FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Left Handed Taylor Guitar

Question:
I ordered and watched the new Taylor video on their new neck design. Basically, I walked away with the impression that, the new design adds one major feature to the existing guitar design: It makes getting a neck reset much easier and less time consuming. This translates to less money when it comes time to do this. Also, it looks like the manufacturing process was sped up by the fact that now they are tightening a few bolts to a body, adding shims and not gluing any longer. Also, they can computer mill each body in an assemby line fashion, thus speeding up their manufacturing process. The video showed Bob disassembling, adding new shim and reassembilng a neck in about 5 minutes. My question is this: What would make getting a neck reset necessary? Ive heard of people playing vintage Martins and other very much older guitars with traditional neck construction (dove tail joints and the like...) and have not really heard many complaints about neck resets.

Answer:
This is maybe a little disingenuous on Larivée's part. If a guitar is lightly built (as most good-sounding acoustics are) then over time string tension will pull the top up and maybe slightly forward at the bridge. This has nothing to do with how well the neck was originally set. It's a function of aging. For a time you can compensate via using shorter bridge saddles and tweaking the trussrod. Eventually, though, you'll have no choice but to adjust the neck angle in accordance with the raised top/bridge. You may need to move the bridge back a bit as well to get the intonation right. With a glued-in neck this can be a tricky process. With Taylor's bolt-on design it's a lot simpler and far less risky. I own a Taylor 512C and also a '54 Gibson SJ. They're both great guitars but quite different in feel and sound. The Gibson is close to needing a neck reset. I'll probably have it done this coming summer. If I don't have it done soon I'll be left with a beautiful old guitar with crappy action and intonation.