Luthier gave me bad news about my Gibson ES-335

[AlainJazz]

Wow, way too much text in his thread and lots of it off topic. Hope the OP finds a solution to his problem.

[Jim Soloway]

So, here's my take on it, for what it's worth;

The truss rod is effectively just a rod with a nut on the end. The rod simply rests in a channel under the fretboard and the fixed end is just a fatter section of the rod sitting inside a slightly larger hollow of the channel. What can happen is that over the years, possibly by overtightening, or simply due to a piece of wood that was used for the neck being a slightly less dense example of that type, the wood at the back end compresses slightly. To compensate, one must tighten the nut a bit more. This process repeats, and over the years, you end up with no thread left for the nut to adjust. To throw out a 335 because of this? No way. It would be worth every penny to have the fretboard lifted and the trussrod replaced, with some extra material at the back end to ensure it doesn't happen again. There are luthiers both knowledgeable and experienced in this type of repair. Refret at the same time, and you will have a gem when it is complete, and it will be way cheaper than throwing it away and buying a new one.

I don't believe anyone suggested that he "throw it away", but rather that he sell it and replace it. As for it being "worth every penny to have the fretboard lifted and the truss rod replaced", I would suggest that would depend on just how many pennies it would cost and what impact the job would have on the resale value of the guitar (depreciation being part of the cost) as versus what the cost would be to sell the guitar and replace it.

[krusty]

I don't believe anyone suggested that he "throw it away", but rather that he sell it and replace it. As for it being "worth every penny to have the fretboard lifted and the truss rod replaced", I would suggest that would depend on just how many pennies it would cost and what impact the job would have on the resale value of the guitar (depreciation being part of the cost) as versus what the cost would be to sell the guitar and replace it.

True, I was basing my comments on the cost of a new 335, and assuming the resale value with a truss rod problem was very low.

[fireman12engine]

thanks everyone for the advice.
I know billy penn, he does my amps.
Like I said earlier, I trust Paul's knowledge and opinion but
maybe he just don't want to risk it not turning out right, I don't know.
I will get a 2nd opinion on it though..
also, I don't like that some of this discussion got a little heated, i just was looking
for some advice and thanks to all that gave it....

[krusty]

Best of luck, and please let us know what happens.

[Patrick2]

I know Paul, he certainly cannot be called a Hack Tech. But a second opinion might be a good way to go, you could try Billy Penn at 300 Guitars in Manchester. He's on-line and located off rt. 37.

WOW!! I live in Toms River and this guy, Billy Penn, as well as 300 Guitars is news to me. I've got to stop in and see what he and his shop are all about.

Paul Unkert, aka The Guitar Guy is mostly a solid body focused tech/luthier. Does Billy Penn have a good arch top back ground?

[iim7V7IM7]

I would also recommend Mark Simon in Bridgewater, NJ. He used to run the repair shop at some place called Mandolin Brothers...:-)

[Doctor Jeff]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if you are "running out of thread" on the rod you could either cut more thread or shim the nut with one or more washers.

Stew Mac sells tools for fixing a broken truss rod:

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online...tructions.html

While the price for the complete kit is significant, the spacers are not, or you could just use regular old Ace Hardware washers.

I would do anything short of removing the fingerboard, but that could certainly be done as a last resort.

[Spook410]

I never meant to get pulled into an out of context debate on US manufacturing...
....My initial comment was in another thread where I told the buyer that larger american manufacturing has QC issues but that was because we were talking about American guitars.

Well.. you did mention the automotive industry but when no offense is offered, none should be taken. I hope you'll forgive the snarky bits in my response.

Of course, if there is no contention what will our self appointed thread monitors complain about?

And yes.. F1. And Aston Martin. I don't care about the details. I will take a DB9.

[fumblefingers]

Well.. you did mention the automotive industry but when no offense is offered, none should be taken. I hope you'll forgive the snarky bits in my response.

Of course, if there is no contention what will our self appointed thread monitors complain about?

And yes.. F1. And Aston Martin. I don't care about the details. I will take a DB9.

Aston DB9 works for me too. Although it can't keep up with me by a long shot...

[Franz 1997]

Well.. you did mention the automotive industry but when no offense is offered, none should be taken. I hope you'll forgive the snarky bits in my response.

Of course, if there is no contention what will our self appointed thread monitors complain about?

