Even good players get anal with new guitars

[sirpluckalot]

Got a new SG tribute and it's a real nice guitar. I know they're mass produced and hit & miss on what issues they might have. I get a little anal when it come to the neck only. I'm keeping her as she plays fine but on close look I don't think the neck is dead straight into the body as I have more room on the treble side than the bass from string to end of fretboard. With feners you could loosen the neck bolts and change the angle not so with Gibson.

 

[MR D]

Got a new SG tribute and it's a real nice guitar. I know they're mass produced and hit & miss on what issues they might have. I get a little anal when it come to the neck only. I'm keeping her as she plays fine but on close look I don't think the neck is dead straight into the body as I have more room on the treble side than the bass from string to end of fretboard. With feners you could loosen the neck bolts and change the angle not so with Gibson.

IDK if I am understanding you correctly BUT IF I am , maybe put a new NUT on it and create the slots yourself ? that should be a way to even the spacing out, no ? IF I correctly understood what you mentioned I think that would solve the issue, I THINK !.

 

[AngelDeVille]

I know guitars can be expensive, but how you choose to pay for them is up to you, and should be kept private.

 

[3bolt79]

If it is brand new, send it back, or perhaps get a new nUt made under the warranty. That would bug the **** out of me. If it was me, I’d just exchange it.

 

[sirpluckalot]

If it is brand new, send it back, or perhaps get a new nUt made under the warranty. That would bug the **** out of me. If it was me, I’d just exchange it.

I get what your saying but based on past experince it would multiple exchanges to get one with no issues.

 

[sirpluckalot]

I know guitars can be expensive, but how you choose to pay for them is up to you, and should be kept private.

huh

 

[AngelDeVille]

huh

I just read the thread title and averted my eyes in case there were pictures.

 

[Bad Penguin]

Does your hand notice it? Do your ears? If the answer is no, then deal with it. If yes, send it back, and get involved in a crap shoot.

 

[DrBGood]

Does your hand notice it? Do your ears? If the answer is no, then deal with it. If yes, send it back, and get involved in a crap shoot.

THAT ^
If you don't bend the big string upward, I don't see where the problem lies apart than in your head.

 

[Decadent Dan]

Spacing at the bridge might be off. If the angle was off, the strings wouldn’t evenly parallel both sides.
Do the strings line up with the bridge pickup poles?

 

[Col Mustard]

If the guitar is new, that's under warranty.

A new nut would solve the problem. If it was mine, and I liked the tone and the playability of the instrument, I'd take it to the best luthier I know and get a bone nut made by an expert.

You could also send it back to Gibson for a new nut. The shipping might cost you as much as getting it done by a local pro luthier.
I don't know if Gibson would pay for that. They should. But I doubt it.

I've replaced the nut on three Epiphone guitars, and it was easy. I used a Tusq nut and the Epiphone stock part came out easily. On Gibsons not so much. Your guitar deserves to have a bone nut made by an excellent luthier (not the sales guys at GC).

If I liked the guitar enough, I'd just handle it myself. If I could get it done by the right luthier under warranty, I'd do that. You'd pay the cost of it, but you'd end up with a bone nut, and then you'd get to play it.

That's the bottom line. The music that you make with it. The finish doesn't matter much to tone. Neither do the decorations. if you can make music with the instrument, that's all that's important IMHO.

If your feelings about a small flaw are enough to prevent you from making great music with the instrument, then you should just exchange it or get something else.

 

[sirpluckalot]

Look at the spacing on this sg special.

 

[Von Trapp]

I'm not sure it's quite as "bad" as it looks because the low E is thicker but as long as everything lines up it's just a cosmetic thing.

 

[Norton]

wow. this is a "problem"???

 

[Go Nigel Go]

Precise string location over the board is a personal thing to some extent. I know I actually like a little extra realestate ho4rizontally for bends on the high strings where I tend to do more aggressive bending. I can see the original post guitar playing pretty well from my perspective.

If you don't like it for whatever reason, it looks like less than 1/16th of an inch to make things more symmetridcal, and that can be easily addressed at the bridge saddles and nut slots. I strongly recommend going primarily by the feel and playability on this. The first time I set up string spacing was after a bridge replacement where I had to cut my own saddle notches. I did it for maximum visual appeal, with the symmetry as close to perfect as I could measure. After a few weeks of playing, I found that I was having issues with my high string bends and vibrato occasionally slipping of the edge of the frets and neck. I wound up getting a couple of fresh saddle and recutting them for a little less symmetry and a little more space, much like the one in the picture and found it played much better. That little 1/32 of an inch of asymmetry on the B and high E strings didn't bother me at all visually. because it played better that way. YMMV

 

[3bolt79]

You might want have a warranty guy Have a look at it. \just to\ be \s\hure t\he bridge was put on in he right spot.

 

[Juan Tumani]

Got a new SG tribute and it's a real nice guitar. I know they're mass produced and hit & miss on what issues they might have. I get a little anal when it come to the neck only. I'm keeping her as she plays fine but on close look I don't think the neck is dead straight into the body as I have more room on the treble side than the bass from string to end of fretboard. With feners you could loosen the neck bolts and change the angle not so with Gibson.

Why would you think it should be even? As an art piece then I guess it should but as a functional guitar you want more room on the high E due to nature of how you'll use it. If you're a player who does any vibrato you know that likely when you do vibrato on the low E you're mostly pulling in towards the middle of the board and when you're doing it on the high E you're likely going to both sides of the string center.

So you need more room on the high E to the edge of the frets. Also the high E is thinner so even if it is centered it will have more space to the edge of the fretboard.

However, if you want to make it even at the heel (assuming it's already even at the nut) then just buy a new bridge. They come without slots in the saddles and you can space it however you wish. Just know that the pickup poles may not be in line afterwards.

Here's my 88 Les Paul Custom. Same thing and it would bother me if the high E were closer to the edge.

My Custom Shop SG Custom is pretty centered but also has a wider board with more vibrato room for both strings.

 

[Siamese]

I agree that notching some new saddles would take care of it. No way recutting a nut is going to change it sufficiently. If I liked everything else about the guitar, I'd keep it. If the strings being slightly off didn't affect the playability, I'd just play the thing, and know that if I ever wanted to, I could notch some new saddles.

My 2022 SG Standard 61 came with an uneven finish...kind of splotchy. On the one hand, I wish I'd sent it back while I still could, but on the other hand, I've never had a better sounding guitar. So I just play it.

 

[sirpluckalot]

QUOTE "However, if you want to make it even at the heel (assuming it's already even at the nut) then just buy a new bridge. They come without slots in the saddles and you can space it however you wish. Just know that the pickup poles may not be in line afterwards."
Thanks, didn't know I could do that.

 

[Juan Tumani]

QUOTE "However, if you want to make it even at the heel (assuming it's already even at the nut) then just buy a new bridge. They come without slots in the saddles and you can space it however you wish. Just know that the pickup poles may not be in line afterwards."
Thanks, didn't know I could do that.

On my Les Paul Custom Gibson purposely cut the saddle off center to make sure there was enough room for the high E to move on the fretboard.


So you could cut yours wherever you want it but IMO it already is where Gibson intended it to be.