My dovetail has been chopped off!

[Matt Haugen]

Hi fellas. I was lucky enough to inherit a really neat old archtop. The Brand is Old Santa Fe and she is a looker, the problem is that once upon a time someone wanted to remove the neck, so he/she cut the dovetail clean off of the neck heel. I was able to remove the piece left in the neck socket, but since it is such a small surface, how would you recommend that I put the two of them back together again. Thank you.

[thefishinmusician]

Check out my Gaki link thingy deal...Bolt on!

[Ron Frazier]

I do this on many old cheep guitars. I cut it flush with the body leaving the fingerboard glued on, then tip the neck back to the body and check the string height to the bridge and if you need more just wedge cut the end of the heel and try again. I screw a strap button with a long screw that will go into the neck block. Screw it on tight then check the set up with the strings. If it is OK than I remove the screw and work glue in the joint then replace screw and clean up the joint with a damp cloth.

I only reset necks in old junk guitars and and not on good guitars unless it is mine. I am not that skilled on touch up work and it takes many hrs to do the job right.

Getting the neck out is the easy part . Putting it in is work!!

Ron

[Matt Haugen]

Thanks for the responces, but I do not feel these methods would work since I don't have access to the neck block (inside) to tighten bolts. It is an f-hole archtop, so my access is very limited. I was thinking of trying 2 steel dowels. I was thinking that using metal dowels would allow me to make smaller drill holes, yet have a higher level of strength then wood. Thanks again.

[Michael Lewis]

For a bolt on neck for an instrument with F holes you need a l-o-n-g shaft with the appropriate ALLEN wrench on the end of it. You access through the end pin hole. Properly install and glue metal threaded inserts in the heel. It takes a bit of ingenuity but is possible to do a nice job of it. This sure makes the next re-set a lot easier.