Guild neck resets

Last month I took my F30 to a luthier I've used over the years and he laughed when I took it out of the case. He had 2 other F30's in that were there for neck resets.

I picked mine up yesterday and started discussions on the potential that mine may a neck reset in the future. He thought it was a ways off...surprising for a 48 year old guitar....and I asked how the resets went on the ones that were there last time.

Well he pulls one out and says the trouble with Guild is the finish....WHAT???!!!

He pulls out a stunning Martin Custom Shop (Om???), that is apart and he says these are easy by comparison.

His beef on Guild vs. Martin is that the Guild is assembled and then the finish is applied whereas the Martins are finished, then assembled. You could see where there was no stain or lacquer under where the neck sits on the Martin. Easy he says.

The Guild needs a little touch up after as you need to seperate the finish...so I have to charge more.

Hmmmm...how much Bob?

Oh...$400-$450.

So funny you hear all these horror stories about Guild neck removal.

As I was driving home I was thinking about it and it hit me....he had 3 cellos and a double bass in various stages of repair with the necks off. Guitars must be easy!

Here is the F30 back on da rack!!

The neck removals on guilds can be tricky. The finish, the wide heel, some have three piece necks which can separate… it’s true if the luthier knows what they are doing they aren’t that bad. Guild necks just have some quirks.

Didn't think about the 3 piece neck, good point...but I'd assume they're pretty well bonded.

That Martin had a wide heel relative to it's height...that looked a lot more delicate and potentially breakable.

Might be time for this one...

We have noted the finish as a legitimate reason why Guild resets are different. I seem to recall advice that a competent and well prepared luthier scores (with a razor blade) the finish where the neck joins the body and hopes that the finish separates along the score line when the neck is moved and then removed. Some kind of touch up after the reset is required to restore the cosmetics.

Heath said:

The neck removals on guilds can be tricky. The finish, the wide heel, some have three piece necks which can separate… it’s true if the luthier knows what they are doing they aren’t that bad. Guild necks just have some quirks.

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When I had the neck reset on my F50, the luthier said it was tricky because the dovetail bevel was shallow so reattachment was more difficult, closer tolerance I suppose. He also indicated he might not do it on Guilds any more. I also heard, not from him, that he stopped doing it years ago, so I wonder if he did mine just because I've been using him for 40 years!

beecee said:

Didn't think about the 3 piece neck, good point...but I'd assume they're pretty well bonded.

That Martin had a wide heel relative to it's height...that looked a lot more delicate and potentially breakable.

Might be time for this one...

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I mentioned this because the three piece neck threw off the luthier doing my ‘66 D40. He was steaming the neck and the pieces started to separate.

Send it to Tom Jacobs. Very fair prices and he knows how to do it right.

June 2021, I had Mike Lull's in Seattle/Bellevue do a neck re-set on my 1979 Guild F212XL NT. Turned out great. I play it more often now and it sounds beyond fantastic. They put it on their PLEK machine. Well worth the price.

Heath said:

I mentioned this because the three piece neck threw off the luthier doing my ‘66 D40. He was steaming the neck and the pieces started to separate.

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Wow! How long do you have to apply steam for the neck pieces to begin separating?? I've done resets on a few Guilds and never had a problem. Usually I only have to apply steam a minute or so. If it takes much longer, I begin to wonder if something is wrong, like I missed the opening when drilling down.

It was only a minute or two that he was applying steam. I imagine every instrument is different. He’s done two others of mine with no issues. (Although those were one piece necks!)

Not that I'm in need of one but I've always assumed the price would have been a lot higher. And I've passed on several due to that misconception.

I'm sure if I were in NYC or LA it would be higher but it seems reasonable enough where I would probably look harder at a guitar in need if the price were right.

Does his price seem in line?

beecee said:

Not that I'm in need of one but I've always assumed the price would have been a lot higher. And I've passed on several due to that misconception.

I'm sure if I were in NYC or LA it would be higher but it seems reasonable enough where I would probably look harder at a guitar in need if the price were right.

Does his price seem in line?

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$400-500 for the reset itself sounds reasonable.

However, a reset likely will require a new saddle. It may possibly require a new nut, fret leveling or possibly having the bridge shifted/reglued. You are changing the neck angle so some of these things may need to be done to get it back into good playing shape. Kind of like having a minor or major setup done.

HeyMikey said:

$400-500 for the reset itself sounds reasonable.

However, a reset likely will require a new saddle. It may possibly require a new nut, fret leveling or possibly having the bridge shifted/reglued. You are changing the neck angle so some of these things may need to be done to get it back into good playing shape. Kind of like having a minor or major setup done.

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you're no fun.....

How come no one complains about Gibson neck resets?

plaidseason said:

How come no one complains about Gibson neck resets?

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Maybe we do, but are smart enough not to do so here

beecee said:

you're no fun.....

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Then let me get back to you later tonight after a drink you two.

It might be worth talking to your guy about it in advance. Some include a new saddle as part cost of of the neck reset. There other stuff may not need to be done.

Also good to ask if that price includes a shim under the fretboard extension.

plaidseason said:

How come no one complains about Gibson neck resets?

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Probably for the same reason that nobody complains about Martin neck resets.

Anecdotally, Gibsons of all the major guitar manufacturers, seem to need neck resets less often than other brands. It is not unusual to see 40s/50s/60s Gibsons with original neck angles that are still good. I can't really explain it, as their neck blocks or neck joints don't seem particularly stronger/more robust than anybody else's neck blocks/joints. Must be something that I am missing.

kostask said:

Anecdotally, Gibsons of all the major guitar manufacturers, seem to need neck resets less often than other brands. It is not unusual to see 40s/50s/60s Gibsons with original neck angles that are still good. I can't really explain it, as their neck blocks or neck joints don't seem particularly stronger/more robust than anybody else's neck blocks/joints. Must be something that I am missing.

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Yes, historically that’s been my experience as well. The two ‘66 Gibsons I currently own have dead-on straight necks & ideal neck angles. Even my 1922 ‘A’ mandolin has a neck to body alignment that seemingly hasn’t budged in 100 years!

HeyMikey said:

$400-500 for the reset itself sounds reasonable.

However, a reset likely will require a new saddle. It may possibly require a new nut, fret leveling or possibly having the bridge shifted/reglued. You are changing the neck angle so some of these things may need to be done to get it back into good playing shape. Kind of like having a minor or major setup done.

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That seems pretty underhanded... quoting the reset and coming back later and adding on all the stuff that is required when you do a reset. When I quote a neck reset it includes everything that will be needed.... new saddle, shim, any fretwork, setup...

kostask said:

Probably for the same reason that nobody complains about Martin neck resets.

Anecdotally, Gibsons of all the major guitar manufacturers, seem to need neck resets less often than other brands. It is not unusual to see 40s/50s/60s Gibsons with original neck angles that are still good. I can't really explain it, as their neck blocks or neck joints don't seem particularly stronger/more robust than anybody else's neck blocks/joints. Must be something that I am missing.

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Interesting observation. I'd have to go back through my records, but based on my admittedly foggy memory, it seems I do as many Gibson resets as Martins. I have a '78 J-45 in the shop right now needing one.

If what you're saying is true, perhaps it's because of the shorter scale - lower tension. Incidentally, the one in my shop is a square-shoulderd, long-scale model.