what exactly causes an acoustic to get to the point where it needs a neck re-set?

[EvilTwin]

I'm really pretty curious about this.

 

My two main acoustics (Seagull S6+Folk and Tacoma DM-18) both look like they're on the way to needing a neck re-set in the near future, if not now. I use .12's and I'm not putting the guitars in insane temperature/humidity conditions. The 'Gull is a bolt-neck design while the Tacoma goes the more traditional route.

 

Am I doing something to help this along?

[EvilTwin]

bumperoosky

[foolishpride]

Originally posted by EvilTwin I'm really pretty curious about this. My two main acoustics (Seagull S6+Folk and Tacoma DM-18) both look like they're on the way to needing a neck re-set in the near future, if not now. I use .12's and I'm not putting the guitars in insane temperature/humidity conditions. The 'Gull is a bolt-neck design while the Tacoma goes the more traditional route. Am I doing something to help this along?

 

 

I believe the Tacoma's are bolt-on mortise and tenon neck joints similar to Taylor.

[LittleBrother]

There's a great article on www.frets.com on neck resets. Basically the neck is at a bad angle in relation to the body and bridge. In an ideal situation you would lay a large flat metal ruler's edge down the fretboard and see where that line meets the bridge. You usually want that to line up with the top edge of the bridge. NOT the saddle.

One example of needing a reset is a guitars top slowly coming up like a belly. The bridge is higher and in order for you to keep the action low you have to remove and sand down the saddle and reinstall it. That works but if the top continues to rise which happens on alot of older guitars the saddle will eventually be so low you cannot file it down any more. Thats when you need a neck reset.

Some newer guitars have a radiused top meaning it doesnt come from the factory perfectly flat. The braces are made to have a barely noticable arch in them so the top has a very very mild dome shape. This makes them stronger in theory and they are not suppose to get a belly like flattops do.

As far as I know all your Martin and Gibsons are flattops. The old ones usually have a belly.

One last note. Alot of people like a brand new guitar to not only have a perfect neck angle but they also want the saddle to have alot of meat on it so they can sand it down several times. A new guitar built really well with a perfect neck angle and a meaty saddle is your best bet and thats why VERY picky guitar buyers look at this stuff with a microscope when buying.

Hope that makes sense and I said it right. Go read what Frank Ford says on Frets.com because he's a pro and thats all he does.



You can see here where I am checking the neck angle on a Larrivee

[Greg Bogoshian]

In my opinion, it has little to do with what type of neck joining method is employed. Some are just easier to "adjust" than others.

There are a variety of things that cause the eventual need for guitars to require resets. As you know, the strings impart a great deal of tension to the neck, the body, and to the neck joint. The truss rod primarily is there to counter the bowing forces on the neck itself. The heel of the neck, the soundboard and bridge, and the whole body in general all see the force of the strings imparted on a steady basis as long as strings are in tension.

You will find that the top may have a belly where the back of the bridge now sits higher than the front. This will affect action. A JLD Bridge Doctor can help alleviate this belly. You may also find that the heel of the guitar now has a slight tilt. Some woods and guitar designs are more susceptible to this than others. The neck heel itself may now have a slight bend in it from the years of tension. A neck reset is really something that is inevitable. Laws of physics don't care about brand names or how much you spent on it! It is just a fact of acoustics.

Lighter guage strings will delay this. Stable humidity will also help delay this. Tuning a half-step down will also reduce tension. Those are my thoughts on it... Fire away! Boggs

[Joe Chiovari]

Too much or too little moisture usually causes distortion when all other ideas for causes fail. Yea, we all like to think that we are careful with our boxes but too few take the precaution of keeping a moisturizer in the guitar all times when not in use. Only one moisturizor works inside the case and that is made by J.D'Addario and Company, Inc. (www.planet-waves.com). Wood expands or contracts with the presence or absence of proper moisture, respectively. A dried-out fret board will contract causing the neck to bow upward because the wood beneath still contains moisture and, therefore, maintains stability. The reverse scenario will cause the neck to go in the opposite direction, although this rarely occurs due to the more usual occurance of dried-out fretboards. Before jumping to neck reset conclusions, pick up the moisturizer from Planet-Waves (about $15.00) and put it in your guitar (in the case) when not in use. It will put the moisture back into the neck and result in it expanding back to it's original position. I had a guitar (12) that had some top cave-in in front of the bridge. I put it away with the moisturizer for about a month and the top returned to it's original position. Wood must be imposed upon in some manner to change it's shape. Moisture is usually the cause.