And yes.. F1. And Aston Martin. I don't care about the details. I will take a DB9.

Some of us might even take a Range Rover or a Jaguar

[Jabberwocky]

For shame, petrol-guzzling benzene-spewing overwrought structures of conveyance whose chief purpose is to take some andropausal overweight male to the supermarket and back at 65mph? I would expect jazzmen to know better than that.

I would be happy to take that bastion of good old British bicycling know-how, a Raleigh with Reynolds 525 tubing and Campagnolo Gruppo : Raleigh - TI RALEIGH TEAM REPLICA .

Take that Aston Martin and compact it.

[GoergeBenson]

Well the great thing about the Classic British sports car, is you'll have plenty of opportunities to admire it sitting in the drive way, perhaps a little more than you had intended.



Something about the hand carved solid back, gives this model a very pleasing tone

[mangotango]

Well the great thing about the Classic British sports car, is you'll have plenty of opportunities to admire it sitting the drive way, perhaps a little more than you had intended.



Something about the hand carved solid back, gives this model a very pleasing tone

Ah yes, the classic arched top (to the bonnet/hood)....the natural grain of the wood....is that a nitro or poly finish??

LOL.

[Jabberwocky]

OK, I admit a weakness for the Morgan 8 Morgan Motor Company .

It is the fine archtop of the motoring world.

Aston Martin. Bah! Abomination.

[RoyaleT]

Now THAT's a perfect ride to a Jazz gig! The Morgan sweet ride to a nice outdoor venue for a picnic and some live jazz.

[fumblefingers]

For shame, petrol-guzzling benzene-spewing overwrought structures of conveyance whose chief purpose is to take some andropausal overweight male to the supermarket and back at 65mph? I would expect jazzmen to know better than that.

I would be happy to take that bastion of good old British bicycling know-how, a Raleigh with Reynolds 525 tubing and Campagnolo Gruppo : Raleigh - TI RALEIGH TEAM REPLICA .

Take that Aston Martin and compact it.

come again? what is it that jazzmen should "know"?

[RoyaleT]

come again? what is it that jazzmen should "know"?

Lighten up!! I'm all for the ecology thing, but SHEEESH!, these two cars are not about to bring on the apocalypse.

[mongrel]

OK, I admit a weakness for the Morgan 8 Morgan Motor Company .

It is the fine archtop of the motoring world.

Aston Martin. Bah! Abomination.

Having operated old Morgans and fine old archtops, I have to wonder which have the better wood bracing.

[GoergeBenson]

Well if your the type of person who likes a 'Versatile' guitar, this would be your perfect car.

[fumblefingers]

Lighten up!! I'm all for the ecology thing, but SHEEESH!, these two cars are not about to bring on the apocalypse.

Im not clear as to why we think the Aston needs to be compacted?

[RoyaleT]

Hell, I'm confused how we got this far off OP's topic! Truss rods to tie rods maybe? Fret boards to Running boards? Sure hope he gets that neck problem solved, and saves a guitar he loves.

[fumblefingers]

you're confused? No need to be. People like to drag other things into the discussion, like carbon footprints for example.

[PTChristopher2]

Deleted. Thought better of it.

[Patrick2]

Hell, I'm confused how we got this far off OP's topic! Truss rods to tie rods maybe? Fret boards to Running boards? Sure hope he gets that neck problem solved, and saves a guitar he loves.

I'm pretty sure he'll get it worked out. He definitely got an ear full on this thread and most all of it pointed to a conclusion that the guitar is indeed fixable . . . and that the tech advising him that it wasn't worth fixing more than likely just didn't want to do the job. The OP loves the guitar and now he knows it's just a matter taking it to a tech who's competent enough to do the required work correctly . . and is willing to take the job on. Then, he gets a price from the tech and makes a decision on whether or not to do the fix.

I have a few Gibsons that I love at least as much as the OP proclaims to love his 335. One of mine actually is a 335. It's a 2003 Custom Shop 1963 block neck reissue, Nashville made. The neck is a little on the thin side . . typical of the '60s era 335s that Gibson was recreating. If I had the problem the OP has . . the guitar would immediatley go either of 2 places;

1. Steve Hayes, Steve's Studio in Colonia NJ
2. Back to Gibson's Nashville Custom Shop to be repaired or re-necked.

Problem solved!