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Old 12-16-2010, 01:52 PM
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Larry Pattis Larry Pattis is offline
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Quoting Rick Turner from an earlier CA thread:

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Originally Posted by Rick Turner View Post
I guess I'm the only one here with both guitar setup experience and a history in designing and manufacturing carbon fiber instrument parts...necks.

A) The complaint about low saddle height is legit. The neck angle is wrong, and kicked back a bit it would still allow the ultra low action that some like as well as offering the option of playing with higher action. This is like only allowing the driver's seat of a car to work for very short to medium short people...and not providing for anyone over 5'10". You can have it all with the right design.

B) Yes, the mold could be tweaked

OR

C) The neck could be pulled back, slightly warping the body when the top is put on. Slightly warping the body is how Spanish guitar makers tweak the neck angle when building in the traditional style...they do it when gluing on the back rather than the top, but the net effect is the same. The CA's have a glued-on top; this trick would work just fine.

D) The need for a truss rod has nothing to do with neck strength or stiffness and everything to do with adjusting neck relief to each player's taste. Once again, I'll make the automobile analogy. Would you buy a car with a non-adjustable driver's seat?

E) Hartley will bring a very disciplined workforce, and efficient factory, and deep pockets to this project. He cannot do much, though, about the raw materials costs which are quite high. He's also in the business to make money and he won't sell guitars as a loss leader to get market share. He'd probably also like to have the technology to make carbon fiber necks for his electrics. Good move on his part. He's also been an incredibly staunch supporter of independent music stores and backs his dealers like nobody in the biz.
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