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  #1  
Old 10-17-2021, 08:22 AM
rabbuhl rabbuhl is offline
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Default Taylor 214CE Neck Refret/Reshape

I like my 214CE except for the neck profile. I have had multiple neck resets at the Taylor factory and they adjusted the action so it is pretty low and comfortable for me. I can play my Martin OMC-15ME all day long and every part of the neck is comfortable. However, on all of the Taylors I have tried including mine there is just something missing in playability on every part of the neck.

My guitar tech, who is fantastic, can do a refret / reshape of the fingerboard. He said Taylor does everything by machine. By hand, he can reshape and really improve the playability. This would be cheaper than trying to sell my Taylor and buy a replacement.

Thoughts/comments?
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  #2  
Old 10-17-2021, 08:57 AM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Default sure - - - why not?

Give it a whack, is my opinion. Gonna learn something, ain't expensive, and a new neck is a phone call away if the experiment disappoints. Cheap tuition for all the learning and experience.
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  #3  
Old 10-17-2021, 11:12 AM
rabbuhl rabbuhl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phavriluk View Post
Give it a whack, is my opinion. Gonna learn something, ain't expensive, and a new neck is a phone call away if the experiment disappoints. Cheap tuition for all the learning and experience.
Thanks. If it works then I might be able to enjoy more than just this Taylor down the road.
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  #4  
Old 10-26-2021, 07:46 PM
gmel555 gmel555 is offline
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If it were me I'd think twice about putting a lot of money into a guitar that's needed multiple neck resets (in what period of time?), unless it was vintage or was an heirloom. You may be happier with the re-profile but what are the instructions to your tech? If it's "reproduce the neck on the OMC-15ME", are u sure there's enough excess bulk on the Taylor to "carve" it into the Martin shape or whatever. And why are you including a re-fret? Have you concluded the fret size is part of the issue? Just seems like a lot of effort and cost to put into a 200 series, with no guarantee you'll like the outcome. If not, you then have a guitar with significantly lower market value as most Taylor buyers will be looking for the standard neck, not something modified to your tastes.
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  #5  
Old 11-01-2021, 07:55 PM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Default a thought

Resetting a Taylor neck is nothing like doing a neck reset on other guitars. Analysis, a shim set, and twenty minutes and job done. No particularly big deal. Nothing like the witchcraft and incantations that attend glued necks.
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  #6  
Old 11-03-2021, 12:05 PM
redir redir is offline
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There's not much to reshape on a Taylor neck. They have always been known for slim necks and low action. That's probably what you don't like about it relative to your Martin. You certainly cannot make the neck thicker and I'm not sure thinning it would be your thing. The only thing he can really do is change the radius and perhaps to some extent the width of the fb and it's tapered profile.
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  #7  
Old 03-03-2022, 01:23 PM
rabbuhl rabbuhl is offline
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Instead of a reshape maybe I just need a refret. I read that Martin has 0.80 x 0.37 fret wire. And Taylor has 0.79 x 0.39 fret wire.

I was playing my Martin and Taylor. I put a capo on the 5th fret to play a song. The Martin was just comfortable to play especially a G chord which requires my pinky. The Taylor required a lot more effort to push the strings.

I realised the difference was not the necks but instead the fret size.
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Last edited by rabbuhl; 03-04-2022 at 12:28 AM.
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  #8  
Old 03-04-2022, 03:06 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Not all taylor necks are the same profile shape, go and play a 800 series neck and then your 200 series, if you like it then you have something to shoot for
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  #9  
Old 03-04-2022, 08:04 AM
Sasquatchian Sasquatchian is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbuhl View Post
Instead of a reshape maybe I just need a refret. I read that Martin has 0.80 x 0.37 fret wire. And Taylor has 0.79 x 0.39 fret wire.

I was playing my Martin and Taylor. I put a capo on the 5th fret to play a song. The Martin was just comfortable to play especially a G chord which requires my pinky. The Taylor required a lot more effort to push the strings.

I realised the difference was not the necks but instead the fret size.
I think that this is perhaps more complicated that you think. The fret wire specs you're putting out there are all off by a decimal point. It's 0.080 inches vs. 0.079 inches. You're talking about only 1/1000th of an inch difference in both width and height, and that's assuming you're correct on the relative measurements. And the height numbers are as manufactured, not after leveling, crowning and dressing.

You need to measure, with a good caliper, the actual height and width of the frets on both guitars, plus the string height at the first and 12th frets on both and make sure the relief is identical on both guitars as well as the same strings too before you start making too many comparisons.

It feels like you're jumping to the conclusion you think you want before you fully analyze the situation and eliminate as many variables between the two guitars as possible. Maybe all you need is a good full set up, including leveling, re-crowning and properly setting the relief and string action before you take more drastic steps.
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  #10  
Old 03-05-2022, 01:23 AM
rabbuhl rabbuhl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sasquatchian View Post
I think that this is perhaps more complicated that you think. The fret wire specs you're putting out there are all off by a decimal point. It's 0.080 inches vs. 0.079 inches. You're talking about only 1/1000th of an inch difference in both width and height, and that's assuming you're correct on the relative measurements. And the height numbers are as manufactured, not after leveling, crowning and dressing.

You need to measure, with a good caliper, the actual height and width of the frets on both guitars, plus the string height at the first and 12th frets on both and make sure the relief is identical on both guitars as well as the same strings too before you start making too many comparisons.

It feels like you're jumping to the conclusion you think you want before you fully analyze the situation and eliminate as many variables between the two guitars as possible. Maybe all you need is a good full set up, including leveling, re-crowning and properly setting the relief and string action before you take more drastic steps.
I agree that I need to be sure of the outcome before starting on the action of a refret. I called Martin and they said they plek their guitars which takes a bit off the frets. What I want in the end is to have a capo on the 5th fret and have my Taylor play similar to my Martin.
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  #11  
Old 03-10-2022, 02:04 PM
rabbuhl rabbuhl is offline
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Finally got Imgur to work. Here are comparison shots.

Taylor 214CE


Martin OMC-15ME
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