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#1
12-22-2008, 12:35 PM
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Is this how they make Taylors?
Necks should be joined to the body by a dovetail, where did it go?
 I'm seriously looking to pick up a Taylor for my daughter. I played one recently (I forget the model #) and liked the way it sounded. But the finger joints between the neck and the head really turned me off. At the time I was wondering what other shortcuts did Taylor make. Yes I know finger joints are very strong, but they are butt ugly. PLEASE tell me all Taylors are NOT made like this. 
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#2
12-22-2008, 12:44 PM
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I don't think the Taylor NT neck uses a dovetail joint.
http://taylorguitars.com/guitars/fea.../Overview.aspx   Also, the 2007 and later models use a scarf joint on the headstock instead of a finger joint.
__________________
Wherever you go, there you are. 2011 Taylor Custom 12-fret - Cedar / Ovangkol 2009 Taylor Custom GC - Engelmann / Maple 2008 Taylor Baby Mahogany 2006 Taylor T5-C
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#4
12-22-2008, 01:29 PM
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Wow!
The sight of that broken neck. Ouch!
__________________
Guitars- some of them 2000 855 2002 815ce 2007 Warwick corvette bass (Double Buck) 4 string 2009 Custom Coco/addi jumbo "Maranatha" 2010 412 Spring LTD Amps- some of them Peavey 100watt acoustic amp (very clean sounding) Roland JC-120 head with 4x12 matching cabinet Praise and Worship dude  http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...44369/Guitars/
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#5
12-22-2008, 01:44 PM
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One of the benefits of a Taylor is that it does not use a dovetail joint. The dovetail joint is less desirable than the bolt system that Taylor uses or the bolt systems that an increasing number of luthiers use. There are, of course, some traditionalists who insist that any alternative to the dovetail joint is inferior. Then there are those of us that would prefer not to have a guitar whose neck is attached via an old fashioned dovetail which is expensive to repair and not readily adjustable while providing no scientifically demonstrated tonal benefit.
There will be some to vehemently disagree with me. For them, dovetail jointed guitars are still available. For the rest there are more and more guitars with bolted on necks. From an engineering perspective, the Taylor NT neck's method of attachment is the best one.
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#6
12-22-2008, 02:12 PM
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Herb, I guess you don't notice the bolts in the second picture I posted.
I agree there would not be a tonal benefit to a dovetail that I know of. I respectfully disagree based on a engineering perspective. If the guitar in the first picture I posted had a dovetail, it would not have cracked like that. If you look closely, you'll see that the wood broke at it's weakest point. This is a major design flaw that boarder lines sacrilege and smells of production short cuts and cost savings.
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#7
12-22-2008, 02:20 PM
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Quote:
 Yep. You will most certainly get some debate about "dovetail joint is less desirable than the bolt system Taylor uses". Lots of high end builders still use the dovetail...lots of major builders do too on their upper end models. Very much open to debate..which in and of itself says a lot about the "definitiveness" of the issue.  Re; this guitar, sometimes wood will have an invisible intrinsic flaw. I suspect that's what happened here. Taylor is known for their great warranty...I'm certain they'll cover this...assuming this is still owned by the original purchaser. Re; the fingerjoints at the headstock end of the neck...yeah, lots of folks think they are ugly. Taylor switched over to scarf joints not too long ago...most folks seem to feel that it looks much better. Here is a picture of a guitar with a scarf joint at the headstock (not a Taylor, BTW); 
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"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
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#8
12-22-2008, 02:24 PM
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That is a pic of an older Taylor bolt on neck prior to the NT neck. Post #2 above has a pic of the NT neck that Taylor introduced in 1999(ish). You'll notice that it does have a slight "dovetail" and the neck extends under the full length of the fretboard. This is to avoid the "hump" at the 14th fret and to be able to adjust the angle of the neck within 15 minutes or so. More info can be found here: http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/ntneck/
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#9
12-22-2008, 02:32 PM
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Never mind...
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Grabbed his jacket Put on his walking shoes Last seen, six feet under Singing the I've Wasted My Whole Life Blues ---Warren Malone "Whole Life Blues" Last edited by Brent Hutto; 12-22-2008 at 02:43 PM.
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#10
12-22-2008, 02:56 PM
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Taking a closer look at the guitar in the opening photo...is that even a Taylor?
The body doesn't appear to have the recess in it that the Taylor neck system has (see Tony's photo of the NT neck).. 
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"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean, Last edited by Jeff M; 12-22-2008 at 03:27 PM.
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#11
12-22-2008, 02:58 PM
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The photo you selected is from the thread about the 810 that got damaged at church. It suffered from being dropped, bent or otherwise miss handled. It is an older model of Taylor and it does not have the NT neck. It broke at the weakest spot with the neck pulling away from the body.
I own guitars with that have a dove tail joints (my Yairi's) and those that don't (my Taylors). There doesn't seem to be much difference in the guitars and playability. The difference will come if the necks get out of proper alignment. The glued in dovetail is very labor intensive to reset. I know of one shop that is a Martin dealer and they start at $600.00 for the reset. To do a reset on a Taylor is probably less than 1/2 hour of time and little if no cost.
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1957 Gibson RB-150 5 string banjo. Bought it new & I still have it. 1983 Yairi - Alvarez DY 73 1992 Taylor K-20 1993 Yair - Alvarez DY99A 2001 Yairi-Alvarez DY-91 SOLD! 2002 Taylor Stock 810 Ltd. 2003 Taylor 855e 2003 Taylor 814ce Fall Ltd 2003 Tradition Jerry Reid Sig. Telecaster 200? Esteban American Legacy (New Owner Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center)  
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#12
12-22-2008, 03:00 PM
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Quote:
I bet that was a lightning fast neck before it got snapped though!!!  Sammy
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#13
12-22-2008, 03:29 PM
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Quote:
Fast baby, fast. Of course, I still don't see what being able to travel at a rapid velocity has to do with playing the guitar...unless you play it while running in a track meet. 
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"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
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#14
12-22-2008, 03:42 PM
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Oh boy the dovetail vs bolt-on again! Seems to me that it is more about tradition than superiority. Heck, the Cheap Chinese built copy cat guitars have dovetails and I doubt there is an "Old World" craftsman carving them in a cabin somewhere. A computer is carving them out with little help from anyone and they are not nearly as labor intensive as days of old. My guess is there is very little if at all any sonic advantage to a dove tail neck joint and the first time you go to have one reset, you'll be grimacing.
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USMC RETIRED 2D Marine Division Infantry Weapons Chief 1997 Tacoma PM20 1998 Tacoma CC10 2001 Tacoma C5C 2004 Tacoma C1C 2004 Tacoma EMM30 "Forum Guitar"
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#15
12-22-2008, 03:44 PM
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I imagine this guitar being propped up against a wall somewhere and taking a side kick to the fretboard side of the neck at about the 12'th.
Maybe a natural weakness in the neck stock, but it still took one heck of a blow to snap it off like that ! I have a hard time imagining a fall, unless the body is fubar'd too ?
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