Eden Strat neck on my Squier '51 project is FUBAR'd!

[HanSolo]

I got this project I'm working on that I dubbed the HanSolo Solocaster.

 

I had an Eden neck I picked up up for about $20 bucks a while back and decided to use it. After filing all the sharp fret ends (and I mean all the fret ends) decaling the headstock and installing a graphite nut (in the precut slot)and tuners, I mounted the neck and strung it up.

 

I tuned it and set the intonation with my chromatic tuner and gave it a play. Here is where the fun(?) started. It played fine up the neck but any fretted notes within the first 5 frets sounded way off. An open E,F,G,A,C and D chord sounded like hell. I stretched the strings, tuned and retuned thinking it was the new strings but everytime I went back to the tuner, I was in tune.

 

I looked at the nut and finally realized the problem! Check the first pic! I can't believe I missed that. Son of a bitch!!!! Don't ever waste your money on an Eden neck!!! (Hint: Yes, they cut the nut slot cockeyed!!!)

 

Pics FTHOI:

 

 

What do you think of the prismatic paint on the pickguard? It looks charcoal gray until direct light hits it. Hmmmm.

[_pete_]

Yikes.

I suppose you could glue in a strip of maple and re-slot it if it plays ok.

[axegrinder]

The crookedness isn't all that obvious to me...okay I can't see it at all.

 

The whole thing looks great though! I hope you get it sorted out...maybe mimick some earvana notches?

 

Sometimes I find {censored} seems way off right after I string it up, but if I let it breate for a while and come back to it it's not so bad. Good luck.

[HanSolo]

The crookedness isn't all that obvious to me...okay I can't see it at all.

 

Here's a pic of the neck while I was fitting the nut. I thought it was the bevel of the fingerboard but the nut is almost 1/8" closer to the first fret on the high E side. I wonder if I can get a compensated nut of some kind? I may try to bevel the nut on a bias and see if I can make it work, otherwise I have to get another neck.

 

[megawzrd]

Here's a pic of the neck while I was fitting the nut. I thought it was the bevel of the fingerboard but the nut is almost 1/8" closer to the first fret on the high E side. I wonder if I can get a compensated nut of some kind? I may try to bevel the nut on a bias and see if I can make it work, otherwise I have to get another neck.

 

A custom compensated nut is probably gonna be your easiest fix and should work pretty good. Though if you are correct about the 1/8" offset you might have to widen the nut slot and drop in a wider nut to start. Personally I'd probably square up the slot as I widen it...otherwise it would keep buggin me.

[vexed73]

Guess it needs a locking nut and sit on top of body floyd or kahler.

[HanSolo]

 

Guess it needs a locking nut and sit on top of body floyd or kahler.

 

 

You got me thinking ... I can get a roller nut cheap that is wider. I may be able to widen the slot and square it up when I fit the roller nut.

[Mike Fiasco]

 

You got me thinking ... I can get a roller nut cheap that is wider. I may be able to widen the slot and square it up when I fit the roller nut.

 

 

I was going to say make a wider nut, but a roller nut would be perfect for the job.

 

The pickguard paint is awesome.

[newbuilder]

Or fill and recut it in the proper position. Those decals look killer and great looking guitar!

[harold heckuba]

The neck is not ruined, just use a roller nut or Earvana and it will do the trick.

[clay sails]

Cool looking guitar! How did you get the Han Solo head on the headstock? (and did you custom-paint the pickguard or buy it?)

[csm]

LSR FTW.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

When you say Eden, do you mean bhefnerco/Edenhaus?

[jrkman]

Very nice. The guitar looks great.

 

It's not fubar'd. It just needs some TLC.

[sxyryan]

 

Or fill and recut it in the proper position. Those decals look killer and great looking guitar!

 

 

This is what I would do. Make sure you measure out where the nut should be regardless of what fix you go with.

 

 

That looks awesome btw. I saw the title of the thread and expected much worse. But that is surprisingly tasteful and one of the cooler looking 51 mods I've seen.

[stormin1155]

Wait! Before doing anything, you need to measure first. Having made necks, I've come to learn that the appearance may be deceiving. In order to get the headstock lower than the fretboard you run it against a drum sander to get the curved part in front of the nut. If you aren't exactly straight with sanding it will look excactly the way yours does, even if the nut is straight. So measure between the nut and the first fret to get proper scale. If it is indeed crooked you may be better off to get a compensated nut or spacer. Filling and re-cutting the nut groove will be very tricky, especially if you don't have the best tools.

 

Here's an article that may help you. http://www.mimf.com/nutcomp/

[Frets99]

Here's a pic of the neck while I was fitting the nut. I thought it was the bevel of the fingerboard but the nut is almost 1/8" closer to the first fret on the high E side. I wonder if I can get a compensated nut of some kind? I may try to bevel the nut on a bias and see if I can make it work, otherwise I have to get another neck.

 

Wow!!!:eek:Oh Man!!

 

Guitar looks great!!

 

 

 

cept... for the nut....

[Riggins]

I've got one of these laying around:

 

had it for years and never used it. I'd be glad to drop it in the mail to ya if you think you can use it.

PM me if you want it.

[axegrinder]

Yeah I don't know how on earth a manufacturer of necks would cut all those fret slots parallel and cut the nut an 1/8" off kilter. I'd measure MORE than twice before making any cuts in this case.

 

I love the HanSolo SanHologram pickguard and the whole theme and how it ties in with your HC username. Why are you HanSolo again?

[headless]

 

Wait! Before doing anything, you need to measure first. Having made necks, I've come to learn that the appearance may be deceiving. In order to get the headstock lower than the fretboard you run it against a drum sander to get the curved part in front of the nut. If you aren't exactly straight with sanding it will look excactly the way yours does, even if the nut is straight. So measure between the nut and the first fret to get proper scale. If it is indeed crooked you may be better off to get a compensated nut or spacer. Filling and re-cutting the nut groove will be very tricky, especially if you don't have the best tools. Here's an article that may help you. http://www.mimf.com/nutcomp/

 

 

Yeah, that's what I was going to say.

 

You can't judge the nut placement by the edge of where the headstock "scoop" starts.

[HanSolo]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I picked Hansolo after thinking hands and solo and also being just a rhythm player/strummer, the second fiddle moniker is a good fit too.

 

I picked up the body from Mazi Bee a while back and kept looking at it thinking "what to do?" After a few beers one night, the solocaster idea hit me. A forumite made up the headstock decals for me. I wish I could remember the guy's screen name. He did a great job on them.

 

The body had a mint guard on it that I didn't want to fup so I bought a GFS clearance full guard and cut it to shape. I sprayed it matte black and then shot it with Duplicolor prismatic paint followed by multiple, wet sanded clear coats and hand buffed it. It really deserves to be one stage under the lights. Maybe in my next life. Ha!

 

I have to fix that nut issue next. Measure twice and hack it once I always say!

[HanSolo]

 

When you say Eden, do you mean bhefnerco/Edenhaus?

 

 

Not that good. It is from an ebay seller who has Eden brand budget necks, bodies and pickguards from China. I have a MM neck I was saving for another project and a set of spare decals if all else fails.