you!
You just saved me dude!! TY!!
Love you!!! So easy.
perfect, so helpful , thanks!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the help.!
Oh my God thank you so much!
Great video Thanks!
Thanks man! Although these problems remind me why I prefer set necks
I had the same thing happened to my USA Jackson Soloist. It can happen on a set neck due to a improperly aligned bridge. It's not a fun or cheap fix. Bolt ons can suffer from it too. Just check alignment before you buy or figure the repair costs in the price.
I was just looking at buying a narrower bridge for te partscaster im making, then I realised maybe I could just try to move the neck position - I watched this vid after to make sure I didn’t do anything too badly wrong hahaha - I basically did the same thing but probably a lot more roughly and carelessly
YEA!!!! YOU MADE MY DAY TOO
Thank you very much!
Well my problem is not so simple (for me) if i move the strings one side the other will result not aligned also, i dont know what to do
Thank you so much! I'm gonna try it on my guitar now. You really deserve the title 'Dr' for guitars. You sound like a chiropractor! Lol
Thanks! (chiropractors are not real doctors either) :-)
Would this work on an Ibanez RG bolt on as well? Those neck pockets are a bit tight.
In principle it will work with any bolt-on but if the neck pocket is tight your success may be limited.
Thanks Kevin!
You are very welcome!