Neck extension issue on Sweet 16

[slongobardi]

Hi everyone, Just purchased a real nice 1993 sweet 16 and I noitced the neck extension is not on same plane as frets on neck beyond joint. When you sight down neck it appears straight, but extension is pitched slightly upward, not lifted off the top just a bit warped. Anyone else having this problem.

[smurph1]

First thing I'd ask you is..Does it play OK up there? If it does, I wouldn't worry about it..My 2 cents.. Good Luck..

[111518]

Hi everyone, Just purchased a real nice 1993 sweet 16 and I noitced the neck extension is not on same plane as frets on neck beyond joint. When you sight down neck it appears straight, but extension is pitched slightly upward, not lifted off the top just a bit warped. Anyone else having this problem.

 

This is a very common problem with all archtop guitars as they age a bit. The section of the neck reinforced by the truss rod, and the area of the fretboard attached to it, almost always moves differently over time than the extension over the body. Solutions can be very expensive ... I had the fretboard on a Super 400 planed and refretted to address this issue, which was causing the guitar to fret out beyond the 15th fret or so. If your guitar plays ok .... I think smurph is right, probably not an issue worth addressing until it begins to interfere with how you actually use the guitar.

[JohnCovach]

I think this used to be called the "Gibson hump." I know a lot of guys used to have the frets on the bass side filed down a bit more at the high end of the neck (closest to the bridge) to reduce buzzing on the frets lower on the neck. Most players don't use the bass side in that register much anyway. But if it's good on the treble side, I'd leave it alone.

[Gitfiddler]

How can this phenomenon be prevented?

[Vincelewis]

Hey Guys, Heritage actually has done much to address the old "hump" Issue...The problem (which I have experienced on all of my old G brand guitars" was caused by the fact that up until 1974 they used a separate piece of wood under the fingerboard extension...In 74 they realized that the neck extension needed to be the same piece of wood to eliminate the different aging expansion / contraction issues of that extra piece...My Heritages from 1991 an 1993 have NO problems with that ..just like the older G brands with the shell guards used to oxidize and eat all your hardware, so that's why Heritage used wood pickguards to fix that issue....Just another reason why I have been so thrilled with my Heritage guitars, and the others are appreciated for what they are historically, but they stay in the closet...