Opinions needed on (unique neck joint) reset.

[Gerry Garavaglia]

I have a custom built guitar that needs the neck angle changed. I won't call it a reset because it really isn't set as it is. The neck is bolted with two small studs, wood threads into the neck and machine threads through the block and bolted with two cap nuts. These are about 5/32 diameter. it is a but joint to the body, no glue. There are no locators except for the two studs and the fret at the body joint is held in place with pressure when the neck is bolted.

 The tongue of the fretboard is glued to the top of the guitar. I need to change the angle and figure a way to positively locate the neck. I will post pics as soon as my battery in my camera is charged. Any ideas will be appreciated. Let the Brainstorming begin.

Thanks Gerry

[Tim Mace]

Trussrod or fixed rod in neck?Ask maker what kind of glue on fingerboard to top.My brain is storming but shuts down when I have to conjure up pics in my head.I have been doing bolt ons w/ no glue so if need be I can and have gone back and refit the necks.What degree angle are you trying to achieve? Is the joint good and snug to the body?Sometimes you can snug 'em up a "little" but you'd probably still want the fretboard freed from top.I'm not advising anything so wait for lots of better feedback.

[Gerry Garavaglia]

I posted a couple pics. It is a adjustable truss rod. I just don't get why he wouldn't have had some kind of positive locator (tenon or dowels etc.) How do you locate your bolt ons?

[Frank Ford]

I don't think you need to worry about "registration." Once you get the angle established by sanding, chiseling, hook or crook, simply bolt the thing in place, but don't lean on the nuts. Once it's reasonably snug, simply tap it around until you get alignment. Really too bad the fingerboard was cut at the body joint - that's a clear indication the builder didn't do his/her homework. . .

[FRANK]

i agree with frank here is a neck joint like i first learned about via Roberto Venn any way if you put sand paper down on the neck joint take the neck putting it in place and sand till you achieve side to side and up and down that seams to work well like frank by chisel or sanding before you set that neck id pull the remaining finger board off and replace it

[Jeff Highland]

Nothing wrong with this neck joint except that the fretboard has been cut. Are you sure someone else has not done this rather than being built that way?
Leaving a fret floating there like this would not be a wise design feature.

[Tim Mace]

The lighter colored area down the center looks as though there may have been a tenon on the heel at one time.Maybe it was a conversion from another ax 'cause it sure looks thin where those bolts are plugged in.Is ther enough meat left for an angle adj.?

[Gerry Garavaglia]

This guitar has never had any work done on it according to the owner who is the original purchaser. I was planning on resetting the neck via the usual ways, chiseling, filing, sanding etc. but thought there should be some kind of positive locator. I really want to keep the manual labor to a minimum so I will take Franks advice and just bolt it back on. The fretboard is some kind of pattern of different woods so it would be hard to duplicate and replace. The Roberto Venn school teaches this type of joint? I came out of the Charles Fox "GRD" school, our first neck joint was a spanish heel. Kind of opposite ends of the joinery spectrum. Thanks for all the tips.

[Jeffrey L. Suits]

Are those hangerbolts? Can't tell from the fuzzy photo.

Other than the remarkably stupid cut off fingerboard extension, just remove wood from the heel a la a normal reset. There's no need for any "registration" locators. If you can remove the bolts, hollow out the heel a little, so you only have to sand down the edges of the heel.

[Tim Mace]

Here's the system I use.Lag bolts really aren't that great.I get thase @LMII and they work muchobetta.Only thing is it's just the opposite brass into neck bolt thru block to neck and you can get longer bolts at hardware store if need be.These are 2".Don't know if you have enough wood to get that threaded insert but you would have to enlarge the holes to 3/8".

[Gerry Garavaglia]

I've seen those bolts before and that seems a much surperior way than the way this is. I dont think the heel is thick enough to use them though. The light wood you see is the maple strip that runs through the neck. I've added a couple pics to show that and the fretboard mosaic. The consensus seems to be that it is ok the way it is. It seems that there will be quite a bit of fall away on the tongue

[Gerry Garavaglia]

heres the pics

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Well I'll be, if it doesn't look like that board was put together like tiles. Am I mistaken or was this assembled as individual pieces in between each piece of fret-wire? Some people must have nothing but time on their hands. Reminds me of the guitar I once saw made of popsicle sticks by a prisoner in for life for murder or something. Wow.