Kahler bridge and neck help

[hassalfocker]

I finally got my HM Stat on Monday via FedEx, and was totally phsyced to play it, so started getting it ready to plags as the medium by which we played. IOW new set of Super Slinkies, resolderthe leads to the coil tap switch, set it up and plugged it in and boy was it the crappiest experience I ever had with an axe save for the Squier I got my son, Instead of warm rich humbucker tone I got the tone of what it would be like if we used springs, instead of strings. The fret buzz is so bad that I still don't know what my sought after guitar really sounds like. The fret buzz is all over because there is a slight warp in the neck around the 3rd to 8th fret on the Lo E string an the A and D also buzz. Its better for the G,B,and Hi E but still a little buzz. Adjusting the truss rod does not get it straight. If I can't get the neck straight, where can new necks be found for these axes? I am not going to giveup on the guitar, its just a neck, thiat is the advantage to having removeable necks

Second, My Kahler is in the down only setting, how can I make it bi-directional???

[heem6]

I'm sorry to hear that, HF.

I would: notify the seller you think there is a problem with the neck, get a guitar shop to confirm the neck is warped (preferably in writing) and then return the guitar to the seller for a full refund.

Warped necks are deal killers to me. I might not mind fixing other things, but it's too expensive to fix neck problems like warping or cracking. Especially when necks are as rare as they are on the HM's. In one year we've probably seen (help me here guys - maybe 10 necks at the most come up for sale?) and they're usually in the $200 range - sometimes more.

Although it's not what you want to do, I would call a Mulligan and look for another HM that's in good condition.

If he won't accept it back (bad seller!) you can see if a fret level will correct enough of the problem to get it playable. Bad news is that it'll cost ya...

P.S. Regular 24-fret necks won't fit the HM Strats, they are a slightly shorter scale length.

[Bodaggit23]

Sorry to hear your HM is out of whack...

To get your Spyder to LIFT, you'll have to loosen the trem springs to let the trem raise up a bit, then you'll have to tighten the Micro Tilt adjustment on the neck to get the action to flatten back out again.

Good luck, and hopefully you can get an action set that will eliminate most of your buzz, and allow you to enjoy your guitar.

[hassalfocker]

I HATE THIS F**KING DELL LAPTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cursor jumps all over the place so typing is hectic at best, it will delete crap I write, Which just happened to me. The three paragraphs I wrote went into the void.

Short version:

I spent three hours backing off the string tension so I could get my nut up high enough to get my allen wrench in to adjust the truss rod. After three hours I fixed it. The truss was waaaay tight. I can now play and enjoy the guitar. It will take some getting used to though, the neck is wider than those I am used to. For the past two years I have played a 1989 Fender Heavy Metal Squier that looks like a Jackson Dinky clone. Its a plywood body, but the neck is the sweetest I have played in the 24 years I have been playing guitar. I will still look for a body to make this axe better, I mean it has a DiMarzio Super Distrortion for crying out loud!

Neck problems on guitars are a deal breaker for me in most cases especially for guitars as rare and speciallized as these. Now I can work on getting used to playing this thing...and spend the money on a couple of SD Cool Rails in the neck and middle position

[nickwellings]

Did you come from Harmony Central, hassalfocker? If so, i saw yer post about the Spyder not being able to go both ways.

I am glad to hear ou fixed the neck issue! I am lucky in that I never had a warped neck ever.

I totally understand what you mean about the width of the neck on the HM. My first thought was the same. But if you stick with it, you can get used to it. Mine is still to date the widest fretboard on a guitar I ever saw. Maybe only one or two are in the same ballpark.

If I recall right though, you can get different string spaced Floyd nuts Maybe that'll help it feel more like your Squier.

Welcome to the HM Club by the way! They are still great guitars.

[lbeast]

I have a twisted neck on an HM I bought back in the 90s. The tremolo alone was worth the warpage. I tried loosening the truss rod and clamping it to a straight 2 x 6. It helped a little, but she's still warped. I did what Jim suggested above with the fret levelling, but she really needs a fretboard removal and reglue once straightened.

To get the tremolo to dive and pull back just loosen the scrrews in the tremolo spring claw in the back of the guitar a few turns and the tremolo should raise off the body some. I usually try to raise the tremolo forward to the point where if I pull back on it, it will raise the original note I am playing a whole step. If you adjust it too far forward you will prematurely break strings by stretching the strings too much and the tremolo will also sit too far forward IME.