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  #76  
Old 06-10-2019, 08:47 AM
Bernieman Bernieman is offline
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I am very surprised to read names such as Huss & Dalton, Bourgeois, Froggy Bottom, Godall or Collings within your list...Do their guitars really have bolt-on necks, or maybe is it that they sometimes used this process instead (smth. that would not sound totally unlikely to me) instead ?
I had not enough time to read much of this thread, then sorry if this has been discussed already...

Among the brands that did make guitars with bolt-on necks, it seems like the first guitar I ever bought, a Framus, had a bolt-on neck...I don't know if the technique was used regularly on their guitars though (like Taylor does for instance)...Mine was kind of an entry level instrument with a very thin neck, pretty much like an electric-guitar inspired one (reminds me a bit of those on some early Stratocasters)...
Framus is a German make too, and the guitar would be in the $130-180 range approximately to day I think
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  #77  
Old 06-10-2019, 10:06 AM
seannx seannx is offline
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From https://www.lmii.com/blog/2016/04/08...ts-april-2016/
I think this is a good overview of the pros and cons of dovetail vs bolt-on (bold emphasis added by me.)

Quote:
DOVETAIL
The dovetail joint is borrowed from furniture making where it used to create a visually attractive connection that incorporates the pressure of wedge geometry to reduce play and creep, creating a tremendously firm and rigid joint. The mortise and tenon are glued together to better seat the halves. A guitar neck’s dovetail joint differs greatly from those used in furniture in that the joint incorporates empty space within it so that the luthier can dial in the perfect neck angle as the neck is seated (there is no “air” in a furniture dovetail joint, normally). Still, adherents claim that the dovetails tightness results in greater tone as a more rigid neck will absorb fewer vibrations from the string. The fact that they were used on coveted, vintage Martin and Gibson guitars is reason enough to employ a dovetail joint for many. On the negative side, seating a dovetail joint can be far more difficult and time consuming than a bolt-on, and when it comes time to do a neck reset on the guitar (to correct the action), loosening a dovetail joint involves the relatively difficult maneuver of injecting steam into the joint using a narrow, hollow pin inserted into a hole drilled (inconspicuously) into the appropriate fret slot above the joint.

BOLT-ON
The “pros” of using a bolt-on neck are implied by the negatives of the dovetail! It’s much easier to set-up and rout the mortise and tenon, to seat the neck and to repair the joint, if need be. In a factory or busy shop, time is money and because of this, the bolt-on neck’s popularity has grown steadily over the years.

Some argue, that the sound of these guitars is not as robust as in a dovetail instrument, but there are many who strongly disagree with this opinion. In reality, there is just as much solid wood contact in a bolt-on joint as in a dovetail joint. In the end, it can be difficult to point out exactly what is creating an improvement or decline in tone quality with so many factors at play in any one instrument and with the supposed differences between them being so subtle.
My Voyage-Air VAD-2 has a hinged neck, secured by a knurled nut on a single bolt, designed by AGF member and luthier Harvey Leach. Anyone who unfolds and folds a Voyage Air can experience first hand how tight the joint is, and the amount of wood to wood contact. I was a dealer for a number of years, and consistently noticed that comparing the volume and tone at each price point, with other manufactured guitars with similar wood combinations (all solid, solid top/laminate sides and back, or all laminate), that the Voyage-Airs were consistently a little louder, with equally good tone. As with any subjective evaluation, YMMV.
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  #78  
Old 06-12-2019, 02:46 PM
Tony Done Tony Done is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bernieman View Post
I am very surprised to read names such as Huss & Dalton, Bourgeois, Froggy Bottom, Godall or Collings within your list...Do their guitars really have bolt-on necks, or maybe is it that they sometimes used this process instead (smth. that would not sound totally unlikely to me) instead ?
I had not enough time to read much of this thread, then sorry if this has been discussed already...

Among the brands that did make guitars with bolt-on necks, it seems like the first guitar I ever bought, a Framus, had a bolt-on neck...I don't know if the technique was used regularly on their guitars though (like Taylor does for instance)...Mine was kind of an entry level instrument with a very thin neck, pretty much like an electric-guitar inspired one (reminds me a bit of those on some early Stratocasters)...
Framus is a German make too, and the guitar would be in the $130-180 range approximately to day I think
I'm not sure if it universal in those makes, but in the ones I know, it is the rule rather than the exception
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  #79  
Old 06-12-2019, 02:49 PM
Tony Done Tony Done is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seannx View Post
From https://www.lmii.com/blog/2016/04/08...ts-april-2016/
I think this is a good overview of the pros and cons of dovetail vs bolt-on (bold emphasis added by me.)



