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#1
04-14-2022, 09:18 PM
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Any problem doing a neck re-set on a Blueridge BG-160?
Don't get me wrong. I do not need this done. But my BG-160 has a set neck and the finish was applied after the neck was set in. At least that's what I see when I look at the neck-body joint. I believe this to be the standard practice with "modern" Blueridge guitars.
So a luthier who was going to do a neck re-set (or any other work that would require neck removal) would have to cut, saw, Dremel ((luthier's choice) down through the finish to remove the neck. Sounds like a huge risk of a seriously defaced guitar would be the likely result. I'm no luthier so I don't know what I'm talking about or if this is a real issue. I ask only out of curiosity. And it occurs to me that neck resets ARE NOT inexpensive and Blueridge guitars ARE inexpensive. If that generality holds true with respect to any particular Blueridge that needs a neck reset, then maybe the economies fall in favor of making the guitar a wall hanging and buying a different guitar. What do you think? My opinion is that the way they build these Blueridge Dreds, with the poly finish applied over the set-in neck joint, adds some unique cost analysis issues to repairing a Blueridge. 
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#2
04-14-2022, 11:04 PM
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I think the reset would cost a bit more. My Guild is like this, the nitro applied after the neck was set. Just the way they do them. Doesn't bother me though, if the guitar is a good one I think the reset would be worth it should it ever need one.
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#3
04-15-2022, 07:28 AM
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A little bit of finish damage/touchup around the neck joint wouldn't bother me.
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#4
04-15-2022, 07:34 AM
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The cost of a neck reset vs. street price on many guitars in this class is always going to be an issue. Even if the finish wasn't part of the problem it would still be cost-prohibitive to do a reset on many of the factory instruments produced today.
(Exception in the case of Taylor, of course.)
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#5
04-15-2022, 07:38 AM
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Quote:
If you love the guitar and plan to keep it I don’t think pondering a $500 reset on a cheaper guitar is completely out of line. If it gives you many more years of enjoyment you won’t think much about that money spent years down the road.
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#6
04-15-2022, 01:14 PM
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I think most dovetail neck guitars are finished after setting the neck, I believe the process is to cut through the finish with a razor type knife so as to minimize refinish work.
I have a Yamaha FG375S, after 40 years, it needs a reset which costs about the same as the current value of that guitar on a good day. It was a $369 when I bought it so you could say it was only $10 a year to play it, It is one of the best sounding guitars I have heard and it has sentimental value as I learned to play on it. Options are, pay the price, play slide with it, enjoy looking at it, dump it, do a saw off and bolt on reset, or learn to do the reset myself. I think I am going with the last option.
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#7
04-16-2022, 10:28 AM
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Martins and many of their US based imitators do finish the neck and body separately. That simplifies a reset, but it does not guarantee that no finish touchup will be required. Gibson and Guild are examples of old US brands that are finished together, in addition to virtually all Asian guitars.
While it does require a bit more finish work, it is still a small fraction of the total job, and my pricing reflects that.
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#8
04-18-2022, 06:53 PM
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Thanks to all of you for your shared insight. I did not know that other manufacturers did the finish-after-assembly routine. I thought it was a SAGA strategy to save money and speed up production.
In any case, I'm happy with the way it plays and sounds at the moment after it just came back from the luthier. He's a good man to know.
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#9
04-19-2022, 03:03 AM
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If your BG-160 has a good neck geometry coming out of the factory, that enabled your luthier to get a nice set-up, then my bet would be that you will have sold the guitar and be half a dozen future guitars down the line well before that Blueridge needs a neck reset! Particularly as you are now a member of the AGF.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band.
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