Just wondering the best way or ways to determine if a guitar needs a neck reset. I know the GDPer's will know!
How do you know when you need a neck reset?
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- Rated: 12 ↑
Feb 8, 2010 2:44 p.m. ganglywilliams:
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Feb 8, 2010 2:48 p.m. Charlie Vegas:
If your bridge is as low as it can go and the action is still too high.
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Feb 8, 2010 2:49 p.m. Danman:
There are several ways of telling:
-If you can't lower the bridge any further to get the action low enough and even sanding the base doesn't help.
-If the break angle over the bridge is too shallow.
-If there is an opening at the neck joint showing that the neck has been moving. -
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Feb 8, 2010 2:54 p.m. ganglywilliams:
Thanks for the help guys. Sounds like my '61 Clipper needs a neck reset.
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- Rated: 71 ↑
Feb 8, 2010 2:59 p.m. Danman:
You could post some pictures if you want. Specially of the side of the guitar, showing the height of the strings and bridge and break angle of the strings over the bridge. And maybe a pic of the neck joint would be helpful too.
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Feb 8, 2010 3:21 p.m. Proteus:
Also, if the neck is off the guitar.
That's a dead giveaway.
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Feb 8, 2010 3:36 p.m. Danman:
I'm not sure it always needs a reset then. Might be good enough to just put the neck back on......
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Feb 8, 2010 4:25 p.m. Blaydrnnnr:
or use it as a Gretsch drum stick??
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- Rated: 59 ↑
Feb 8, 2010 4:35 p.m. chrisp:
Not that you asked, but look for a luthier who has done it more than a few times.
Also, discuss the job with him and see if he is a dog-with-a-bandana flat top folk guy. Nothing wrong with that, but the strategy and layout for a flat top reset is different than on an archtop.
Same re-carve on the joint in principle, but the target height of the bridge is quite different and a meeting of the minds on this is a good idea.
All in my irresponsible web opinion. A smart guy with the guitar in hand is a better source of advice.
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Feb 8, 2010 6:30 p.m. Ric12string:
According to JohnHeat, the guitar might make good kindling in a fireplace.
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Feb 8, 2010 6:37 p.m. chrisp:
Oh crap,
My wife just complained about me mounting the firewood on the mantle above the fireplace.
This is sooooo easy to get it wrong,...
Wood-Inside Fireplace, Guitar-Outside
Wood-Inside Fireplace, Guitar-Outside
Wood-Inside Fireplace, Guitar-OutsideWood-Inside Fireplace, Guitar-Outside ,...
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Feb 8, 2010 7:36 p.m. MadScience:
..........when you are able get some great Bigsby-like vibrato on a set neck guitar that has no Bigsby, just by wiggling the neck.
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Feb 8, 2010 8:02 p.m. bonedaddy:
Ric12string said: According to JohnHeat, the guitar might make good kindling in a fireplace.
This reminds me of James Calvin Wilsey's quote about Gretsch guitars. He said something along the lines of there being just enough good wood in a Gretsch to start a fire....
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Feb 9, 2010 5:18 a.m. Dave_K:
" there being just enough good wood in a Gretsch to start a fire...."
that's almost as nasty as "what's the best sound made by a banjo? When it hits the side of the skip."
Maybe my memory is playing tricks these days, but I'm sure the label inside my old Rosetti guitar said something like "Date fertiliser, this way up."
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Feb 9, 2010 11:40 a.m. BillyZoom:
When the neck comes off, it needs to be reset. The Fifties necks all fell off sooner or later. The newer ones are solid and won't ever need it.
