Do electric guitars need neck resets?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Tone Gopher

I don't consider it a "reset" as much as an "adjustment". I have dialed in many Strat/Tele necks to get a desired bridge height. It's a matter of tuning the balance of the setup (ex. saddle height, trem height, etc.).

That's what I call it too, an adjustment. Perhaps that is why I have rarely heard the term "neck reset" for a strat / bolt on guitar.

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Gotta be careful with the generalizations, but you did qualify it nicely with "a lot." By contrast, my Kalamazoo, small script '74 Standard has a transitional tenon, not the short one. It is, however, the guitar I mentioned above that needed the neck to be planed to correct a compound bow. What is interesting and ironic about it is that the neck is built up from three pieces of mahogany, which was a measure to prevent... wait for it... bowing.

It's a lovely guitar now, though, at forty years old.

Bob

That's a stunner, Bob. That would have come stock with mini humbuckers?

[terrapin]

You ARE resetting the neck/body angle when you place a shim, so I guess it is just a literal use of the phrase?

[redir]

In all the years I have been doing repairs I have had to reset a few Fender type bolt on necks but never LP type guitars especially since those already have a big neck angle and most of the adjustment can take place by adjusting the bridge height.

I build bolt on neck acoustic guitars too and I would consider it to be a neck reset if I had to unbolt it, set a new angle in the heal, and remount the neck.

But really it is semantics. Resetting an LP would be tricky I imagine, never had to do it and frankly probably wont.

[Pink Panther]

Quote:"We hear a lot about acoustic neck resets but what about electric guitars? I never hear about it."



Dru.

It's mainly Early Type Deep Bodied, Hollow Semi-Acoustics and the more Modern Thinline Semi Acoustics that can require Neck Resets, though occasionally it might be needed on a Solid Body Electric.

Neck Shimming of a Bolt on Neck Guitar can often be done by a Player, rather than a Luthier, although Shaving the Bottom of the Neck itself is another different matter, and of course different from Neck Shimming which although it Re-Sets the Neck Angle, it is not in any way the same Class of Job as a Glued In, Dovetail or Mortise and Tenon Neck Reset, which has to be Steamed Off the Body, usually in a very similar fashion to a Steel Strung Acoustic.

It's not purely the Geometry of the Instruments Neck Angle and Relationship to the Body that always the problem. Lateral Neck Movement due to crystallisation of Hide Glue, Warped and Twisted Necks, Problems of Neck Joint Loosening due to excessive expose to Heat, and or Humidity, and the inevitable Neck Bowing typical of where Instruments have been careless left in Car Boots.

All these can be addressed in different ways, but sometimes a Neck Reset is the best way to Restore an Instrument with a Long Lasting Repair to Reliable Working Condition. Headstocks and Necks can be damaged by Whiplashing if not supported properly during Transit, particularly the Sharply Angled Gibson's which may Range from 17 Degrees to 14 and dependant on their Date of Manufacture.

Neck Breaks and Headstock Damage caused by User Carelessness, can be Repaired and Restored without Replacing the Entire Neck, but an Owner may well Prefer to have the Entire Neck Replaced, as indeed the Luthier that looks after my Instrument Collection is doing to a Valuable Cello at the moment. Sometimes, it's simply the Very Best and Most Permanent Solution, when the Damage goes beyond a certain point, although many Owners may want to preserve Originality.

Truss Rod Damage and Breakage that may mean Complete Truss Rod Replacement, Finger Rut Scalloping, Fingerboard Damage through numerous Re-Frets, Warping and Bowing of the Fingerboard and a Wide Range of Disparate Fingerboard Problems, although not always requiring a Neck Reset, per say, can and usually do mean Removal of the Fingerboard from the Neck, and thus, usually completely expose the Neck Body Joint and sometimes a removal of the Neck is necessary to perform such Repairs to very Specific and Particular, Electric Guitars. This will of course, in the worse cases, Result in a Neck Reset, not because the Neck requires a Neck Reset, but because a Neck Reset is a Natural, Subsequent, Consequence of performing other, very badly needed Repairs.

