Neck reset....

[Recky]

...a last desperate attempt to extend the life of an old guitar for a little bit, or a bona fide way of getting more mileage out of a guitar?

Nothing New Music have offered me an F-50 and given me a fairly honest assessment of the guitar, saying that a neck set is "about due", while the top is dead flat and the bridge secure.

I'm wondering if a neck reset is something to be avoided at all costs (leaving aside the cost for a moment), or is it an act of restoration that will give a guitar a new lease of life. Lots of sellers state "no neck reset" as if this were something desirable, when it could simply mean "there's bugger all saddle left".

As always, thanks for your opinions, sarky comments and excursions

Recky

 

[chicagowineguy]

If there's no saddle left and the action is crazy high then yeah you're looking at at a reset. That's a 300 dollar job, give or take depending on your tech. There is one cheap remedy...shave the bridge, but for a guitar of real value it's a band aid not a repair. I guess you need to determine how much you want this guitar...all other things being equal...etc...if it's in great shape and a tone monster then the reset is just an inevitable issue for an older guitar. For me, if I loved this instrument and it was otherwise fine, I would have a talented tech do the reset...you'd have a fine guitar for years down the road...

 

[chazmo]

Well, a neck reset angles the neck back a bit, and compensates for the forward pull that occurs over time and some mismatching of the frets on the body ( > 12) and those on the neck. I guess changes in humidity and long-term tension on the neck are responsible for changing the shape of the wood.

Neck resets on a Guild are difficult because of the way the neck is manufactured. You can't just pop out a bolt, shave the wood, and bolt it back on.... that's why they're expensive and somewhat risky.

But, as for results, well, I've got a Taylor that was completely revived by a neck reset (plus saddle/nut/frets).... An easy job, relatively speaking since Taylor uses a bolt-on processs.

You have to play the guitar to decide if the action is right for you and/or whether you're getting unacceptable buzz anywhere on the neck. The price of the guitar has to be factored with the luthierie that you're going to need.

I bought a G312 on this forum a while back, and even though the guitar was well-priced, I put a couple hundred bucks of luthierie in it. Now, I've got a great instrument, but I wasn't in a rush, and I kinda knew what I was getting.

 

[kitniyatran]

Ordinarily, I'd say a neck reset was merely maintenance for a quality instrument; did wonders for my(former)Martin D18, but that was a lifetime warranty job, so I didn't pay anything. I understand Guilds, or at least some, are more difficult, & hence more expensive than other guits to reset. I'd say, if the price takes the repair into account, & you can swing it, it should be worth it. Otherwise, it's down to how much you like/need the guitar.

 

[Recky]

Ordinarily, I'd say a neck reset was merely maintenance for a quality instrument; did wonders for my(former)Martin D18, but that was a lifetime warranty job, so I didn't pay anything. I understand Guilds, or at least some, are more difficult, & hence more expensive than other guits to reset. I'd say, if the price takes the repair into account, & you can swing it, it should be worth it. Otherwise, it's down to how much you like/need the guitar.

Thanks for all your replies!

Well, I really NEED and LIKE the guitar, but it's not the first, and it won't be the last I've seen

I'm still pondering. The dealer seems pretty honest and not too desperate to sell. Yes, I guess it's down to the final price. We'll see...

Cheers,
Recky

 

[Recky]

Ah, yes, at least the dealer gave me a shipping quote that was acceptable, as opposed to the $500+ quote I got yesterday!!!

 

[gilded]

Recky,

This is from Dec '07, sort of a Cautionary Tale about Guild neck sets.
I'm having one done on my '73 F50 as we speak, so I'm not afraid of 'em, but you have to have the right luthier.
Good luck!


viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6280

 

[dayuhan]

I heard there's a guy in the Netherlands who does excellent repair work and knows a thing or two about Guilds

Seriously, if I was in your shoes I'd talk to Hans, maybe even ask him to talk to the dealer, review some detailed pics, etc. Then if he thinks the job is worth doing, and if you can get a suitable discount based on the work needing to be done, go for it, maybe even have it shipped direct to his shop.

Bit of an epic, but you'd have a story to go with the guitar...

 

[kitniyatran]

Might be worth checking into, Hans is the man when it comes to Guilds.

 

[Recky]

I heard there's a guy in the Netherlands who does excellent repair work and knows a thing or two about Guilds

Seriously, if I was in your shoes I'd talk to Hans, maybe even ask him to talk to the dealer, review some detailed pics, etc. Then if he thinks the job is worth doing, and if you can get a suitable discount based on the work needing to be done, go for it, maybe even have it shipped direct to his shop.

Bit of an epic, but you'd have a story to go with the guitar...

I guess you may be right - it never occurred to me, but Hans is less than 250 km (160 miles) from my place! I will talk to him!!!

 

[Firebird]

I have had the necks reset on both of my acoustics. Here's what I know or have learned:

1. All older guitars will need a neck reset at some point in time. Its all part of the aging process.
2. Shaving the bridge or saddle may improve playability but will hurt tone and volume.
3. Find a luthier that has experience with resetting Gibson necks. A Guild neck joint is identical to a Gibson neck joint. It is more complex that a Martin or Taylor but not impossible. Guild electric guitars are a whole different story of complexity when it comes to neck resets.
4. Guild applies the finish to the guitar after the neck is attached to the body while most other manufacturers apply the finish separately to the body and neck. This is the main reason luthiers are apprehensive to doing Guild neck resets is because they have to first cut through the finish with a razor knife at the neck joint.

A properly reset neck is worth every penny.

 

[Scratch]

My luthier friend and I discussed Guild neck resets about a year or so ago. He also mentioned that a Guild neck reset is more difficult than most, due in large part to labor required to remove the glue. Guild's evidently have more glue/tougher glue than most other brands? If I had a special guitar that needed a reset, I'd surely have it done, but only by a trusted luthier.

 

[Bikerdoc]

???? If truss rod adjustment doesn't cure the problem then that's when a neck reset comes into play???

Peace

 

[Scratch]

Pretty much Doc. If a truss rod adjustment or shaving the saddle (sometimes the nut), don't work, that pretty much just leaves shaving the bridge, but that's just a stop gap to the final cure... neck reset... If you shave the bridge, you'll probably need a new bridge after the reset to replace the shaved one...