Quote:
Originally Posted by talkgtr
I've got an old cheap guitar that could use more neck angle, though I'm not certain the guitar is worth the cost of a full neck reset.
I've heard of folks loosening the back seam and the neck block and reglueing with more angle.
I'm curious if any one is using this method, seems to me there was a page on Frank Fords site out lining this method.
|
That is an old method. It was not uncommon to see such a job in the 1960's before regular neck reset techniques became more widely done. I've seen several guitars done that way and, from what I could see, it's not one bit easier than a normal neck reset.
The binding has to be removed from the area under the tip of the neck heel and the back loosened. This is tough to do because unlike a dovetail neck joint, there's no place to insert a steam needle. Thus, there is danger of splitting the back of the guitar and leaving an ugly crack.
Furthermore, once the new angle is set and glued in, it is necessary to trim the back down to match the upper bout on the back. That's almost guaranteed to do some damage to the finish. This is not a pleasant thing to contemplate. Then the notch for the binding must be re cut so that the binding will fit back in.
Also, assuming the job can be completed successfully, for the rest of the time you own the guitar, every time you play it, you will be annoyed to notice that there is an ominous angle of the neck heel to the top and back.
Unlike a regular neck reset, which can theoretically be repeated some years later if another one is needed, this method is a one-shot deal. You can only pull the neck block back so far and that's the end of the ball game.
It's not something I would ever do.