Is this a bad maple fret board? Strange stripe in the wood.

Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:39 am

I am maybe going to buy this 68 reissue strat. I'm holding off cause it has this strange stripe in the wood on the maple cap on the fret board. I can get another one but this one is slightly cheaper but only by maybe $20 dollars. Is that strip a piece of soft or rotten wood in the tree? Maybe cause for a future crack or problem? Pic enclosed. Please help.

Wallace · Post by **Wallace** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:57 am

From the pic it looks just like some figuring in the wood to me.
Not a bad thing unless you want a single coloured board.

Put it this way, if you bought it you would be able to tell your guitar from a 100 others 20 feet away. Which is not a bad thing

Wallace.

JeffG. · Post by **JeffG.** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:58 am

Its hard to see whats going on from that pic. But the .02 worth of advice is that $20 off isn't much, and if you have questions now, you'll probably get them again when you try to sell it. Might cost you more then $20 at that point.

JD · Post by JD » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:00 am

Looks fine to me, just a dark grain line.

Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:39 am

I worry that many years later this little stripe will come back to haunt me. I plan to keep this strat till death do us part. Back in 98 I played a 68 reissue strat in Musicians Friend and till this day it was the best feeling neck I have ever held in my hands. The 68s have this ultra thin neck that felt super. I hate fret boards that are as wide as a plate. I can't stand most of the guitars offered today due to the neck thickness. If I buy this I will keep it. Is dark grain wood harder or softer than regular grain?

I like the thin neck cause naturally I try to fret with my thumb. Must come from years of video game playing. I was one of the lucky youths to get a Atari 2600 when they first came out and my thumbs have been wide open ever since. When I play guitar the thumbs just can't set still. They want to do something!

Guitar Adjuster · Post by **Guitar Adjuster** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:09 pm

For that kind of money I would hold off and find another one. Those reissue strats are expensive, might as well get one that is perfect. If it bothers you now it will continue to eat at you for years!!!

JD · Post by JD » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:39 pm

I'd say as long as you don't see any flaws in the crack/void sense then it's just the natural grain color of the wood. I haven't heard anyone complain about the poor strength properties of Maple with dark grain. It looks quartersawn, or nearly from the photo which is typically the best cut for a guitar neck. If the neck feels good and is good and straight to start you should be fine.

FWIW, you can "roll" the edges of a wide or boxy feeling neck to make it feel slimmer and easier to thumb fret (Gibson does this on the new/current VOS guitars)

Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:12 pm

Well I think I'm gonna go ahead and get the regular one for 20 bucks more. I wanted black anyways. So i'll get me a black 68 reissue. The cheaper one, they only had one and it was the olympic white and that strange stripe.

FYI I wen to guitar center today and tried 3 of those 60's reverse headstock specials. It sucked!!!!!!!!!!! Neck was as wide as a plate! It sure as hell ain't no Hendrix 68 strat copy. 68s didn't have a neck that wide. Fender can take that one and shove it. Pisses me off that they do all that then not get the neck right.

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:30 pm

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Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:55 pm

yngwie308 wrote:Save up your money for the US '70's reissue Strat.
Or lots of money for the '69 Custom Shop
yngwie308

Why? THe 68 reissue strat costs $750 shipped from Japan. With case and all. And I actually think MIJ is better quality than MIA. THe 68 reissues now come with Texas special PUPS. Don't matter cause I planned on replacing them with some light wound Woodstock Fralins at about 5.8K
MIJ kicks arse! MIA means over sized necks and median quality. Sorry gotta give my money to the Japanese.

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:43 am

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fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:34 am

Bluesgeetar wrote:I am maybe going to buy this 68 reissue strat. I'm holding off cause it has this strange stripe in the wood on the maple cap on the fret board. I can get another one but this one is slightly cheaper but only by maybe $20 dollars. Is that strip a piece of soft or rotten wood in the tree? Maybe cause for a future crack or problem? Pic enclosed. Please help.

I dont think that stripe is an issue, BG. Maple has a lot of mineral streaks in it. (look at some LP flame/plain tops--you'll see plenty of them). If it bothers you at all from an asthetic point of view, then you should just find another guitar. Its like Guitar Adjuster said... if it bothers you now, its gonna bug the shit out of you later, right up to the point you sell it and get one that really lights you up. Its not like reissue Strats are hard to come by, either!! (PS--as far as the MIJ/MIA/MIM thing goes, I got one of those Robert Cray Strats (NOT the MIA ones) and it friggin' rules. The neck is WAY nicer than the MIA one I checked out, and has much bigger frets to boot!!)

Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:39 am

fillmore nyc wrote:I dont think that stripe is an issue, BG. Maple has a lot of mineral streaks in it. (look at some LP flame/plain tops--you'll see plenty of them). If it bothers you at all from an asthetic point of view, then you should just find another guitar. Its like Guitar Adjuster said... if it bothers you now, its gonna bug the shit out of you later, right up to the point you sell it and get one that really lights you up. Its not like reissue Strats are hard to come by, either!! (PS--as far as the MIJ/MIA/MIM thing goes, I got one of those Robert Cray Strats (NOT the MIA ones) and it friggin' rules. The neck is WAY nicer than the MIA one I checked out, and has much bigger frets to boot!!)

Oh no! the 68 reissue strats are hard to get here in USA now and when you find one the dumbass that is selling it thinks he can get a stupid price for it. Problem is that I guess most people don't know that Fender Japan still makes these and that they can be ordered easily from Japan for 750 shipped with warranty and extra stuff and nice new case etc.. Got into a cursing arguement via email with a local guy cause I posted an add in Craigslist for WTB a 68 RI for 400 used. This guy pops up on email and starts telling me I am out of my mind if I think I am going to find one for less than 1000 but that he has a used one he'll sell me for $800. Told him to F off cause I did my research and they are 750 shipped new with all the stuff. Dude kept telling me to get out of my dream and I am stupid if I think i am gonna get one new for thta price. So told him to F off again and banned his email address from coming to me. Dude kept badgering me. F'n dipshite!

Bluesgeetar · Post by **Bluesgeetar** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:46 am

yngwie308 wrote:No shame there Bluesgeetar, the MIJ Malmsteen Strats have always been killer, they make a sweet '68 Malmsteen Strat as well. These have always been detail appropriate and even came with DiMarzio cliplocks, as used by YJM himself.

yngwie308

I would love to have one but I too scared that the neck won't be like the 68 RI. The 68 RI is 40mm at the nut and stays prety thin all the way down. I don't won't anything over 40mm. I think that scalloping would make the thing extra easy to play. what are the dimensions of a neck on a Malmsteen MIJ?

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:24 pm

Hey Blues Guitar, I agree, those Japanese '68 reissues where awesome. I played a sunburst '68 reissue at the recent guitar show. It was one from the mid to late 90's I'm guessing. It played and sounded great, just like I remembered. Only thing, like you said, was the price guy's are wanting for these now. This one had a fairly big 'triangle' shaped piece out of the tip of the headstock. It wasnt a thick piece, maybe an 8th of an inch thick. It had been half assed repaired. The guy would not go any lower than $ 625. It was not my favorite color for one thing, and with that ding, I didnt go for it. But yeah, those are my fav. of the CBS type reissue's. The Japanese got it right !

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Is this a bad maple fret board? Strange stripe in the wood.

Is this a bad maple fret board? Strange stripe in the wood.

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Re: Is this a bad maple fret board? Strange stripe in the w

Re: Is this a bad maple fret board? Strange stripe in the w