Taylor 414: Neck Reset

Note: All quality flat top acoustic guitars made from all solid tone woods will eventually require a neck reset (for more on this please go to the neck reset home page. The guitar photo-documented here has a neck joint system that is simpler to work on than traditional dovetail or mortise and tenon neck joints. This in no way means that Taylor guitar owners should themselves attempt to achieve a neck reset. This repair is fraught with nuances that nothing but proper training and experience can help one successfully overcome. In other words, don't try this at home.


1. High Action is one symptom of a guitar that could use a neck reset. High action alone does not necessarily mean that an instrument needs a neck reset. There are other factors such as an instrument's moisture content, truss rod and saddle that also play a role in action. Before proceeding, I'll adjust the truss rod so the neck is dead straight.	2. The Neck Angle (the relation- ship between the plane of the frets and the bridge) can sometimes be visualized by laying a straightedge on the fretboard and butting it up against the bridge. If the neck angle of this guitar was spot on, the straightedge would just barely make contact with the front of the bridge while the guitar is tuned to pitch. Instead, the straightedge indicates that the neck angle of this guitar is a bit shallow.


3. A Bolt On Neck. Taylor Guitars ustilize a neck joint that is held together with 3 bolts. The two bolts that go through the neck block and into the heel of the neck are con- cealed beneath a label. In order to reset the neck on this guitar, I'll have to first remove this label.	4. Heating Things Up. Our shop's heat gun will soften the adhesive that's holding the label onto the neck block. After I've heated the label for a few quick seconds, I'll reach in and peel it free. They usually come out clean and easy. If not, no big deal, since our shop is an authorized Taylor Guitar's warranty repair center, we have some replacement labels lying around.


5. An Intact Label.	6. Exposed Bolts. Here's a photo of the three bolts that attach the guitar's neck to the body.


7. Removing the Bolts. A socket wrench and allen wrench loosen the bolts. While I'm removing the bolts, I like to put a clamp on the neck, this keeps things together until I've gotten the bolts out of the way.	8. Taylor's New Technology Neck Joint is nothing short of a revolution in guitar design and con- struction. While the joint has more than enough strength to hold things together, it's also pretty straight- forward for a qualified repair tech to perform routine maintenance on. An added bonus to this system is a drastic improvement in the neck's stability: notice how the neck doesn't stop at the heel as most acoustic guitar necks do. The tongue of the fretboard doesn't simply glue to the guitar's top, instead, it is supported throughout by the neck extension. I'll replace the two shims with ones that will once again achieve the ideal neck angle for this guitar.


9. Reattaching the Label is done with the aid of the heat gun.	10. The Straightedge Test indicates that the neck angle is right where I want it.


11. Low Action can be achieved now that the neck angle has been reset to factory specifications. Next, I'll level this guitar's frets to get rid of the fret wear this well played in- strument has sustained.