Owner's Manual

Components

Your guitar has a 3-way toggle switch, 1 master volume, and 1 master tone control. When the volume pot is pulled up, the neck pickup is switched to single coil mode. This feature produces a more focused tone, which is ideal for blues and clean playing. When the tone control is pulled up, the both humbuckers are switched in series. This creates a warm and fat sound, with lots of balls! The toggle switch activates the pickup that is being used. The down position is the bridge pickup, the up position is the neck pickup, and in between is both pickups. There is a combination of 8 possible sounds, as compared to just 3 or 5.

Features

JCi guitar necks are reinforced with 2 cold -rolled steel bars, along with a traditional truss rod. This makes the neck extremely stiff and resistant to warping and twisting.
Option for a 24 fret neck at no additional charge.
The neck is attached with oversized wood screws. This ensures a very stable connection.
The neck runs the same thickness from the nut to the body, without a bulky heel to impede playing comfort.
Compensated nut for perfect intonation. (Standard) The nut edge is moved forward by differing increments for each string, to correct the sharpening effect on the first few frets. This in turn, also corrects the flattening effect on the 21st and 22nd frets. The end result is a guitar that will play better in tune along the entire fretboard. Open stringed chords will sound better than ever. (E major and A7) It may appear a little strange at first, but it's the only way a guitar will play in tune. The difference is absolutely amazing!
Available hollow body construction reduces weight and gives a warm, full bodied tone. Single notes sound fat and powerful in comparison to
solid-body guitars.
Direct Mounted Pickups.
Front loading input jack does not bend the cord when you are playing seated.
Super snug neck pocket on bolt-ons, for very long sustain.
The pickups are located in the optimal positions, for the best possible tone. For example; if the neck pickup is placed where the 24th fret should be on a 22 fret neck, the midrange frequencies cancel out. If the bridge pickup is too close to the bridge itself, the tone will be thin and too bright.
Choice of neck wood, body wood, scale length, neck thickness, headstock type, fret size, hardware colour, solid-body or hollow construction.

Finish

Once your guitar is purchased and in your possession, JCi Customized Guitars is not responsible for any nicks or scratches that are inflicted with normal use of a guitar. Your guitar should be wiped down with a soft cloth after each use to preserve the instrument. The neck is especially susceptible to wear due to the corroding chemicals found in human sweat. The strings should also be wiped to remove the dirt and grime that accumulates. This will also keep your fretboard clean and free of filth. You should clean your instrument once a month with lemon or tung oil.

Truss rod

If your neck requires a truss rod adjustment, bring it in to a professional for servicing If you decide to do it yourself, you alone will be held responsible if you break the rod or warp the neck. It is very unlikely though, that your guitar will need an adjustment, because of the steel reinforced neck. The steel is very rigid and keeps the neck from shifting during the seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. Just remember that to correct an upbow, the rod needs to be tightened. (TURN CLOCKWISE) Have a friend hold down the body on a padded table, and gently bend the neck up or down while you tighten or loosen the rod. Turn the nut in very small increments (1/8 to 1/4 turns) and recheck the relief. It may take a day or two for the neck to settle.

Neck Relief

J.C.i. guitars have very little neck relief, to ensure accurate intonation along the entire fretboard. You can measure relief by Placing a capo on the 1st fret, and pressing down the last fret. (22nd or 24th) Measure the gap between the string and the 8th fret. Use feeler gauges for an accurate measurement. Anything between .004" and .010" is fine.

Action

There is no such thing as a buzz free guitar. A lot depends on how hard you play and the string gauge. Lighter strings will buzz more because of the lower tension. A looser string will vibrate with a greater amplitude and cause fret buzz. The string clearance should measure 2.0mm at the 12th fret on the low E side and 1.5mm on the high E side. Any lower than this will be prone to fret buzz.

Bridge Adjustment

A change of string gauge will require the saddles to be adjusted either forward or backward. If you switch to lighter strings, the saddles should be moved toward the neck, and heavier strings will require the saddles to be moved away from the neck. The 12th fret harmonic should have the same pitch as the fretted note at the 12th fret. If the fretted note is flat, the string length needs to be shortened by moving the saddle closer, and vice versa if the fretted note is sharp. The tailpiece height should be positioned so that the outer E strings are just touching the bridge. If you raise it higher than this, the strings may buzz or rattle in the saddles. If you lower it too much, the strings may break, due to the sharp contact edge of the bridge.

Electronics

Any tampering with the electronics and wiring which causes damage is not JCi's responsibility. Frequently check that the input jack is tight and secure. If the toggle switch makes a scratchy sound, or if the output sounds thin when switched between positions, there may be dirt in the switch. Just squirt a little contact cleaner (NOT WD-40) and wiggle the switch up and down to alleviate the problem.

Pickups

Each pickup is direct coupled to the body. A piece of wood is attached to the bottom of each pickup, and the springs keep the pickup in place. The height is set at the optimal height, and should not be tampered with.

Nut

The nut slots can be lubricated with graphite from a mechanical pencil, or petroleum jelly. This will allow the strings to move freely within the slots and should be done each time you change the strings.

Strings

The strings should be changed every 3 months at the minimum. One sure sign of wear is that little grooves will become carved into the underside of the strings where they make contact with the frets. Each JCi guitar is strung with my custom string gauge (50, 38, 26, 18, 14, 10). This creates equal string tension along the entire neck. You can purchase strings in bulk at “juststrings.com”. I strongly recommend that you stick with this string gauge.

Changing Strings When you install new strings, you should make as many wraps as possible around the tuner post, for a steep break angle at the nut. Wrap the string from the inner side of the tuner, continually moving higher on the post, and thread it through the post. The E,A and D strings should have 3 wraps, while the unwound strings should have 4 or 5 before being threaded through the post. Make a right angle bend before you cut the excess string. Also change them 1 at a time to maintain tension on the bridge. Otherwise the bridge may move up or down, or the tailpiece may fall off and damage the guitar body.

Cleaning

You can just use a clean cotton cloth to wipe down the instrument. I apply a wood wax after the oil has cured, to bring out the luster.
You can periodically apply wood wax yourself if you deem it necessary.

Things Not To Do

Do not bend the neck forward or backward to simulate a whammy bar effect! This causes undue stress and can damage the neck.
Do not drop your guitar on the floor or couch. (Seems Obvious) The angle of the headstock makes it susceptible to breakage, because it will absorb the brunt of the blow. Handle your guitar like a delicate newborn baby.
Finally, do not store your guitar in extreme temperatures, either hot or cold. Keep your instrument at room temperature. The trunk of a car is a very bad place to store your guitar in the summertime! If it is exposed to extreme hot or cold, leave it overnight in its case and allow it to gradually return to room temperature.

Back to Main Page