My Voyage-Air VAD-2 has a hinged neck, secured by a knurled nut on a single bolt, designed by AGF member and luthier Harvey Leach. Anyone who unfolds and folds a Voyage Air can experience first hand how tight the joint is, and the amount of wood to wood contact. I was a dealer for a number of years, and consistently noticed that comparing the volume and tone at each price point, with other manufactured guitars with similar wood combinations (all solid, solid top/laminate sides and back, or all laminate), that the Voyage-Airs were consistently a little louder, with equally good tone. As with any subjective evaluation, YMMV.
My interest in bolt-on necks is all about neck resets, not tone The best-sounding guitar I have ever played, for its intended use (slide), is my Bourgeois. - But I recognise that, living in regional Australia, my sample size is small.
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  #80  
Old 06-16-2019, 04:13 PM
Tony Burns Tony Burns is offline
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You list Charles Fox , but you also need to add his
former C Fox guitars company ( from the 1990's ) I own one- great guitars !
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  #81  
Old 06-20-2019, 02:05 AM
Bernieman Bernieman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sleepjeep View Post
Babicz Guitars have what they call a continually adjustable neck. Which is bolted on.
http://fullcontacthardware.com/babic...djustable-neck
Martin too used this through a partnership with Babicz guitars on a 2007 OMCRE..Thought it might be interesting to know.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGPzHT9mMM4
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Done View Post
I'm not sure if it universal in those makes, but in the ones I know, it is the rule rather than the exception
Well thank you Tony for your answer : I have read most of the thread now, and I have no other choice than to admit that Goodall and Bourgeois do have bolt-on necks, like many others such as Huss & Dalton or Collings...This really surprises me as I thought that bolt-on necks would make guitars not quite as good
as dovetail joints would...But considering that Doc Watson himself was last seen playing a Goodall, and after hearing outstanding Huss & Dalton or Bourgeois, I guess I'll have to re-consider this point possibly.
Thanks for this interesting thread too.
Bernie
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  #82  
Old 06-20-2019, 06:44 AM
Trevor Gore Trevor Gore is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Done View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Tauber
One far better design of an adjustable neck is that of Trevor Gore, as published in his books on guitar making.
He seems like an interesting luthier, do his guitars have adjustable necks? I tried to get his book, but the local library declined due to the high cost.
Most of my guitars, both classical and steel string, have bolt on necks that are easy to adjust, if ever required, pic below.



I also do what I call a tilt-neck. Adjustable on-the-fly by the player in about 5 seconds, without tools. Mostly used on classical guitars, animation here.
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  #83  
Old 06-20-2019, 06:57 PM
PAPADON PAPADON is offline
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Certainly one of the earliest examples of an acoustic with bolt on neck.

68 Fender Palomino



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  #84  
Old 06-28-2019, 07:19 PM
Tony Done Tony Done is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Gore View Post
Most of my guitars, both classical and steel string, have bolt on necks that are easy to adjust, if ever required, pic below.



I also do what I call a tilt-neck. Adjustable on-the-fly by the player in about 5 seconds, without tools. Mostly used on classical guitars, animation here.
Apologies for the delay in getting back to this thread.

You neck joint looks similar to my Bourgeois., except that the fretboard bolts in mine are lengthwise.
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  #85  
Old 06-28-2019, 07:39 PM
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Mbroady Mbroady is offline
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A recent discovery for me is M.J. Franks guitars. The fact that he uses a bolt on neck design is what swayed me to take a chance on a used one. NGD coming soon.
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  #86  
Old 06-28-2019, 08:13 PM
Oldguy64 Oldguy64 is offline
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Would the Journey Instruments neck on the Overhead model count as bolt on?
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  #87  
Old 06-28-2019, 11:51 PM
Tony Done Tony Done is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldguy64 View Post
Would the Journey Instruments neck on the Overhead model count as bolt on?
I'm being liberal, and including any where the neck joint doesn't have to be unglued.
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  #88  
Old 06-29-2019, 02:03 AM
RobKay RobKay is offline
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Possibly Lakewoods?
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  #89  
Old 06-29-2019, 10:08 PM
Tony Done Tony Done is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobKay View Post
Possibly Lakewoods?
Thanks. I just checked, bolted joint and glued fb extension.
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  #90  
Old 06-30-2019, 12:33 AM
PHJim PHJim is offline
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I own a 1958 Goya M-26, made by the Levin Company in Gothenburg, Sweden which has a bolt on neck (two bolts through the tail block and a glued on fingerboard extension). I'm not sure when Levin started using the bolt on neck, but I wonder what was the earliest company to make acoustic guitars with bolt on necks.
I didn't realise that my guitar had a bolt on neck until I needed a neck set. The luthier gave me a price quote, but when I went to pick it up, he charged about half of the quote. He hadn't realised that it had a bolt on neck till he started the job.

https://claescaster.com/2014/01/20/h...-a-levin-neck/
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