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  #46  
Old 09-10-2012, 10:31 AM
Zigeuner Zigeuner is offline
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Originally Posted by redir View Post
I never heard of that method called California neck reset, where did that come from? It's probably of Spanish origin so if the called it the Bilbao neck reset I'd get it

Like I said I've done that method and I don't care for it. It does keep the original neck joint intact however and lots of customers would prefer that.

As for hiding the saw kerf with a shim it's not easy to match it perfectly, in fact on the resets I've done they are all visible to the discerning eye. I worked with one customer on this and we used a maple shim to match the maple binding and the lines looked kind of cool, at least intentional anyway.

murrmac123 some builders actually do use hangar bolts.

The term "California Neck Reset" came from......well.....from California. I first heard this term at McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica, California sometime in the mid 1960's. I saw a number of guitars that had had this form of work. The ones I saw were poorly done with lots and lots of glue inside and some cracks on the back. It's generally become a derogatory term from what I have heard.

I think it would be OK for a guitar such as a classical that was built with a Spanish Heel design if done carefully. I wouldn't use it on a guitar with a dovetail since there's really no need and those are best done by steaming the neck off of the guitar.

Frank Ford and Brian Kimsey have excellent tutorials on standard neck resets for dovetail guitars.

General description of California Neck Reset on the internet.
http://fingerstyle2.com/California%20neck%20reset.pdf
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  #47  
Old 09-10-2012, 12:12 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
I do apologize, Howard, if I mistakenly conveyed the impression that you had advocated the "Californian neck reset" on this instrument, which I do realize you haven't, and I further accept that I am one of the 99% who have never seen this repair done, although I cannot visualize how it could be done without creating a visible and noticeable change of angle at the upper bout ... but maybe it doesn't , I defer to your expertise in this area.

I do, however, beg to differ about the relative difficulties of the subsequent touch up processes between the two methods, since the way I see it, the Frank Ford method is far less invasive than the "Californian reset" as long as you use a Multimaster. Frank's field surgery approach is guaranteed to leave masses of touch-up headaches (and intonation problems) but again, when he wrote this, the Multimaster hadn't even been invented.

Using very thin stainless shim shaped to the heel contour, and fixed to the upper bout with double sided tape for protection, it would be perfectly feasible to use the Fein Multimaster (with the appropriate fine (sic) blade) to cut through the heel from both sides without marking the finish on the upper bout in any way. (Obviously the fretboard tongue would have been loosened off in the conventional manner). Once the neck was off, it would be a relatively simple matter to chisel and sand off the minute amount of wood left, and touch up the finish on the upper bout to extend inwards past the witness line, so that there was no visible evidence once the neck was refitted (with the heel cut to the correct angles in all respects).

This process would also minimize any intonation problems, since due to the thinness of the kerf, the fulcral point would be just under the 14th fret, similar to a conventional dovetail reset. At worst, all that would be required would be a new saddle, or reprofiling of the existing one, if thick enough (and still with sufficient height).

Cosmetically, the only difference would be that the 14th fret would be marginally further in from the body/neck joint (by the thickness of the kerf). I doubt it would even be noticeable.

EDIT: There are, of course, oscillating tools other than the Fein Multimaster (and cheaper as well) which would get the job done.... the Fein is the top of the heap however, and will cope with anything you throw at it (and I have thrown a lot at mine ...)
Murray, you really ought to check yourself with these definitive pronouncements about what is "no question the way to go," or "guaranteed to leave masses of touch-up headaches," or "perfectly feasible," "at worst," "simple matter," "doubt it would even be noticeable" etc. when you are talking about jobs you have never actually done, and never actually seen. It's gotten a bit out of control and could be quite misleading to someone reading here, since it comes from a professional tech who is a sponsor of this site.
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  #48  
Old 09-10-2012, 01:06 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Originally Posted by Howard Klepper View Post
It's gotten a bit out of control and could be quite misleading to someone reading here
Thank you. I've suggested this to him before.
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  #49  
Old 09-10-2012, 01:08 PM
Zigeuner Zigeuner is offline
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(phew, I'm sure glad that everyone ignored my posts on these topics........)
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  #50  
Old 09-10-2012, 01:58 PM
arie arie is offline
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Originally Posted by Zigeuner View Post
(phew, I'm sure glad that everyone ignored my posts on these topics........)
it's the way of these things.
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  #51  
Old 09-12-2012, 03:17 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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................

