EMERGENCY! H150 with damaged body?

[Guido]

Hi!

 

Finally my H-150 arrived. Unfortunately I can't upload any pics right now, but will post some later.

 

The guitar is from 1993 (J series). So far everything looks fine.

BUT!!!!

In the cutaway there is a significant body curvature that doesn't look normal to me.

The binding goes clearly away from the guitar body. The gap between binding and body is

filled with material (wood?) that is a different red (lighter) than the rest of the body.

The effect is that the top of the body on the cutaway side is higher than on the other side.

The result is that the neck sits slightly tilted towards the bass E string. You can clearly see this,

when looking from the front over the edge of the pickup ring, where the neck joints.

I hope you all understand what I am trying to explain.

 

Is this normal???? I don't think so!

 

Please help me

[yoslate]

Guido: Sounds bizarre! Difficult to visualize, so I hope you can get some pics up quickly. There's a wealth of knowledge and experience here; I'm sure you'll have any number of good suggestions! Good luck.

[Guest tomdread]

Need pics but my guess is the lighter wood is the maple cap.

My p/up rings are cracked so I cant use it as a straight edge. I wouldnt trust that as a straight edge anyway.

Im pretty sure there is nothing wrong. Do any of the strings choke at any fret?

[Guido]

Need pics but my guess is the lighter wood is the maple cap.

My p/up rings are cracked so I cant use it as a straight edge. I wouldnt trust that as a straight edge anyway.

Im pretty sure there is nothing wrong. Do any of the strings choke at any fret?

Yes, it could be the maple cap. That would make sense.

The D string chokes!

 

The good thing is, that I bought it from a guitar shop and they will take it back!

[big bob]

My god, mine is the same way. Heritage really f-up on this one..

 

Just having fun with you Guido

If it looks like this then every thing is good it is just the maple cap

[Guido]

My god, mine is the same way. Heritage really f-up on this one..

 

Just having fun with you Guido

If it looks like this then every thing is good it is just the maple cap

Hi!!!

 

YES it looks exactly the same!!!

But this influences the neck. Like I said the neck is tilted due to the different body top heights.

[SouthpawGuy]

Found this shot in the gallery, if you look closely you can see the cap.

 

 

Is the neck straight when you look towards the bridge ?

[big bob]

Relax, breath in, hold it, now out. Your guitar is probably just fine, it's a trick of the eye, the neck is level. But the only way we can be sure is a photo or two..

[Guido]

Found this shot in the gallery, if you look closely you can see the cap.

 

 

Is the neck straight when you look towards the bridge ?

That's exactly how my guitar looks!!!

You can clearly see the bubble at the top in the cutaway.

Are many guitars like this? What's the reason for it?

[Guido]

Relax, breath in, hold it, now out. Your guitar is probably just fine, it's a trick of the eye, the neck is level. But the only way we can be sure is a photo or two..

I am trying to relax. AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! Ok now I feel better!

I will post pics when I am home from work.

Like I said it looks that the neck is tilted towards the bass E string side.

[big bob]

all the 150's /157's/140's/147's are this way thats why they call them arch tops.

 

Now lets see some pics of this new guitar!

[SouthpawGuy]

That's exactly how my guitar looks!!!

You can clearly see the bubble at the top in the cutaway.

Are many guitars like this? What's the reason for it?

 

I don't have a 150 but I have a 1990 G' Les Paul and I just took a look at it, the binding is thicker in that area unlike the Heritage where the binding is the same thickness and follows the curve of the arch top.

 

Just different ways of doing the same job I guess.

[tbonesullivan]

perfectly normal. The binding is the same thickness everywhere, but in the cutaway the maple cap is thicker than at the edges, so it doesn't cover completely, as other people have said. H150's have a "carved top" that is thicker towards the middle. When you have a cutaway it cuts into this. Some other makers have it more contoured around the cutaway to avoid this.

[Guido]

perfectly normal. The binding is the same thickness everywhere, but in the cutaway the maple cap is thicker than at the edges, so it doesn't cover completely, as other people have said. H150's have a "carved top" that is thicker towards the middle. When you have a cutaway it cuts into this. Some other makers have it more contoured around the cutaway to avoid this.

