Sad tale to tell

[olrocknroller]

One of my students, to whom I sold my Hagstrom F200 six weeks ago just brought me her guitar with a nasty split in the neck. They had company, the guest's son found the guitar, and while "playing" dropped it head first onto the cement floor... It is shattered in spots with pieces of wood missing, so a new neck is in order I fear.

I have never had to remove a set neck before, and have heard of everything from steam to heat guns to soften the glue...can anyone here give me some pointers or things to avoid? The guitar is all mahogany...

olrnr

[Olav]

Maybe you oght to PM Oigun. He'll have advice.

[DRBILL]

The BEST advise I can give you is to goto Stuart McDonalds (STUMAC) and look around - they make a STEAM "NOZZLE" (LONG NEEDLE) that Luthiers use to drill a clearance hole for the "nozzle" into the "joint" and then steam the joint - the hyde glue that is "normally" used will "let go" and you can then "slide out" the tenon... OR while your at STUMAC see if DAN Ertlewine is still taking on work and let HIM do it... I know of two folk who had "something" similar to this happen to their "prized" Martins and he did the deed on BOTH and after CLOSE inspection - You cannot tell they have been repaired! I also know a luthier, here in Memphis, who studied under Roberto Venn, and he has also done this same repair to perfection...

[Sarah93003]

Steaming is a good solution, but in my humble opinion, if you haven't done some pretty heavy duty guitar work this is not for a novice. Many set necks are also screwed together but you just don't see the screw and unless you know where to look wouldn't even know it's there. Some Gretsch set necks also have a hidden screw. I'll try to post a photo to illustrate.

[panther]

Steaming is a good solution, but in my humble opinion, if you haven't done some pretty heavy duty guitar work this is not for a novice. Many set necks are also screwed together but you just don't see the screw and unless you know where to look wouldn't even know it's there. Some Gretsch set necks also have a hidden screw. I'll try to post a photo to illustrate.

I agree Sarah, this is a tall order.

Dan

[jtr654]

It'll cost less to buy a new guitar. This kind of job is something you only do if its really worth it (Talking rare or old ).

[olrocknroller]

Steaming is a good solution, but in my humble opinion, if you haven't done some pretty heavy duty guitar work this is not for a novice. Many set necks are also screwed together but you just don't see the screw and unless you know where to look wouldn't even know it's there. Some Gretsch set necks also have a hidden screw. I'll try to post a photo to illustrate.

I agree Sarah, this is a tall order.

Dan

Thanks all. I bought the guitar back from her for a hundred dollars, figuring eventually I can get that back out of the hardware, so it's just a "project" for me to learn on... My main concern is that the lacquer on this thing is REALLY thick! I'll have to cut into that just to open up the seam. I doubt Hagstrom use hidden screws...it's just a long tenon into the body under the neck pickup. If I can't make a suitable tenon joint, I plan to make a new neck for it, and make it a "bolt-on." I'm going to heat the fretboard first and peel that off, then go after the neck...full "steam" ahead!

[JimPage]

Hey, olrocknroller--

I took an eight-week 60-hour guitar-repair class about ten years ago, from a friend who was a highly regarded repairperson here in the DC area. The last three lessons were spent performing a neck reset on a early-1960s Gibson J45 of mine.

That was a guitar, like many old Martins, that was made to accommodate future neck resets, and it still was more than I expected. There were a lot of steps involved that, even having done it myself once, I wouldn't care to take on again. Nothing went wrong, but it was real precise work with a lot of dry fitting and such. I'm the first to admit that I am not a handy person with woodwork or finishes, though.

I've had neck resets done on maybe four other of my acoustic guitars, and usually it has worked out well. One guitar had two resets and never did perform reliably after those surgeries. I sold it at a loss.

Another guitar I had three years ago, a mint '82 cherry-burst D-25CH Guild acoustic, needed a neck reset, but two repairpersons in this area, after looking at it carefully, declined the work. The reset would have been straightforward, but they feared that they could not ensure that the nitro finish in the areas affected by the reset could be matched easily after the repair. If the finish was adversely affected by the steam or if the finish chipped in that area, it would have shown. Both of those fellows had been doing repairs professionally since the late '60s. That guitar was sold to a bluegrass player who like the action higher than I did.

So, while do-able, a neck reset on an acoustic guitar is indeed invasive surgery and not to be tackled without some consideration. If the guitar is, as you describe, a beater and a learning project, then full steam (pun intended) ahead!!! Please let us know how it turns out.

--Jim

[olrocknroller]

Hey, olrocknroller--

I took an eight-week 60-hour guitar-repair class about ten years ago, from a friend who was a highly regarded repairperson here in the DC area. The last three lessons were spent performing a neck reset on a early-1960s Gibson J45 of mine.

(...) So, while do-able, a neck reset on an acoustic guitar is indeed invasive surgery and not to be tackled without some consideration. If the guitar is, as you describe, a beater and a learning project, then full steam (pun intended) ahead!!! Please let us know how it turns out.

--Jim

Thanks Jim... My first reaction to her was obviously the best one... it is a $400.00 guitar. A replacement neck from Hagstrom would likely burn $250.00 real quick etc. etc. I told her it was a gonner, called my friend at the local music store in Regina, and he had a blemished Hagstrom Select Super Swede that I got for less than his cost... End result, the girl gets $100.00 from me for her old guitar, and an $800.00 guitar for less than half-price. I hope she will see this as a "happy ending" to the story!

So, I told you all that to say, yes this is now a beater for me to learn on. I'm taking the project seriously because it is an excellent chance to learn about set necks. There are some excellent tutorials on the 'net which I have bookmarked for future reference. Thanks Jim for sharing your experience...I know more what I am heading into here now!

olrnr

[JimPage]

After going to bed last night, I was thinking about this reset, and that started me thinking about guitar repair, and what are some of the major jobs in that field.

I'd be willing to bet that the number-two major job most guitar repair folks face is the snapped-off headstock on Gibsons and similar guitars. That headstock area is evidently fragile, and I have seen so many Les Pauls, SGs, and Gibson acoustics with that area repaired.

That's one of the items that drew me toward Mosrites and also to the high-end Martins that have that volute in the back of the headstock-neck join. Having that extra wood right there is a definite plus. Plus, I like the feel of that extra wood when I'm playing; it kind of telegraphs where you are when your hand is in that area.

I don't recall seeing that type of headstock break on Fender guitars, but it sure happens on Gibsons. I also had it happen on a Jay Turser Rickenbacker 325 clone I had bought for my son.

--Jim