Neck reset advice............

[Cheab]

I'm looking for someone to do a neck reset on my 1971 Martin D-18 that I rescued. (If I keep it)

Questions:
1) How much does this usually cost?
2) How long does it usually take to complete?
3) If you weren't going to play it a lot, would you have it done or just leave it original? I'm not sure if I'll sell it pre reset or post or if I'll keep it.

I'll have a better idea what I'm gonna do after I pick it up today and play it. I'm afraid it will sound amazing and I'll want to keep it which means investing even more cash. I'm too anal to leave it alone knowing it needs a reset.

Thanks in advance folks!

 

[fronobulax]

My opinion is worth what you pay for it.

I have seen reset costs reported anywhere between $300 and $800. Some of the variation is geographical - where it is done - and some is in the work. Simplistically a neck reset is removing the neck and then replacing it. But that may chip the finish. Some folks include the finish repair in an estimate. Some folks don't. There are also fret and fingerboard "repairs" that are sometimes necessary and bundled with a reset. Generally if you want the repaired guitar to be properly set up, cosmetically the same and as close to factory condition/specs then you will pay the higher end.

Time estimates I have heard range from a week to a month after the work load clears and your instrument actually gets on the bench. Getting the neck off can take a significant amount of time as does letting glue dry.

The common advice is to ask how playable is it now, without a reset? There are ways to make an instrument more playable that cost less than a reset but they just postpone when the reset is required.

I had a bass that I didn't think had any problems but better players than me said it needed a neck reset and demonstrated why they thought so. I agreed there was a problem and when it was time to thin the herd, my sense of stewardship made me decide to get the reset done and sell it with a clear conscience. The luthier took some measurements and decided that many of the playing problems could be addressed by making a new saddle. He did and his assessment was correct. To finish the story I ended up giving the bass to a family member who understands there might be a reset in the future if their playing ever passes a certain point.

As a buyer, if I had a luthier I really liked and trusted, I'd rather buy at a discount and have my luthier do the work. Otherwise I'll let you do it, but offer you less than than market value for an instrument that had never had and did not need a reset. That's me but I don't think anyone has ever reported getting everything they put into an instrument when they sell it after a reset.

Once again I have had coffee and can't shut up.

 

[Cougar]

I'll have a better idea what I'm gonna do after I pick it up today and play it. I'm afraid it will sound amazing and I'll want to keep it which means investing even more cash. I'm too anal to leave it alone knowing it needs a reset.

After years of the string tension trying to "fold" the guitar upward, the action becomes too high. So the saddle is shaved to bring the action back down. When there's little to no more saddle left to adjust, over the years the action will keep getting higher and eventually unplayable. It's the too-high action that necessitates a reset. Also, when the saddle is shaved down to near nothing, there's little to no break angle of the strings over the saddle, which robs the soundboard of its full vibe potential.

1) How much does this usually cost?

As I've heard, it's up in the neighborhood of $500.

2) How long does it usually take to complete?

Most luthiers/techs are busy. It depends on your place in line.

3) If you weren't going to play it a lot, would you have it done or just leave it original? I'm not sure if I'll sell it pre reset or post or if I'll keep it.

Like you said, you'll have a better idea after you pick it up. We'll be waiting for a full report!

 

[gjmalcyon]

In early 2017, Martin Guitar charged us $465 to reset the neck on my late mother-in-law's 1951 O-15. They had the guitar (which had additional work done) for 3 months. In this case, the money spent was unequivocally worth it given the emotional connection my wife has with the guitar as well as the intrinsic value in the instrument.

 

[AcornHouse]

As Frono said, best to take it to a good luthier for a look. They can give you an estimate of both time and money, with any other options. The evaluation can be done while you wait and usually doesn’t cost anything.

 

[adorshki]

3) If you weren't going to play it a lot, would you have it done or just leave it original?

If I didn't plan to play it a lot I'd leave as is, possibly investigate simply shaving the saddle a bit.
Reasoning is that a lot of folks who actively seek out this kind of desirable instrument already know someone they trust to do this kind of work, and would rather pay a little less for a piece with a known problem and then take it to their luthier of choice.

I'm not sure if I'll sell it pre reset or post or if I'll keep it.

General rule of thumb, just like cars, is that you'll never get back out of it what you put into it, so unless you've got a compelling reason to get the work done, that's another reason to let the next owner decide how they want to proceed.

I'll have a better idea what I'm gonna do after I pick it up today and play it. I'm afraid it will sound amazing and I'll want to keep it which means investing even more cash. I'm too anal to leave it alone knowing it needs a reset.
Thanks in advance folks!

If you don't know somebody you can trust to do work at the level the instrument deserves, I'd suggest giving our own member FIXIT (Tom Jacobs)a call, not sure if he works on Martins but I know he's not just limited to Guild repairs and he has a stellar rep here for both quality of work and reasonable pricing:
http://www.jacobscustomguitars.com/
Good luck!

 

[Bonneville88]

Recent experience in the St. Louis MO area:

Neck reset & retouch, new saddle, set up, 6 months, $375.

Neck reset & retouch, refret, new nut, new saddle, small cracks & center seam separation
cleated & glued, loose braces re-glued, new strings & set up, 3 months, $800.

Two different shops, both do excellent work.

If I really like the guitar I'll generally have the work done, time and $$ permitting.
Doesn't mean I'll be keeping it, just means I want to experience that particular instrument in
the best playing condition it can be, even if it's only for a little while.

As I've posted before, I'm just the caretaker, and happy to be that for as long
as I can be.

I've never come close to recouping the cost for a neck reset, but that's
the market. As long as I'm going in eyes wide open, it's all good.

 

[Cheab]

The guitar cleaned up really nice, I had them put light strings on it and it plays good. It definitely has a different tone. I probably won't play it much and I'll let the next owner do the reset. SO I guess it'll stay the case for now. The cool thing is that it's 100% all original. The wife has given me the go ahead to sell it if I want......decisions decisions. Might be a good time to look into a 12!

 

[Cougar]

Might be a good time to look into a 12!

Now you're talkin'!