Cracked Neck Joint Block on Taylor GS mini?

[PeteyPower16]

Hi All,

While removing the strings on my three-month-old GS mini, I noticed that the neck joint wood block appears to be cracked. It looks like someone put too much torque on this bolt in the factory. Also, it appears that the neck bolt was not centered when drilled, which may make it hard to adjust the neck in the future.

This is a new instrument. I have never had the neck reset in the three months since I purchased it NEW three months ago. I know that Taylors usually have a sticker over the neck joint, but perhaps this is not the case with mini's?

Has anyone ever seen this before? Is this a concern?

If so, should I speak to the seller about it? As it is past the return period, should I speak to Taylor about it? Or is this a non-issue that I should not worry about?

Thank you for your advice.

P.S. Does anyone know why there is a small semi-circle that is cut out of the bracing?

Untitled by Peter Johnson, on Flickr

Untitled by Peter Johnson, on Flickr

Untitled by Peter Johnson, on Flickr

[phavriluk]

I think OP ought to call Taylor and ask them his questions. And be prepared to send them these pictures.

It would help OP if he had the serial number in hand when he calls. If there's no serial number then his conversation with Taylor is likely to be very interesting.

[LeDave]

I'd contact seller first. If that don't resolve, then contact Taylor. Imo

[Dbone]

It’s not even clear to me from those pictures if it’s cracked all the way through. From here it almost just looks like surface damage on the wood of some kind.

[darylcrisp]

If it's the top piece of wood that's just blowout from the drilling and it looks like some form of ply. If it's the head block you are talking about, I see some impressions on both sides(zoom it up), probably some tooling mark from the neck being held as the bolt hole is drilled.
I don't see any crack. Can you put a marker on the pictures that shows what you are talking about. And if your neck is set fine on the outside it doesn't matter where that bolt hole is drilled inside that circle.
Mark your pictures and send to taylor, they'll let you know the honest answer.

[jonfields45]

It is sloppy drilling but ultimately just some tear out in plywood.

I remember in the early 70s Martin marketing telling us to look inside our guitars. If you actually looked with a mirror, you would see that Martins of the era only had the glue squeeze out sanded off where you could see it directly from the soundhole.

Given the usual OCD of musicians this has degenerated quite a bit in the ensuing years. Now all guitars are assembled with minium glue so there is no squeeze out to begin with. Squeeze out might look sloppy but at least you can visually confirm there was glue in the first place. I've taken factory tours and even in that little exposure saw workers apply glue incompletely and merrily assemble the guitar.

So I'm not sure we should look and I don't think it has made for better guitars.

[stormin1155]

I am a luthier/tech with my own shop. I see nothing in the pictures that would concern me. I don't see any crack in the neck block... only a dent in the wood from what appears to be where it was clamped. The bolt being off-centered in the recessed hole is not a concern. I don't think GS mini's have the label on the neck block like most Taylors. For your own peace of mind though you may want to take it to an authorized Taylor repair shop and have them take a look at it.

[pukematrix]

Regarding the semi-circle cut-out, my guess is that it is to accommodate a full Expression System installation either during production or as a retrofit. That looks like the spot where the tone and volume controls would be mounted.

Austin

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by Dbone

It’s not even clear to me from those pictures if it’s cracked all the way through. From here it almost just looks like surface damage on the wood of some kind.

I agree. But think it is very sloppy workmanship, in several areas there. If I were a supervisor at Taylor, I'd be trying to trace down the employee who did this.

Go to the dealer first, then to Taylor if you get no satisfaction.

[54TS]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

I agree. But think it is very sloppy workmanship, in several areas there. If I were a supervisor at Taylor, I'd be trying to trace down the employee who did this.

Go to the dealer first, then to Taylor if you get no satisfaction.

Certainly doesn't fit the claims that Taylor make about quality. However, like you 2 guys I'm not seeing any crack in the block, just shoddy quality in the plywood drilling.

[russchapman]

Do the math on GS Minis and you'll come up with around $150 in production costs (including a nice soft case). There's nothing wrong with the guitar pictured.

These guitars are put together quickly and of course you'll see signs of that under the hood. That doesn't mean anything is wrong.

Just play it.

[jonfields45]

The off center bolt is something all NT necks exhibit (unless it happens to just end up centered by random chance). I've wondered why for all the precision in the neck routing the bolt holes are oversized and the bolts themselves are not aligned for satisfying the prying eyes of a perfectionist.

If you look at the typical reject Taylor body on display in a Guitar Center acoustic room you will see that the bolt holes are usually enlarged with a rat tail file which must be part of the "hand craftsmanship" that makes the NT neck possible :~).