#1
|
|||
|
|||
Martin Neck Question
Hi,
I posted this same question on the General Information forum because I didn't realize we had a Build and Repair one... Sorry about that... Anyway, I was recently told that my Martin DCPA4 Siris had a bolt on neck which could be reset rather quickly because of this. What I've since learned is that it has a Mortis and Tenon neck that contains a bolt used primarily as a "clamp" to keep things together while the glue dries. I've also read many believe this bolt is what provides the majority of the "holding together" force for this type of joint as the glue portion isn't actually strong enough to hold things together by itself. My question is, Does this design make it easier/faster to do a neck reset? My guitar is not in danger of self destruction any time soon, but its saddle is about as low as it can go while keeping the playing action decent and the break angle of the saddle could certainly be greater. I hope some luthiers or repair folks here can shed some light on such a situation. Thank you and sorry again for the "double post", PJ
__________________
A Gibson A couple Martins |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
At most, it is 20% faster than doing a dovetail reset.
|
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Quote:
http://martinrep.com/joints.html Quote:
Quote:
Contrast that with a guitar that has a neck attachment that can be reset without any gluing/un-gluing, adjustment of heel/joint fit and fretboard extension that can be accomplished in 20 minutes or less. Then there are designs that allow the player to adjust his or her own neck angle simply by turning a screw or bolt. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Thank you very much! I suspected what I'd heard was a bit over simplified, not to mention the bit about glue not being the primary adhesion for the joint.
This may be an unfair question to follow up but does anyone know the range of prices a neck reset on such an MT joint might cost? Mods: If this is an inappropriate question, please ignore and delete this post. Thank you again, PJ
__________________
A Gibson A couple Martins |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Typical costs for resetting a glued dovetail joint is about $500, depending on who is doing it and where he or she is located. Assuming John’s 20% less effort, take up to 20% off that. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Charles,
I think you are describing the current construction. For many years, Martin did have a straight mortise and tenon joint on their lower priced models. https://umgf.com/mortise-tenon-vs-dovetail-t87387.html It does need to be steamed out, like a dovetail. But there is no fitting of tapered shims to refit after the heel is trimmed, since the sides of the tenon are straight. Quote:
Unfortunately, on these Martins, 'properly fitted' is not a given. I have had to add thin shims to achieve a decent fit. Many of these have failed after the bolt works loose, and may be the reason Martin adopted the simple dovetail. Last edited by John Arnold; 01-29-2020 at 02:56 PM. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks for the correction and further info.
|