Somethings wrong with my Gibson LP

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Myriad_Rocker

Myriad_Rocker

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I can alter the pitch of the strings by bending the neck. Not unusual right? Well, it's very easy to do this. That's what makes me think there's something wrong. I can easily change the pitch just by pressing my thumb firmly against the back of the neck....

What gives?
 
Look for a crack. Some of those Gibson necks will crack if you even look at them funny. Also, (GENTLY) flex the neck and look at the neck joint. If you let it get too hot (like, left it in your car on a hot summer day), the glue joint could easily let go. In either case, if you find something, RUN don't walk to a good repair professional. The longer these things sit, the more difficult and expensive it is to fix. Wait a week and your fine. Wait a month, and you are looking at a lot more money (The wood oxidizes, and won't take glue properly).

And do NOT try and fix it yourself. You'll fuck it up, and then it will cost 2-5 times as much for a pro to fix your fuck up.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
I can easily change the pitch just by pressing my thumb firmly against the back of the neck....

What gives?
Click to expand...

While fretting, and goes sharp? That would be normal, bending the string(s) against the frets. Otherwise, what Light said.
 
Swear, cry, & go towards the light. - Oh, is it under warranty?
Regardless LET GIBSON KNOW. & if they show no interest you have to shove it up their collective ...well you know where.
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
I can alter the pitch of the strings by bending the neck. Not unusual right? Well, it's very easy to do this. That's what makes me think there's something wrong. I can easily change the pitch just by pressing my thumb firmly against the back of the neck....

What gives?
Click to expand...

How much? A lot, or what you can only see with a tuner? Pressing firmly with your thumb doesn't (normally) bend the neck, but it can stretch the string (especially the higher strings, and especially if you use light gauge strings) over the fret and pull it sharp. A guy in my band who has played 12 string acoustic for many years has to use pretty heavy strings on his Tele because he is used to fretting very firmly and pulls notes way sharp on a six string electric with light strings. Tall frets and high action make this more pronounced, too.

Also, most guitars flex some; I can pull my LP a little sharp by pulling the neck back against my midsection. That's normal.
 
ggunn said:
How much? A lot, or what you can only see with a tuner? Pressing firmly with your thumb doesn't (normally) bend the neck, but it can stretch the string (especially the higher strings, and especially if you use light gauge strings) over the fret and pull it sharp. A guy in my band who has played 12 string acoustic for many years has to use pretty heavy strings on his Tele because he is used to fretting very firmly and pulls notes way sharp on a six string electric with light strings. Tall frets and high action make this more pronounced, too.

Also, most guitars flex some; I can pull my LP a little sharp by pulling the neck back against my midsection. That's normal.
Click to expand...

It does it enough that I can hear it....yes, without a tuner. And we're not talking fretting any notes. Open on the 6th string (low E). If I press on the back of the neck, it goes flat.

I'm at work right now so I can't check to neck joint but I will when I get home, first thing.
 
I can do a little whammy bar-esque bending just by putting my thumb on the back of the peghead and squeezing. That is on strats and teles and guitars of similar construction. Very obvious. No tuner needed. I do it in Hanky Panky at the end of every chorus. WOwowowowowow...

But if you break a strat neck, you can replace it in time for the third verse. I wouldn't be so aggressive with a gibby.
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
It does it enough that I can hear it....yes, without a tuner. And we're not talking fretting any notes. Open on the 6th string (low E). If I press on the back of the neck, it goes flat.

I'm at work right now so I can't check to neck joint but I will when I get home, first thing.
Click to expand...

Again, most guitars will flex a bit. A guitarist I know here in Austin has this gimmick he does with his 335 where he simultaneously hits the upper horn from the front with his right hand and pushes forward on the back of the neck with his left to get a little dip in pitch. But if your Paul goes flat when you push forward on the neck when you are not holding the body against your body with your other hand, then yes, you should probably have it looked at. If the neck is pulling loose, it could actually hurt you if it suddenly lets go while you are playing.
 
I used to do that all the time on purpose with my Gibson LP and SG (especially the SG). Moderate pressure on the back of the neck, near the nut, can easily give you a half-step tuning drop.
 
Zaphod B said:
I used to do that all the time on purpose with my Gibson LP and SG (especially the SG). Moderate pressure on the back of the neck, near the nut, can easily give you a half-step tuning drop.
Click to expand...

But with my thumb??
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
But with my thumb??
Click to expand...
Why not?

I'm not suggesting that you don't have a problem with the guitar. I do recall that my SG's neck seemed to be very flexible, though, and it required very little pressure on the neck. My LP needs a bit more of a push, and while I usually do this with the heel of my hand, there's no reason why a thumb wouldn't work as well.
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
But with my thumb??
Click to expand...

Wait a minute. Do you mean that if you push on the back of the headstock with your left thumb while pulling back with your lefthand fingers on the fretboard on the first few frets, you can hear it go flat (not sharp)? If that's what you mean, take the strings off NOW. Take it to a luthier; the neck is cracked at the nut and probably close to catastrophic failure.

Some flexing of the neck along its length and at the neck/body joint is normal. Flexing at the headstock is not.
 
ggunn said:
Some flexing of the neck along its length and at the neck/body joint is normal. Flexing at the headstock is not.
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What he said!
 
Additionally, bending a Gibson neck (espcially with no volute) from the headstock is just begging for a snapped neck. Do it from the nut or first couple fret area, ya geetar gymnasts, ya.
 
No, it's not at the headstock.

I'm just pressing my left thumb against the back of the neck. I'm pressing with less pressure than I would when I fret a barre chord, using my thumb as a brace on the back of the neck. I don't understand why that small amount of pressure would cause the guitar to audiably go flat.



EDIT: I had a typo...a big one. The change is in bold.
 
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You know, if it seems like it's not right, you should probably remove the strings to take the tension off the neck, and see if you can detect any movement, particularly at the neck-body joint (like Light and ggunn said).
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
No, it's not at the headstock.

I'm just pressing my left thumb against the fretboard. I'm pressing with less pressure than I would when I fret a barre chord. I don't understand why that small amount of pressure would cause the guitar to audiably go flat.
Click to expand...

I'm still trying to visualize what you are doing. I thought you meant you were pushing on the back of the neck with your thumb, not on the fretboard (the front of the neck). Are you pushing on the fretboard from the front with your thumb? Where are you putting the force in opposition to what you are doing with your thumb (otherwise you are just pushing the guitar around)? Are you just squeezing the neck between your thumb and forefinger?
 
ggunn said:
I'm still trying to visualize what you are doing. I thought you meant you were pushing on the back of the neck with your thumb, not on the fretboard (the front of the neck). Are you pushing on the fretboard from the front with your thumb? Where are you putting the force in opposition to what you are doing with your thumb (otherwise you are just pushing the guitar around)? Are you just squeezing the neck between your thumb and forefinger?
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Sorry, I corrected my post. That's what happens when I post at work, I guess. Get in a hurry.

The opposing force is minimal. It's just my right arm drapped across the upper bout. I'm in a sitting position. I'm not holding the guitar still with my right arm forcibly.
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
Sorry, I corrected my post. That's what happens when I post at work, I guess. Get in a hurry.

The opposing force is minimal. It's just my right arm drapped across the upper bout. I'm in a sitting position. I'm not holding the guitar still with my right arm forcibly.
Click to expand...

Well, like I said, some flexing is normal, but that sounds like a lot. At any rate, if there is something wrong, then like Light sez, it's not something that a casual effort can ameliorate. I would take the strings off at once and have it looked at by a luthier.
 
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