Is my neck wonky?

grungebob

So I’ve been struggling to get the treble strings action as low as I would like it on this guitar. It has a wrap over bridge and the treble side is decked. The bass side is perfect, the guitar plays and sounds really great, I’d just like the treble action lower. Is it due to what looks like an offset neck? If you look at the fretboard end from the bridge you can see the treble side sits about 5-7 mm lower than the bass side. Or is that just the binding do we think?

skunkwerx

Is the neck pickup dead flat?

LastMantra

I'm certainly no expert but it does look pretty wonky to me. 

ICBM

Yes, even allowing for the tilt of the pickup cover it looks like the fingerboard has been planed unevenly so it's thinner on the treble side.

grungebob

The neck pickup is dead flat according to my spirit level. 

Cheers chaps I thought it was my eyes. 

Do we think this is the reason I can’t get the action I need dusty end of the fretboard for the treble strings, and is there anything that can be done about it?

ICBM

grungebob said:

The neck pickup is dead flat according to my spirit level.

I would check your spirit level, because it's clearly at a slight angle to the pickguard! Not sure why you would 
need to measure it with a spirit level anyway... .

grungebob said:

 

Do we think this is the reason I can’t get the action I need dusty end of the fretboard for the treble strings, and is there anything that can be done about it?

Not easily if the bridge is already tight down on that side. What's stopping it going lower - is the bridge itself hitting the top, or is the stud hitting the top of the insert? If it's the latter you may be able to drive the insert further into the body.

grungebob

@ICBM  cheers. I see what you mean re pickguard but that’s because I’ve backed a screw off to make sure the pickup wasn’t catching so the pickguard is actually at a slight angle. 

Yeah the bridge is decked to the stud and the stud sits just below the surface of the guitar. Perhaps a thinner wrap around bridge would work? 

I love the guitar but I need the action lower 

ICBM

What’s the relief like? Although that’s a different part of the geometry it can often be used to get a similar result...

skunkwerx

Wonder if you could grind a couple mil off the treble side bridge where it seats on the post.

Winny_Pooh

Frets look straight but the neck pocket may not be perfectly flat. Grab a very tiny file and just tweak the High E & B slots on the bridge. If you dont have a small file then get a used mini hacksaw blade and with a flat metal file take off the sides and bevel the teeth to a rough V or C then use that. 

Chris_Bradley

From the first pic, the neck pickup looks as if the strings would hit it if fretting high on the neck. If you lower the neck pickup all the way down does the end binding measure equal bass to treble then?