Twist in a neck - how much is too much?

I have a brand-new carbon fiber guitar that has a little neck twist. The situation is slightly confounded by the fact that this is a custom guitar (waited 6 months) and the builder is in Ireland and I'm in the USA. I've opened the discussion with them re: their warranty, but have yet to receive a response. That being said I'm trying to get my head around what the options might be.

The neck is twisted the "wrong" way, with the treble side showing 0.010" more relief than the bass side. This is measured with feeler gauges at the 7th fret, with strings capoed at 1 and pressed down at 14. The twist is pretty consistent with strings on or off, truss totally loose or slightly tightened.

Because of how it's constructed, leveling the fingerboard is not an option. Frets are medium stainless steel; original height would have been about 0.040 but I'm not exactly sure where they are now. Don't have calipers to check, I probably should get some anyway.

Assuming the neck is totally stable now, doing a level/recrown/setup or PLEK job seems like it would address the issue. I suspect that will be the remedy suggested. My worry is that I'd be left with frets that are too low. The guitar plays pretty well, just has a bit stiffer feel that I'd like on the high strings.

I'd appreciate any thoughts!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Verticchio on September 16, 2019 at 10:46pm

Hi Danny.
I believe the best “next step” for you to wait patiently for a reply from the builder/manufacturer. Warranty work was factored into the purchase price. Take advantage of it.
I’d also ask the manufacturer if they have a warranty/repair center in the USA. Most MI manufacturers have overseas service centers.
Be patient and best of luck.