Neck reset difficulties?

GuildyAsHell

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I’ve heard and read things about some luthiers not wanting to do resets on Guild acoustics. Can anyone tell me what is behind this? Is it era specific? I’m having a 1958 F-20 restored and I want to gather as much info as I can before work starts. TIA
 

fronobulax

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My opinion, based upon nothing but misremembered comments here and talking to a couple of luthiers, is that the myth of Guilds being hard to reset is perpetuated by luthiers who lack the skill or the time to actually do the job.

When there are concrete reasons given there were times when more glue was used than absolutely necessary and so steaming the neck off takes longer than expected. There are also stories that sometimes the glue pot was contaminated and so the neck is harder to get off with the usual techniques. I think of these stories as being Westerly and the '70's.

This is one of those cases where the utility of my post is in encouraging people with better information to actually post in order to correct me :) But there are definitely folks who have done resets themselves and don't think the Guilds are harder than any other brand.
 

adorshki

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My opinion, based upon nothing but misremembered comments here and talking to a couple of luthiers, is that the myth of Guilds being hard to reset is perpetuated by luthiers who lack the skill or the time to actually do the job.

When there are concrete reasons given there were times when more glue was used than absolutely necessary and so steaming the neck off takes longer than expected. There are also stories that sometimes the glue pot was contaminated and so the neck is harder to get off with the usual techniques. I think of these stories as being Westerly and the '70's.

This is one of those cases where the utility of my post is in encouraging people with better information to actually post in order to correct me :) But there are definitely folks who have done resets themselves and don't think the Guilds are harder than any other brand.
'At's pretty much how I remember it, with the addition that it was noted luthier Flip Scipio himself who recounted the story of the contaminated glue-pots in an interview linked here a few years back.

He said that when he worked there (which I remember as being early-mid '80's but I don't trust that memory), the glue pot was simply constantly re-filled and rarely cleaned, and was even contaminiated (pronounced "CON-ta-min-nee-a-ted, colloquial) with metal shavings.

Those certainly must have given rise to a few "problematic" episodes.

Oh yeah, one other "gotcha": we've also heard reports of different woods in the neck and the neck block expanding at different rates under steam and effectively tightening a neck joint instead of loosening it.
 

wileypickett

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I did contact one luthier about getting some work done to one of my guitars and he said, "I don't work on Guilds." I asked why and he said, "I only work on high-end guitars."

Snobbery?
 

Brad Little

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I just had the neck reset on my '76 F50 by a luthier I've used for 40 years. He said it was a difficult job because, if I understood him, the bevel on the dovetail was shallower than most making it harder to fit precisely. He said nothing about any problems removing the neck.
 

HeyMikey

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There is also the issue with having to refinish around neck joint because of how Guild necks were originally finished. I don’t know if that was during all periods of manufacture or only certain ones.
 

GardMan

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I have no first hand knowledge, but have heard three of four "reasons" Guild resets are more problematic:

(1) Guild finished guitars AFTER the neck was on, so there was significant risk of finish damage;
(2) The dovetail pocket could be harder to find when drilling;
(3) Guild sometimes used "excessive" amounts of and/or "contaminated" glue;
(4) The neck heel was thinner, and thus more prone to cracking during neck removal.
 

adorshki

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There is also the issue with having to refinish around neck joint because of how Guild necks were originally finished. I don’t know if that was during all periods of manufacture or only certain ones.
The issue there was that they finished right over the neck joint, always did for glued-in necks up until the NH "Standard" line, at least.
Not sure if the neck joints on the Standards were finished over or not, but they originally had Satin necks on HG bodies, so always assumed they weren't "finished over".
 

tommym

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I’ve heard and read things about some luthiers not wanting to do resets on Guild acoustics. Can anyone tell me what is behind this? Is it era specific? I’m having a 1958 F-20 restored and I want to gather as much info as I can before work starts. TIA

Probably the most common issue I have heard was that Guild sprayed on the finish after the neck was joined to the body, and at times the finish in that area could be incredibly thick and difficult to deal with. In any case, the luthier has to cut through the finish around the neck heel prior to removing the neck, and more than likely touch up that same joint after the neck reset. Realistically, some luthiers are better at color touch-ups than others.

Tommy
 

Rambozo96

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I did contact one luthier about getting some work done to one of my guitars and he said, "I don't work on Guilds." I asked why and he said, "I only work on high-end guitars."

Snobbery?
Reminds me of the local guy that wouldn’t work on Peavey tube amps. “Send me a real amp” *click*. Shoot man after that response I wouldn’t let you make me a PB&J sammich.
 

Stuball48

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I did contact one luthier about getting some work done to one of my guitars and he said, "I don't work on Guilds." I asked why and he said, "I only work on high-end guitars."

Snobbery?
That luthier has an inflated opinion of how good he is!!!
My luthier, Chris Bozung, builds super fine guitars (IMHO) and he has praised every Guild I have had him check out -- which included a JF65, Hank Jr., two D40s, a 2000 D55, a GF60R, and a DV52. Not one time did he push his guitars on me.
Of course, I have four of his customs.
 

Knash

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I have no first hand knowledge, but have heard three of four "reasons" Guild resets are more problematic:

(1) Guild finished guitars AFTER the neck was on, so there was significant risk of finish damage;
(2) The dovetail pocket could be harder to find when drilling;
(3) Guild sometimes used "excessive" amounts of and/or "contaminated" glue;
(4) The neck heel was thinner, and thus more prone to cracking during neck removal.
"Ditto" to all of the above. I've seen, or done, hundreds of them and they can be a nightmare. But sometimes they just pop off! So I always warn customers that pricing can vary accordingly.
 
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