advice on new used guitar with cracks in neck

[adirondack-vfr]

hello im new to this site but it seems really cool and informative. Well here it is i went to a local music shop recently and bought a guitar a used ibanez js100 satriani sig guitar i got it for 465.00. The guitar looks nice only a couple little dings in it and is a very nice looking guitar. So i get it home and im playing around and i decide to wipe it down a little thats when i notice something. On the back of the neck where the holes are for the bolts to hold on the locking nut are 3 cracks one 3 inches long and the others about 1 inch each. At first i thought maybe they were just wood grain but after sliding my thunbnail across them i can feel them there. my question is what would cause this and would you get your money back. I emailed the store and they told me i could bring it back and get an exchange or a refund if i want. A buddy of mine who looked at it says it probably wont give me trouble but everytime i pick it up now it is all i see lol. im thinking about getting a refund and buying a brand new ibanez sz520qm or a sz720fm. all comments are welcome thankyou. oh ya if anyone wants to see pics of the cracks let me know and i can email them to you. thankyou

[ren]

Welcome to GT... :)

I bought a guitar from a guy on ebay that got broken in transit - check out this thread (http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14748&highlight=rg320fa). Basically, you do need to worry about it. You can fix it yourself if the wood is all still there - just wood glue and clamps and it's very easy, but you have to do something - with the holes in the neck for the locking nut, there isn't much wood there so it could well get worse under string tension and split more. On mine, the rosewood 'board had started coming away from the neck as well.

Whether to repair it or get a refund is a call you'll have to make - I don't know how good a deal that is for a JS100. If you decide to do it yourself, it should be possible with:

wood glue
some fine sandpaper / glasspaper
clamps
danish oil or similar for refinishing
a couple of rags for tidying up and rubbing down

But whether or not you take it on depends on how confident you are with that sort of thing. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

**EDIT** The cracks will presumably be what remains of a very significant injury! Probably your guitar looked like mine in the link above but far worse - the cracks in mine were never more than an inch or so!

[Andrew Sa]

I would take that guitar back immediately! Not only is an Sz720 a nice guitar (in my opinion...not a floyd rose, or 24 fret fan), but it also looks better (maple top yo) and is new.

Any problem with cracks around a neck joint can potentially be a big one...I wouldn't go near that guitar with a 10 foot pole

[Gargy]

Any problem with cracks around a neck joint can potentially be a big one...I wouldn't go near that guitar with a 10 foot pole

I believe he said locking nut, not neck joint... but nevertheless I have managed to find out (the hard way) on how to put cracks in a guitar's neck at the locking nut and it isn't anything to worry about as long as the nut itself doesn't shake or rattle and it'll clamp down securely you don't even really have to fix it. However, if through normal use the cracks get any bigger that is when you should look into repairing it (or getting it repaired). Cracks don't get smaller with time.

[Andrew Sa]

oh my bad, I just saw "at the back of the neck" and assumed he was talking about the bolts at the neck joint. silly me.

[adirondack-vfr]

the js100 is no more. I just got back from returning it to the shop i purchased it from for a full refund i think i'll go order my new one now. have any of your guys ordered from musicians friend before im just curious how they ship their guitars and how safe they are.

[DAMAGED ONE]

the js100 is no more. I just got back from returning it to the shop i purchased it from for a full refund i think i'll go order my new one now. have any of your guys ordered from musicians friend before im just curious how they ship their guitars and how safe they are.Buy the shipping Insurance

[adirondack-vfr]

I ended up ordering an ibanez sz720fm with the transparent gray finish from samash.com and actually you dont need shipping insurance because they have a 45 day money back guarantee and so does musicians friend. If it comes damaged at all with even a scratch they will replace it. I cant wait to get it it should be here in 3-5 days. now i just have to decide what amp i want all i have now is a 25 watt yamaha amp. I was looking at maybe a line 6.