Usually, a Really Good Luthier will find a way to Repair most if not all of these Problems, without having to resort to Drastic Measures. But once again, sometimes Drastic Re-Manufacturing Measures are the Best Way to Address a problem that leaves an Instrument Owner with a Long Lasting and Reliable Repair. It always seems easiest to provide and plum for what is in reality, sometimes a very Temporary Fix, especially when such a Fix will perhaps last for a couple of years. The trouble is, such Fixes sometimes might last a couple of Months, and then in either case of course, you will ultimately have to pay to have the Instrument Fixed Twice, or get involved in time consuming dispute. Its better in my opinion, to Fix the Problem, Right First Time. A great Luthier will leave no footprint. You will not know that the Instrument has ever been Repaired. And the Repair will probably Last a Lifetime. People like Frank Ford and the Luthier that cares for my Instruments, Specialise in "Invisible" Repair, as a point of Principle.



Electric Guitars usually have a Truss Rod Fitted which provides for the Adjustment of Neck Relief should it be Required. (Not the Adjustment of Action as many people suppose, quite understandably, as Adjusting the Truss Rod usually has an effect upon the Guitars Action too, but that is not what it is for, and not how Action should be properly Set and Adjusted).

The presence of the Adjustable Metal Truss Rod means Necks can be Slimmer yet retain the Strength of Thicker Necks. If you are anything like Li'l Jimmy Page, you will probably prefer this Facility, to Extremely Fast Playability. Along these same lines of thought, Electric Guitars usually feature Lighter Strings, and many, somewhat vastly Thinner String Gauges altogether than Acoustical Models. Mainly (but not exclusively) relying on the Magnetic Properties of the Strings, rather than the Acoustical Properties of the Body, as a way to Transfer or Project the Instrument's Volume of Tone.

If you were to Formally Study Classical Musical Form and Performance you would find the term Volume of Tone to be a definitive technical term. I mention this, because Electric Guitar Players like the population at large are used to thinking of Volume and Tone as entirely separate entities. Guitarists reach for the controls on their Guitar and Amplifier, and find they are related to Volume or Tone. They are presented as Separate Entities. Someone may be Listening to their Hi-Fi or in their Car and again in both instances, Volume and Tone are presented and controlled as though being Completely Different.

But Great Artists and Professional Session Musicians have the Quality of Sound all in the Touch of their Fingers. As they Sound Musical Notes, Louder or Quieter, there is not simply a Change in Volume, there is also a Concomitant Alteration in Tone. As Musical Instruments Change in Tonality dependant on how Hard or Soft you Play Them. Both Values Change at the same time, and this allows for a Wide Range of Expressiveness for a Musician. Great Recording Engineers know that whether you are Pushing a Fader up or Down on a Large Format Recording Console, or Adjusting an Equaliser at a Particular Frequency you are in reality simply making an Adjustment in Gain, whether its adding or subtracting, and whether it Directly Affects a Specific Frequency or Not.

But whatever you do, when you change the Volume you also Affect the Tone, and When you Alter the Tone, the Sound is Changed so that the Volume is affected too. I mention all this, because although many Musicians will appreciate this Intuitively through their Depth of Experience on Playing, and explained on this manner it is easy to understand. The Concept of the Volume of Tone of an Instruments Projection, appears to be a "missing link" in many Aspiring Guitarists Appreciation of Performance, with a Resulting Loss of Emotive Expression in their Playing. Music to me is all about the Communication of Emotion.

Great Music has the Power to Emotively Move an Audience. It is not Primarily a Display of Head Driven, Motor Skill Technique, that only appeals to people who understand the work involved in Acquiring the Technique, and passes over the Heads of Ordinary People that simply want to Enjoy Listening to Music. But Music connects to a Subconscious Part of the Brain that automatically controls Fundamental Systems of the Human Body without us thinking about them. And this is why it has the Power to be used for Degenerative Therapies and even Raise People from Deep Coma's. It's all about Feeling and Emotion, and that Power of Expression, lies in the Musicians Fingertips.