Last edited by murrmac123; 09-14-2012 at 02:07 AM.
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  #52  
Old 09-14-2012, 10:40 AM
JLS JLS is offline
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Default A saw off bolt on conversion reset

http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/m...0neck%20reset/
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  #53  
Old 09-14-2012, 12:01 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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Nice pics- Thanks! The order seems a bit off, but the steps are there. That finish has gotta be hard on the teeth of a japanese thin saw -
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  #54  
Old 09-14-2012, 12:58 PM
JLS JLS is offline
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Originally Posted by tadol View Post
Nice pics- Thanks! The order seems a bit off, but the steps are there. That finish has gotta be hard on the teeth of a japanese thin saw -
Yeah, if there's a way to change the order of the photos, photobucket is certainly not forthcoming...

An FG150 doesn't have the thick finish, that came later. I cut all the way through it with a handheld slitting blade, so the pullsaw teeth aren't an issue. I've done 15-20 saw-offs with this sawblade, and it's still doing just Fein, I mean, fine!
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  #55  
Old 03-06-2014, 10:51 AM
H165 H165 is offline
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"...as long as you use a Multimaster. ....but again, when he wrote this, the Multimaster hadn't even been invented."

More like "the Stryker had not yet been copied". I own and use both tools. Stryker is the Fein technology inventor. Fein uses the decades-old Stryker technology. Fein's main contribution is the lower-priced (read "non-medical") blades, and mass-production to the price point many of us can afford.
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  #56  
Old 03-06-2014, 01:19 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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Originally Posted by jseth View Post
Hello...

I have some questions, for those who know... my beloved Mark Angus #35 (1979) is at the point where it's going to need a neck reset... I called Mark, at the Guitar Shoppe in Laguna Beach, Ca., and we talked about it... he said that my guitar was made with a "Spanish Heel" and the neck can not be reset, but that either the fretboard can be shimmed or a new fretboard can be made to get the neck angle correct...

Since he built the guitar (!), I figure he knows what he's talking about... but I'm wondering what I should expect from this repair... will it change the overall sound/tone of the instrument? Should I be prepared for some damage to the finish around the neck/body area? Any other considerations about having this done to my guitar? Is the process for this repair as invasive as a traditional neck reset?

I've played (and loved!) this guitar for over 30 years; I don't want to just let it go... I want it to be in fine playing mettle! Seems like such a major thing to have done, I guess I'm just gun-shy about the whole thing... so, please, if you KNOW about this repair, or similar repairs to guitars with Spanish Heel construction, chime right in with whatever you have to give me!

Thanks...

John Seth Sherman
Sounds like a slipped-neck block repair, which is pretty involved and something I haven't attempted yet. Crap, sorry didn't realize the thread resurrection...
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  #57  
Old 03-06-2014, 01:24 PM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
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FWIW, and meaning no disrespect, I am wondering why this thread has been resurrected from the past. If recent posters had read the full thread, it would likely be apparent that the thread (for better or for worse) has been quite thoroughly discussed.
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  #58  
Old 03-06-2014, 04:07 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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Originally Posted by Ned Milburn View Post
FWIW, and meaning no disrespect, I am wondering why this thread has been resurrected from the past. If recent posters had read the full thread, it would likely be apparent that the thread (for better or for worse) has been quite thoroughly discussed.
Ned thanks, but it's not always easy to do nor completely obvious when you're on an Android phone
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  #59  
Old 03-06-2014, 08:25 PM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
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Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
Ned thanks, but it's not always easy to do nor completely obvious when you're on an Android phone
Fair enough. Good answer! ;-)
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