Big Baby Neck Issue

AMT · #1 12-26-2017, 02:23 PM

Hi guys,
I just restrung my Taylor Big Baby for the first time today with some Martin Retro strings. I also added some Ebony bridge pins to try to play with the guitar's tone a little bit, but that's beside the point. After looking over my guitar, I saw that the neck just above the sound hole was separated slightly from the body. It seems that the whole neck pivoted upwards near the joint. I did not change out the strings one at a time. I think the release of tension along with a weaker (bolt on) neck caused this. I'm posting this as a warning to other BBT owners, but also to see if I should do anything to fix this. It still sounds amazing, but I'm wondering if a neck reset will be required down the road.
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Dave Abrahamson · #2 12-26-2017, 02:37 PM

Can't see your pics thanks to Photobucket, but it's only held on with two wood screws through the fret board. Not bolt on per se. Have you tried to snug up the screws?

AMT · #3 12-26-2017, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Abrahamson

Can't see your pics thanks to Photobucket, but it's only held on with two wood screws through the fret board. Not bolt on per se. Have you tried to snug up the screws?

I haven't tried tightening the screws yet, but I'll give it a try. It seems to me that the glue seal broke around the neck joint after releasing the string tension. This is why I think it may need resetting.
Sorry about the photos. I'll try to find a better way to attach them.

Earl49 · #4 12-26-2017, 03:13 PM

If you are the original owner, take it a Taylor tech and they will fix it for free, if necessary. If not, there might be a minor charge. A full neck reset on a bolt-on Taylor neck is a ~$60 item typically, including new strings. That's the beauty of bolt-on necks..... There isn't a glue seal there, but Taylor uses some wood putty to help the gap disappear visually. Sometimes after a neck reset a hairline gap is visible if the tech did not re-do the putty.

Try to verify that the neck bolts are snug. There should be one or two bolts hidden under the label on the end block and the two visible screws holding the fretboard down. The bolts are the more important item. It is possible that the neck block bolts have vibrated loose or the wood shrank slightly. FWIW, I remove all six strings routinely on all my guitars when changing. The few cycles of tension / no tension for string changes should really have little bearing on this issue. My 414ce is now 17 years old and had worn many sets of strings over the years, and has no neck issue.

DukeX · #5 12-26-2017, 03:36 PM

I would contact Taylor before doing anything.

Restringing a BBT by removing all the strings first should not cause problems unless a problem already exists. Your issue is not normal.

Earl49 · #6 12-26-2017, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DukeX

I would contact Taylor before doing anything.....

Taylor will be closed until JAN 05 for company vacation, just like every holiday season. When they open, it is best to call Customer Service rather than send an email.

Goat Mick · #7 12-26-2017, 04:15 PM

Talk to your nearest Taylor certified tech, as long as they're certified there should be no reason to wait on Taylor to reopen from the holiday. It shouldn't be an issue at all. When I had a Big Baby and a regular Baby Taylor, I always removed all the strings before restringing. You didn't hurt anything.