#1
|
|||
|
|||
Replacing the neck on a 40+ year old Gurian
Not the worst idea I’ve ever had, but probably not the best either...
The nut on my 42 year old Gurian Jumbo Rosewood is a very thin 1 5/8”. Like many, I’ve grown accustomed to the generous 1 3/4” neck on my Martins. How crazy would it be to have a new neck made with the more comfortable 1 3/4” nut? I really do love everything about this guitar. I can live with the skinny neck but just wondering. Oh. I suspect that this would take a bit of Gurian knowledge as the neck is held to the body by a couple of ebony pins. Thoughts? (Other than to tell me I’m nuts.) |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I feel you should look at the spacing at the bridge also. With a narrow nut you could also have narrow string spacing.
But for a 42 year old guitar I would be afraid of devaluing the guitar. I would personally leave it alone.
__________________
2007 Indiana Scout 2018 Indiana Madison Quilt Elite 2018 Takamine GJ72CE 12-String 2019 Takamine GD93 2022 Takamine GJ72CE 6-String 2022 Cort GA-QF CBB 1963 Gibson SG 2016 Kala uke Dean A style mandolin. (Year unknown) Lotus L80 (1984ish) Plus a few lower end I have had for years |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
You may want to contact Mr. Gurian, unless I am mistaken he has stepped away from his company that has supplied guitar makers with parts for many decades, and gone back to building guitars. Seeing as though he is probably most familiar with the neck joint, and also the builder, it may be advantageous to have him do the work, that way you still have an "all Gurian" guitar. If he prefers not to, he may be able to suggest someone he trusts. I see you are in central PA.,I have been to the Woodstock Luthiers Invitational Show many times and I think I've seen him there every time I have been there, he's a regular. Perhaps there is a chance you could make arrangements to go to the show and leave it with him. He may go to the Artisan Guitar Show in eastern PA. also.
__________________
http://www.krausguitars.com |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Fitting a new neck on an old guitar is not a trivial project - you might find a good used guitar for a very similar cost -
__________________
More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
You could try recutting the nut slots to put the e strings closer to the edge and respacing the strings in between. There is only 1/8th inch difference between 1 5/8th and 1 3/4 so you might get things within 1/16th just by replacing the nut
and recutting the slots. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
I looked into this once for a 40's series Martin and it was very expensive and I was discouraged from doing it by most of the guys I asked. Better to sell the guitar and replace it or just learn to love it (which is what I did, but it took more than five years.
__________________
2003 Martin OM-42, K&K's 1932 National Style O, K&K's 1930 National Style 1 tricone Square-neck 1951 Rickenbacker Panda lap steel 2014 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe Ltd, Custom Shop, K&K's 1957 Kay K-27 X-braced jumbo, K&K's 1967 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville 2014 Gold Tone WL-250, Whyte Lade banjo 2024 Mahogany Weissenborn, Jack Stepick Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina Tonedexter |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
If your happy with the guitar then absolutley do it, first find a competant luthier and get them to make you a new neck.
Its a decent size job, dont expect much change from 1k, if your okay with that then go for it I can make a rough cut neck in an hr and a bit (Labour time not glue dryjng time), that is scarf cut, stacked heel, truss rod slot cut and rough shaped It takes me around another 9hrs to turn that into a finished functional neck on an existing guitar Steve
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE Last edited by mirwa; 01-27-2020 at 12:03 AM. |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
I have to agree with Mirwa. It's your guitar and if you care for it enough to make it better for you - go for it. If done professionally by a good luthier no one will care that the neck has been replaced. String spacing at the saddle is a no brainer and easy to do.
|
#9
|
|||
|
|||
In photo sharing mood today.
Here is one i did earlier, my point any good luthier can do this for you Start of job Old neck removed Rough cut neck being test fitted Neck now shaped / fitted and new fingerboard ebony to customers requests Inlaid with in house cut shell, fretted, new nut etc Painted Finished with new logos etc
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks everyone. Was curious as to consensus. Think you convinced me to let it be. The guitar has tremendous sentimental value. No change to occur.
|
#11
|
|||
|
|||
That's the neck joint described in Cumpiano and Natelson's book. Very difficult to execute. I wonder how many people got frustrated and gave up in that section of the book. In the early 90's I used CN book for a couple guitars and have more or less adopted that open style of building, but used a dovetail instead. Later he updated it on his online accompaniment to the book saying the following:
Quote:
|
#12
|
||||
|
||||
Understand your final decision, also understand why you would consider changing the neck. Those Gurians were great guitars but many folks found them just about unplayable because of their skinny necks.
|
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Nice work. I'm finding matching up a neck to an existing dovetail challenging on a current project. Did you already know the details of the one shown, or did you have to measure it once it was apart?
|
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Gurians don't have dovetails... (Ok, I think that's not new for you.) I also have some problems with the slim necks. Meanwhile I could solve the problem by buying 2 Gurians with a broad neck... - but before getting these instruments I asked a luthier in Germany about fitting a new, broader neck with the profile similar to a seagull s6 neck. It was about 10 years ago and he estimated costs of 500 EUR. But I didn't realized this project and now I have Gurians with a smaller and with a wider neck.
|
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Once apart
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |