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  #16  
Old 04-19-2019, 02:34 PM
meredith meredith is offline
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I'm about ready to try this on an old Yamaha. Do you need to remove the truss rod first?
Sorry, I missed the post that explains this.
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  #17  
Old 04-19-2019, 08:17 PM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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A skilled luthier ought to be able to do as Mr. Arnold suggests in short order. It's one saw cut and a bunch of measuring followed up by a very small adjustment to the binding in about the most obscure place on the instrument. The bottom of the neck block will move very little. Worth a try, says me (for whatever that's worth!). I think that the geometric change is so slight that a luthier ought to do it, measuring all the while. The same adjustment is often done by a builder during the course of construction (less the sawing and trimming).
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  #18  
Old 04-20-2019, 09:07 AM
ChrisN ChrisN is offline
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Originally Posted by redir View Post
I like doing the bolt on conversion myself. It's not like you need to save the original integrity of such a guitar. As a repairman I would have to have a serious conversation with a customer who wants to shell out $300 on a cheap guitar. There are cheap alternatives but experienced repairmen tend to want to get things right regardless and that costs money.

Shaving the bridge and cutting keyhole string slots is a good option imo for cheap guitars as a last ditch effort because anything else is just cost prohibitive.
I know you know, but just an fyi to anyone doing this on their own to use one of those ultrathin Japanese saws (special name I've forgotten), as the amount of neck/fretboard height removed via the cut will be the amount of scale length forever lost, which may/could/will affect intonation to some (perhaps minor) degree. I assume a shim could be inserted to restore the height/scale?
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  #19  
Old 04-20-2019, 11:27 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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The OP has likely long since resolved this issue but my opinion is that this should not be done DIY if there is any value associated with the instrument. They’re cheap for a reason. If the guitar has sentimental value, hang it on a wall. If you want to learn how they tick then bear in mind that any attempted repair could turn into an autopsy and live with the consequences.

FWIW a couple of friends have successfully converted their old Yamahas to “butt” joint/bolt on neck joints. To do that they did have to protect the finish on the top with a foil caul, pull off the 14th fret and use steam to free the fretboard extension. The reset of the operation required a thin kerf Japanese pull saw because IIRC the glue used was actually epoxy and the area was sprayed with polyester finish after final assembly, making the use of steam more of a liability to the surrounding wood. IIRC the bridge also had to be removed and remounted to counter for the change in scale length/intonation. I don’t think the truss rod was ever a concern though.
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  #20  
Old 04-20-2019, 06:30 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Have removed many a yamaha neck, not come across an epoxied one yet.

They are a well fitted dovetail, i think this is what have lead many people to assume they are epoxied in.

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  #21  
Old 04-20-2019, 09:31 PM
redir redir is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisN View Post
I know you know, but just an fyi to anyone doing this on their own to use one of those ultrathin Japanese saws (special name I've forgotten), as the amount of neck/fretboard height removed via the cut will be the amount of scale length forever lost, which may/could/will affect intonation to some (perhaps minor) degree. I assume a shim could be inserted to restore the height/scale?
Yup good point. On one conversion I did I had to reslot the bridge to a thicker saddle to compensate. I think that guitar had intonation issues in the first place thought. Generally speaking they are usually called Japanese pull saws or something like that. The one with the 'flush cut' is a good choice.
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  #22  
Old 04-21-2019, 09:05 AM
ChrisN ChrisN is offline
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On one conversion I did I had to reslot the bridge to a thicker saddle to compensate.
Ahh, if you can't raise the bridge (here meaning raising the neck via shim), then lower the river (here meaning the saddle width increase to allow the intonation). I wouldn't have thought of that one. That kind of thing is why I come here.
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  #23  
Old 04-21-2019, 09:08 AM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Not what you want to hear but you are out of luck.

I had a 1977 Yamaha FG.

They had a terrible idea of making solid joints and used a non-removable epoxy. A common fix for a severe neck reset problem is (literally) to saw the neck in half and re-glue it.
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