Old Martin ukulele neck joint…dovetail

[Fren Asken]

I'm working on an old '30's-'40's Martin uke. Were they doing dovetails on those back then?

[Mark Pollock]

I've got one, the neck block is a big square chunk with grain running across it perpendicular to the grain in the neck, so we can be pretty sure it isn't a spanish heel at least. Dangit, I don't have my Martin books set here, it's on loan, I'm sure someone else can look it up.

[Fren Asken]

I noticed that as well which makes me think it may be a dovetail. I just don't want to start drilling an access hole before I know for sure.

[nathan clark]

FWIW, I worked on one from the teens that had a dovetail joint.

[Mark Pollock]

Found something that might help -

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-70450.html

Scroll down, and the guy says that the Martin factory told him that they always used dovetails.

I love these things - my avatar is one that I got which had served time as a dog chew toy.

And now I gotta ask - why the heck do you need to remove the neck? What could possibly make this necessary? I'm dying to know! 

[Fren Asken]

Thanks guys. It needs a serious neck reset.

[Richard Bales]

Are you sure?  If the action is too high, I would be looking at the top plate checking to see that it was flat.  Often these old-time ukes develop a belly-up condition since there is so little bracing.  Flattening the top would be the first course of action.  But perhaps you've already checked that.

[Fren Asken]

Top plate is fine, just the neck angle is bad. I've been trying to take it apart but it's a bitch. There's a crack on the body by the side of the neck and it's wobbly. Need to take it apart and fix it before re-gluing the neck.

[Guitar Fixer]

It does have a dovetail but the end of the neck tenon is often tight up against the heel block mortise leaving no air space for a steam needle.

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[Fren Asken]

Well that'll make it extra hard then!