This explanation makes totally sense to me!!!

Thanks

[Thundersteel]

Like others have said, it's SUPPOSED to be that way! Some other manufacturers use binding to cover up that part; Heritage doesn't.

[Guido]

First of all: many thanks for your fast and helpful replies!!!!!

 

I feel a litte ashamed right now.

I was waiting two weeks for the guitar to arrive and when I saw this my heart dropped into my pants.

But as you all noticed by now I am not an expert in guitars.

I had a MIJ Burny and a MIJ Edwards and there it must have been not that obvious, cause I never noticed it.

 

Again many thanks to all of you!

I feel much better now and look with pride towards my heritage!

[Gitfiddler]

First of all: many thanks for your fast and helpful replies!!!!!

 

I feel a litte ashamed right now.

I was waiting two weeks for the guitar to arrive and when I saw this my heart dropped into my pants.

But as you all noticed by now I am not an expert in guitars.

I had a MIJ Burny and a MIJ Edwards and there it must have been not that obvious, cause I never noticed it.

 

Again many thanks to all of you!

I feel much better now and look with pride towards my heritage!

 

No shame for asking a legitimate question about a great guitar. Keep in mind that Gibby Les Pauls also have the same appearance at the cutaway.

[big bob]

Like others have said, it's SUPPOSED to be that way! Some other manufacturers use binding to cover up that part; Heritage doesn't.

The binding gets thicker there on 575's, just a side note.

[brentrocks]

i thoiught you meant this....the binding comming away from the body.....

 

[big bob]

i thoiught you meant this....the binding comming away from the body.....

 

Bummer..

[brentrocks]

Bummer..

 

yup...its unfortunate, but its not a super big deal, just a cosmetic thing

[smurph1]

First of all: many thanks for your fast and helpful replies!!!!!

 

I feel a litte ashamed right now.

I was waiting two weeks for the guitar to arrive and when I saw this my heart dropped into my pants.

But as you all noticed by now I am not an expert in guitars.

I had a MIJ Burny and a MIJ Edwards and there it must have been not that obvious, cause I never noticed it.

 

Again many thanks to all of you!

I feel much better now and look with pride towards my heritage!

Play it in good Health!

[TalismanRich]

Guido, there's no shame in questioning something that looks amiss. Sometimes it's a mistake, sometimes it's made that way.

 

FYI, here are my 157 (you can see the maple cap) and my Mille LE. The Mille has the wider binding like was mentioned about a Les Paul.

 

This is the 157 The bit of stain around the binding is due to having the guitar refinished after it took a bath in a flooded basement.

 

This is the Mille

 

Welcome to the HOC and enjoy that 150!!!!

[Guido]

Again many thanks to all of you!!!

 

I checked the guitar last night and everything is totally fine.

The part I was concerned about in the cutaway is the maple cap that can be seen there.

I never noticed this one on my MIJ LP's. And now I know why. I took a look inside

the pickup cavities: this maple cap is huge!!! It's much thicker than the caps on the MIJ LP's

and that's the reason why I never noticed this before.

I also checked the neck: it's perfect straight!

So I guess I really kind of overreacted yesterday!!!

 

I promised yesterday to post some pics.

Guys believe it or not: I just couldn't do the pics.

Why?

Because I was playing and enjoying this guitar all night long!!!!! Awesome!!!!

Everything I was ever looking for!!!

 

I will post the pics this week in a new thread.

 

So again many many thanks for your kind help!

 

Guido

[mark555]

Guido, if you are concerned that there is a neck tilt, take the guitar to a good tech, it just might need a little adjustment to the truss rod, I have my guitars checked every spring and autumn after the seasonal temperature changes.

 

My Les Paul Standard had the same issue that you are looking at regaring the maple top showing under the binding, and I have seen many great guitars have binding slightly away from the wood of the guitar, particularly guitars a few years old. All Binding is, is a strip of plastic glued to the edge of the guitar body and neck. Again, if this is ever becoming an adverse situation, a good tech will make the guitar look like new.

 

Enjoy your guitar!