Taylor Neck/Body Mate: Is this normal?

[mirwa]

That's not factory fitted, someone has played with the neck, even if it was new.

Steve

[magazine]

Ive never seen anything like that on a Taylor of any series.

[sublro]

Has anyone considered that it could be a bright yellow streak in the ebony and tha the fret board might be just fine?

[glowrocks]

Thanks for all of the excellent responses.

I was away for a few days and when I got back I read this thread and contacted Sweetwater.

They said that while not common, it's not unusual for them to see necks in this condition.

They agreed it was the putty filling I was seeing and that it didn't indicate any major issues.

They suggested I might try cleaning it up myself, and I did.

The results are shown below, and tbh, I'm still having a hard time deciding whether to keep it or swap it, though I'm leaning towards a swap.

It's just that this is a known quantity now, and a new one means starting the cycle all over again, w/the potential of yet another return if for some reason I don't like the new one.

Ah, the trials of mail-order ...

taylor-312-sep15-42



taylor-312-sep15-43

taylor-312-sep15-44

[Lacks Focus]

Looks like you did a stellar job of cleanup. Nice work.

[ohYew812]

Sweetwater has awesome customer service and will not hesitate to send you a replacement.

[guitar12]

Originally Posted by Lacks Focus

Looks like you did a stellar job of cleanup. Nice work.

Yep, you did a nice job.

It might help put your mind at ease to email the photos to Taylor Customer Service and see whether this is within normal standards. That is, if they respond that it is perfectly normal and that they use putty say 25% of the time then I think then you can just determine if you want to return the guitar based on the merits of the guitar itself and not the putty issue. Hope that makes sense.

Rob

[dodge]

Nice job cleaning it up. If your happy with the sound and playability of the guitar I see no reason to return it.

[glowrocks]

Thanks! One of my first guitar "repairs" done successfully!

I've written Taylor, asking where I can send the photos ... we'll see what they say.

[MBE]

After cleaning it up, it looks great (didn't look noticeable or worrisome in the first place, other than with a macro lens or close scrutiny). I would personally never swap a guitar I otherwise liked over the presence of a tiny bit of filler putty that does not signify any problem with the instrument.

Threads like this make me glad I'm not in sales.

[glowrocks]

Here's where things stand. Just as many here had suggested, Taylor confirmed that what the photos showed was simply sloppy work at the factory.

"I can see the “before” & “after” regarding where you had to clean up the putty at the end of the fretboard extension, but it does look as it should now. We use that colored putty to make the natural gap (that occurs around the neck-to-body joint) look seamless."

I've had my concerns about the fretboard dryness addressed as well, and the verdict is, this one's a keeper!

[Lacks Focus]

Originally Posted by glowrocks

the verdict is, this one's a keeper!

Fantastic!

[guit3090]

I like Taylors, but that was sloppy work, The 300 series is expensive, If you are happy with it now, keep it, you still can send it back, Sweetwater and Taylor are good about backing their products.

[glowrocks]

Btw, I've posted an album of photos of this guitar, not just the problem spots, but its overall beauty! :-)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glowro...h/21211760740/

[KarGuitar]

Dude. You did a great job in the clean up. It was sloppy at first. The photo's look great. I personally like a striped ebony fretboard. It's like a fingerprint for your guitar and emphasizes the uniqueness properties of wood. I wouldn't worry any more. May it serve you well.