Who does bolt-on neck reset conversions??
 

Who has experience with converting an epoxied on neck to a bolt-on. My guitar needs a neck reset and Looks like it needs to be sawed off and converted to a bolt on. It's a 1979 Yamaha FG-331.

Wouldn't it be economical to just buy a new one? :guitar:

Its just wood glue, not an epoxy, so any shop can take it off

Steve

I’m buying a new D-18 next month. I’m fixing the Yamaha because I’ve had it for 39 years, since new. It’s my most loved possession. Money is not a factor.

I've done quite a few of them.

Really?? I’ve been told those 70’s Yamaha’ necks are epoxied on. Have you worked on these before?

Are you still doing them? Steve, who posted above said this "Its just wood glue, not an epoxy, so any shop can take it off". From everything I've read these Yamaha necks are epoxied on. Unless I'm mistaken and this particular model is just wood glue. Please enlighten me if possible.

Nope not epoxy, just good old fashion dovetail and wood glue, have done more than a few :), I have a Yamaha FG 410 to do next week

http://www.mirwa.com.au/images/SNR27.JPG

Steve

I can help with that. PM me if you want to talk.

I thought they even used Hide glue in the 70's. Maybe a mixture of both during that time.

I've done a few of these conversions it's a great thing to do for cheaper guitars put together with Asian mystery glue.

First, Brian has said he is happy to do it,

if you are unsure, definetly contact him to do the job, whilst I have never seen Brian’s work personally, his explanation on repairs shows he knows what he is talking about and has done it rather than read how to do it.

You know, that would not surprise me, and people do not realise just how hard it is to get a well fitted hide glue joint apart, it’s hard work and can cut up your hands working the glue joint

Steve

Purely out of curiosity and feel free to send vee PM if you don’t want it openly shown, what do you charge for a neck reset vee cutting the neck off and fitting bolts in comparison to a normal neck reset where we steam it off.

I would assume with it being a cheapie option, that you also simply leave the extension as fallaway rather than wedge shim it

Steve

I've only ever done it 3 times that I can remember. One was on a band mates guitar the other was my wife's guitar and the other was on a guitar that was in for a repair and after 2 years the guy never came back to pick it up so I figured it was mine. I reset the neck and sold it. So, so far I have not charged anyone.

But it's a good question. I just reset the neck on old Martin 000 and it literally took 15 minutes to get the neck off. about 10 minutes to remove the FB extension and steamed the neck off in 5.

Using chisel and sand paper to floss the proper neck angle only took another 30 minutes. A few practice dry runs on the glue up job then gluing it up with HHG all in all it probably took about 60 minutes to do the whole thing over a couple of days to allow for proper drying.

The bolt on conversion still requires you to remove the FB extension, then saw off the neck, drill holes for inserts, drill holes into the head block and use a reverse bit to countersink. Probably would still take about 60 minutes.

So I don't know that it's really a cheapie option. It's a good option for Mystery Glue guitars though if you just want to keep them going.

In either case I'd probably make a shim as necessary. It's not really that time consuming and I don't like fall away.

All good, when I saw the cheapie comment, I thought about it for the last day or so, as I am always trying to give people options, up to now, I have only ever treated it as a bolt on conversion, but the possibilities of resuming cheap cheap guitars economically, mmm interested.

Running figures through my head, I charge 350 for a normal neck reset, so have been thinking, can I just do a quick slap together neck reset vee bolt option, just how simplistic can I make it, is it possible to halve my cost to the customer, or maybe do a 200 dollar neck reset vee a bolt option.

Would have to leave it with fallaway after the 14th, but I would still need to remove the extension to fit the neck bolt inserts, or can I drill it through the end block with long drill and fit an insert in through the neck block and follow up with a tshaped bushing inside the Guitar, then cut the neck heel, dragsome sandpaper and job done.

It could be done in reality from strung up to modified and strung up again within 30-40 minutes.

So as you can see been thinking on it all day :)

Steve

Yeah I did see a video once of a guy doing a real cheapie and he did something like that. He didn't remove the FB extension and just cut a kerf in the heal and then used sand paper as you mentioned. Then he put one screw through the heal and filled it back in with a dowel or something. He also epoxied the butt joint.

This of course was a real cheapie fix but reportedly it worked. I could see doing that through the end pin. One screw is really all that is needed. Or you could even use hangar bolts.

When I did it even though they were cheap guitars as part of 'training' myself I did it so that it looked like it was intentional from the start.

I could even see doing this repair on traditional Spanish heal classical guitars. In my opinion it would be better then the so called California slip which I have done and is a royal PIA. But it might not go over well with classical guitar traditionalists and of course I would not do it on valuable vintage guitars.