neck rset on a Vega C-66 archtop

[Dave Richard]

A friend has a Vega C-66 archtop, exact date unknown, but it looks like the one in the attached photo.  serial number is 5572EY, and it looks late 40's/early 50's.  Does anyone have experience with a reset on this model/era guitar?  Are they a standard dovetail?  He has tried to steam apart the joint, without sucess, although the joint is loose(loose at the bottom of the heel, stuck at the top).  It's not hung at the fingerboard extension, as he has cut through that...He's asked me to have a go, and I may, if I can get info on the construction.

[Dave Richard]

Eric, a good suggestion about the spline. I'm also considering somehow reinforcing the cut-through fingerboard extension, perhaps a thin spline, as the fingerboard is quite thick.

[Dave Richard]

Well, I finally got this one done.  To reinforce the butt joint on the neck heel, I replaced the original heel cap with a longer piece, and mortised it into the neck block, adding glue surface at the critical point (Eric's suggestion about a spline led to this mod).  To reinforce the cut-off fingerboard extension, I inlet a small spline into both pieces.

The guitar, with it's four piece(pressed?) top, solid sides, and ply back sounds great!

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Nicely done. I'll have to keep the inlet heel-cap reinforcement in the memory banks for future use. Congratulations, she looks great.

[Ned Knepp]

Nice looking repair and that heel cap is a great idea. I have an old (cheap) archtop affliction so anything that will help hold the heel in place is welcome.