As in an Electric Guitar, ultimately, the Sound is Transferred Electrically and Projected through an Amplifier to the Audience or Recording Mic. The Gauge of String can be such, that the Physical Tension Applied to the Neck can be far lower than that of a Steel Strung Acoustic Guitar. This means that the Forward Bowing Effect of String Pull is greatly reduced, and the Neck to Body Joint Stresses are also greatly reduced. Of course not all Guitarists like Extra Light Gauge Strings, and some vastly prefer the Tonality and String Tension of Heavier Strings. It's huge part of their Signature Sound.

This is especially the case for Jazz Purists with their Deep Bodied, Completely Hollow Electric Guitars, with Wound "G" Strings, Heavier Gauges and sometimes Tape Wound Styles of String.

Inevitably, these are quite naturally, the Electric Guitars that will be most likely to need an eventual Neck Reset.

All Working Professional Musical Instruments require a Profoundly Deep Knowledge and Understanding.

If they are to Last a Lifetime, without requiring Major Repairs.

The lack of such Profound Knowledge and Care.

Is another commonly found reason.

For Neck Reset & Repair.

[Pink Panther]

Although current Gibson Les Pauls have a Great Neck to Body Joint and are perhaps the Strongest Electric Guitar in that respect.

The earliest Les Pauls, now thought of as "Prototype Les Pauls" suffered from having an incorrect and in optimal Net Set Angle, and a badly configured Bridge and Tailpiece that made them incredibly difficult to Play.

As these Guitar Makers were amongst the World's Finest, it's hard not to conclude that Skilled Luthiers working at Gibson saw the introduction of Solid Wood Guitars that could Manufactured by Relatively Unskilled Labour, Quickly Trained, with many Operations involving Machine Tools as Opposed to Hand Skills, as the beginning of the end for their Way of Life.




Sometimes people in Factories, work on "Projects" so as to ensure that they do not succeed. I think it worth considering as to whether this was not the case with the Early Les Paul Guitars.

But later Iterations Fully Corrected the Pitch of the Neck Set Angle, and provided the Instrument is Stored with the Correct Support to the Neck, Protection to the Headstock and Support behind the Bodies Upper Bout all is Well.

Stradivarius Violins and those of other Great Makers once all had their Necks Set at what would be today considered to be an Incorrect and in optimal Net Set Angle. At a Particular Point in History, The Pitch of the Neck Set Angle of String Family Instruments Changed, to make them more Playable.

Here in my Local Museum we have the World's Most Valuable Stradivarius Violin, valued for Insurance Purposes, many, many years ago now indeed at $20,000,000. The Pitch of the Neck Set Angle of that Instrument was altered to the New Standard demanded by Musicians by a French Luthier Vuillaume.

Early Gibson SG Electric Guitars along with Early Hofner Violin Basses and Guitars suffered through the insubstantial material of their Neck to Body Joint. This naturally has meant many of these Electric Instruments have needed Serious Attention in that Area and of course Neck Resetting as a Result.

In fact at one point I wouldn't have touched an SG with a Barge Pole because of the Problem, but both Gibson and Hofner, eventually sorted the Issue Out, but not until a lot of damage had been done to their reputation at the time, along with a lot of Warrantee Work.

Sir Paul McCartney favored the Hofner Bass not only because it was what he could afford, but also because of its Shorter Scale than many Popular Basses which suited his Hand Size because he was First and Primarily a Guitarist rather than a Bass Player.




Eventually migrating to a Rickenbacker, again with a Shorter Scale than many Popular Basses, the Rickenbacker Bass also has a Design and Manufacturing Problem that can affect Neck Set Angle.

Basically, the problem is caused by the Huge and Out of Proportion to Requirement Rout at the Front Pickup Recess. This is located Directly behind the End of the Fretboard and Routs into the Strength of the Through the Body Neck.

As the Neck is Pulled Forward by the Tension of the Strings, although the Dual Truss Rods (to Adjust for Neck Twist) Compensate, some Rickenbacker Owners have had a Collapse of the Neck into the Oversized, Large Front Pickup Rout, and this Forward Movement of the Through the Body Neck, leads to an Ungluing and detachment of the Instruments Side Wings at the Upper Bout Area.

