Fretboard cracks, possible warping

[dshiatt]

Hello Fly friends!

I've had this '96 Deluxe since uh... '96, been playing more over the last few months. Recently I noticed some fret buzz on the high E/B strings, as in, if I play the 22/23 frets, the 24th fret also sounds a bit. I'm pretty sure this is a new phenomenon. Examining the guitar a bit more closely, I noticed some cracking on both sides of the fretboard near the neck.

Anyone have a sense what's going on? Is the fretboard warping, causing buzz on the high strings? Is it something that truss rod adjustment would help? Or should I be seeking a qualified tech to help?

Thanks!
D

[mmmguitar]

Is it something that truss rod adjustment would help? Or should I be seeking a qualified tech to help?

I would recommend finding a repair person who has worked on Flys. Flys use a thin strip of material for the fretboard which can delaminate from the neck it was epoxied to at the factory. I'm sorry to say that your photos give the impression that this is what's happening, and a truss adjustment typically won't compensate for anything above the 12th fret, anyway.

If you apply a strip of masking tape along the edge of the fretboard in those chipped areas and leave some extra length to tug on, you'll be able to confirm if the board itself is loose enough to move. Though I haven't personally repaired this issue, we've thankfully had other owners reassure the rest of us that it's indeed repairable. Unfortunately, our tech/repair resource thread is quite limited in the endorsements we've received. Did you have a particular local tech in mind, or are you willing to ship it to one of the places mentioned in the thread? Though I don't have the guitar in front of me to say for certain, a common repair for what yours seems to be exhibiting is to scrape out the old epoxy fragments between the neck and board, re-epoxy and clamp the two until cured, then seal the paint chips before checking and leveling the fret tops in the area of the repair, if needed. We've had at least one owner who confirmed that regular super glue wicked into the space between the delaminating board and neck was not sufficient bond for repair.

Welcome to the site, by the way - Shame it wasn't under happier circumstances. You'll nonetheless find yourself in good company, and among folks who've successfully dealt with whatever issues brought you here.

[Fox]

It's hard to diagnose through pictures, but I think it's not the fingerboard, but the neck that's separating where it joins the body.
I'm afraid you need a tech/luthier to look at it in person.

[vjmanzo]

Those cracks in the finish where the neck joins the body are fairly common with Flys, so I’d be less concerned about that. @mmmguitar’a advice about testing for fretboard lifting is a great start, and I echo his welcome, @dshiatt, as well as his encouragement that others have been in this position before.

[KenanJ]

Agree with @vjmanzo, also I can add that I thin warpong with carbon fiber is highly not probable knowing the stiffness of the material...

[mmmguitar]

It's hard to diagnose through pictures, but I think it's not the fingerboard, but the neck that's separating where it joins the body.
I'm afraid you need a tech/luthier to look at it in person.

As you say, it comes down to an in-person diagnosis. But just to shed further light on the paint cracking around the end of the neck joint: It's one of scariest things you'll see on a Fly which, most of the time, thankfully ends up being merely cosmetic (of course, a nasty fall can still make all the difference). Ken's finger joint with the CF reinforcement on the back ends up being so stable that the amount it is able to flex is in the area you see over the top and outside edges of the fingers, where the finish ends up being the weakest link.

[dshiatt]

Thanks for all the input, folks. And thanks for the warm welcome! Sounds like a likely diagnosis. I'll be reaching out to nearby techs (SF Bay Area) to see if any are familiar with Flys. Will report back when the issue is resolved.

[Fox]

(...) Ken's finger joint with the CF reinforcement on the back ends up being so stable that the amount it is able to flex is in the area you see over the top and outside edges of the fingers, where the finish ends up being the weakest link.

I hope I'm wrong! A separating neck is a worst case scenario.