Does this need resetting or can I get away without?

[BLINDCONNIE]

Hey everyone! I bought this cheap parlour just as a little project and I could really do with the guitar. I am not bothered about it looking good I just want it to play as I love the sound of these old guitars especially for blues.

The problems are:

The neck is starting to separate from the body it seems, what would happen if I clamp it with some titebond? would this work as a temporary fix with lighter gauge strings?
There's a couple of cracks in the top
The back has started separating from the sides, would I have to re-hydrate the guitar to fix this or could I just put some titebond and some spool clamps? as I can't afford humidifiers or anything.


I didn't know about the neck until I got it today (could've happened in transit as cant see it on the listing photos). I can't afford another guitar or a luthier so would like to as cheaply as possible get this guitar playing and avoid a neck reset at all costs as I only need the guitar to last a couple more years at most until my financial situations looking a little better and hopefully get myself a Martin!

I tuned it up and the action is quite high, not ideal but still playable for me, I'm just worried that the tension could rip the neck off the body all together, I took all strings off and the neck seems solid in place, is it possible that I could just glue the gap at the heel and chizzle the bridge down to get a decent action? I didn't know what I was getting myself into when purchasing the guitar but in my defence I was told it was playable just needs TLC!! I want this guitar to busk/small gigs as it sounds and suits my playing style perfectly! I need this guitar as I am only left with a nylon string as I've had to sell up all my gear!


I'm not a perfectionist so don't care about aesthetics! so any suggestions are very greatly appreciated, thank you for taking your time to read this!
















Sorry for the not so good pictures, my phone didn't want to focus!

[charles Tauber]

I think, from what you've said, and from the pictures, it needs more repair than you can provide.

If the strings are off and you can move the neck at all in its joint at the body, the neck should be removed and re-glued. At the same time, it could have a neck reset, if needed. I've seen guitars where someone has driven a large screw through the heel into the heel block to hold the neck on. I don't recommend that, but it is an inexpensive approach. If done incorrectly, you'll split the heel and/or heel block. If the gap at the back of the heel is closed, changing the neck angle, you might find that it doesn't need a neck reset.

Squeezing glue into the gap at the heel isn't likely to accomplish much.

It appears that the break angle of the strings over the floating bridge is minimal/non-existent. If you lower the bridge/saddle, it'll just buzz. The tailpiece fixes the height of the strings at that end. Again, If the gap at the back of the heel is closed, changing the neck angle, you might find that it doesn't need the bridge/saddle height changed.

"Re-hydration" isn't a universal cure. Ideally, you need to know what humidity level you have and what is your target humidity. IF the guitar was stored in low humidity, re-hydration might be appropriate. If not, it is irrelevant to the issues you discuss. An adequate hygrometer can be purchased for under $10, but is probably the least of the issues with that guitar.

[Frank Ford]

Drill a little hole in the space between the heel cap and the back, angling it forward a bit. Stop when you feel the drill breaking through into the gap of the dovetail in the neck block. That will give you some access to the interior of the joint so you can inject glue. You'll want to use hide glue (liquid hide glue is fine) diluted to runny consistency and as hot as you can make it.

The hide glue can reactivate old glue in the joint, and if you get a reasonably large amount in there, you can clamp the heel back tight against the body. You'll want to let the glue dry a good long time before unclamping. Give it a week.

I've done this repair many times, and it can be a permanent fix.

How to inject? Well, a regular medical syringe is best and cheapest, or you could get the glue syringe from Stewart MacDonald if you don't have a doctor pal who can fix you up.

Other issues will crop up. . .

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by BLINDCONNIE

....I can't afford humidifiers or anything.

Sure you can. Re-humidifying the guitar is step one before any meaningful repairs can happen. Put the guitar inside a large garbage bag or dry cleaning bag with a damp towel that does not touch the guitar. Seal up the plastic bag with a twist tie. Let it sit absorbing moisture slowly for 2-4 weeks, checking periodically, and re-wet the towel as necessary. Many of these issues seem to be dryness and/or heat related, and you need to stabilize things before proceeding.

The previous posts by experts (I am not) gave you good advice on how to tackle temporary home-brewed repairs. Getting repair advice from Frank Ford is like getting a guitar lesson from Eric Clapton, just so you know.

I once picked up a small bodied Regal archtop for practically nothing at a garage sale as an expendable camping guitar, and it had many of the same issues. I removed the partially detached back, glued some loose braces and other things, then glued the back on again. After 10-12 years, now the neck has popped off completely as the body glue joint let go, and it awaits further repair. That guitar is not worth paying for the repairs so I'm willing to take a crack at it. I'm not a luthier or a repair tech so take my advice with the appropriate grain(s) of salt, but I am pretty handy with wood and tools.

[mirwa]

Right ways and wrong ways,I get paid to do the work so I only endorse the right way,

Right way- remove the neck and refit if correctly
Wrong way - drill a hole through the heel into the neck block, fit a tech screw in and tighten it in place

Steve