Obviously, if the Neck spans the entire length of the Instruments Body, and is not Attached by a conventional joint, it's a little hard to perform a Neck Reset to correct a Neck that is Bowing Forward Badly, collapsing into the Pickup Rout without Massive Surgery to the Instrument.

Many Sensible Rickenbacker Owners, get Luthiers to Fabricate and Install a Hard Wood Block into the Empty Space Behind the Fingerboard, that is under the Front Pickup Guard. Glued also to the Sides it not only Aids in Preventing the Forward Collapse of the Neck into the Front Pickup Rout, but also keeps the Instruments Side Wings Stably Glued to Add Further Support.




Over the years Electric Guitars have been made in many different parts of the World, by many different Makers, utilising many different Materials. Neck Re-Sets offer the problems of Type and Quality of Manufactured Neck Joint, Dovetail or Mortise and Tenon, Glued Joint Necks, Glued and Bolted On Necks, Glued and Bolted on Necks with Hidden Bolts, Glued and Wood Dowelled Necks, Bolted On Necks, Pitch Adjustable Bolted On Necks, Necks with Internal Electrical Wiring and Input Jacks in the Heel of the Neck, Hide Glued Necks, Titebond Glued Necks, Mystery Asian Glued Necks, Free Floating or Fixed Fretboards, Re-Finishing or Re-Touching Finish, and so on.

When you look at some Highly Valuable, Vintage Instrument of Yesteryear, you simply don't always know, precisely how to approach a Neck Re-Set, so Powerful Magnets and even X-Rays are sometimes necessary, before you can begin to proceed.

But Experience Counts for a Lot, and the On the Internet, where Luthiers have Shared Pictures of the Internal Joints of Every Instrument they do a Neck Re-Set on have helped to greatly widen the accumulated knowledge of this Topic.

So the answer to your question is.

Yes!


P

[Dru Edwards]

Thanks Pink Panther! (^). Great reading.

[kydave]

I had one done for a strat a while back. The bow was such that it could not be adjusted through a shim or truss rod adjustment.

"Bow" has nothing to do with neck reset.

The reasons acoustic guitars have a neck reset are not existent in a solid body electric.

[kydave]

The lack of such Profound Knowledge and Care.

Is another commonly found reason.

For Neck Reset & Repair.

The lack of proper use of capital letters, full sentences and paragraphs in long winded discourses has not been missed in the least by some folks.

But I do agree that hollow body or semi-hollow body electrics are far more likely to actually require a neck reset than a solid plank of wood body like the Strats, Teles, and Les Pauls.

You get points for that part.

[RustyZombie]

Originally Posted by s2y

...and that many guitarists use 8s and 9s??? I've never heard that.

A majority of electric players seems to. I know 31 guitarists that primarily or solely play electric. I think only about 4 use anything heavier than 9's.

It's kind of funny how many of them think I'm just showing off because I use 11's on my electrics.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by BlackmoresNight

A majority of electric players seems to. I know 31 guitarists that primarily or solely play electric. I think only about 4 use anything heavier than 9's.

It's kind of funny how many of them think I'm just showing off because I use 11's on my electrics.

I used to use 9s on most of my guitars. My brother was the only guy I knew using 8s. Most of the local guys used to tease me that 9s were wimpy.

[RustyZombie]

Originally Posted by s2y

I used to use 9s on most of my guitars. My brother was the only guy I knew using 8s. Most of the local guys used to tease me that 9s were wimpy.

All that means is they are immature enough to actually believe that string gauge is somehow a measure of manliness.

[kydave]

Originally Posted by BlackmoresNight

A majority of electric players seems to. I know 31 guitarists that primarily or solely play electric. I think only about 4 use anything heavier than 9's.

It's kind of funny how many of them think I'm just showing off because I use 11's on my electrics.

The 2003 Highway One Strat I just bought off Ebay arrived with .090's. That is about par for the course.

[Snowman19]

I have seen snapped necks, broken pegheads, twisted and warped necks, and everything else you can thing of. Depending on style of guitar and severity of the problem, neck repairs can be expensive. Many neck repairs are difficult and should only be performed by experienced repairmen