Guitar problems!

[JohnV]

See that guitar in my avatar? Its got a problem. I think I need to get the neck removed and reset. The angle isn't right. I've got the saddle as low as it will go; then I put another saddle in it that is a little straighter, to cut some of the buzzing, but making it harder to play. I find I'm playing it less and less, because it hurts more and more. I am opting to the other guitar almost all the time now. But I just can't resist the sound, its age is just about as right as a guitar gets.

What do I do? Its going to cost me almost $500 to reset it, the price of another good guitar if I trade it in for one. But I'll be giving up a great sound, one I likely won't find unless I spend a great deal more. For sound, it beats anything the Taylor or Martin dealer has to offer.

Anybody got a solution? Do you think I could do it myself? Do I play the lottery? Or do I just say, "Oh well!" and play the other guitar? After all, I'm not that great at it, and its just a very pleasing hobby, and I've got twice as many guitars as a lot of other people do: two.

 

[BobVigneault]

I can only comiserate John. My beloved Seagull is separating up at the top of the neck. It has a beautiful sound, (the matte alcohol finish and time has really mellowed it to perfection.) It's just a matter of time before it splits and becomes unplayable. I wish I knew what to tell you. I would probably lean toward getting a new guitar and look for a master wood worker you would try to fix your old one for the education but who is not interested in making a bundle of money. God bless.

 

[heartoflesh]

As far as what work you can do yourself I can't answer, but you may want to ask on http://p084.ezboard.com/btheunofficialmartinguitarforum

There's a ton of people on there with guitar hardware expertise that could surely give you some sound advise.

What kind of guitar do you have, John?

 

[JohnV]

Bob:

I am a pretty good woodworker myself. I know what I am doing, anyways. But I know too that its a bit more precise than I am used to; but that I likely can do it. Its just that it would be my first one, and it would be trial and error. So I have to add to the end of the previous sentence, "eventually".

My wife commisserates a lot for me. Once a week I get a commisserole dish for supper.

 

[JohnV]

So you've got a Seagull with split ends? I would share my commisserole dish with you.

You know, I would try to fix that. Got some good C-clamps and wood glue? Glue it like you do a wedge joint, that's what I would try. You may have to do some sanding and refinishing, though, if you aren't precise.

 

[JohnV]

Originally posted by Rick Larson
As far as what work you can do yourself I can't answer, but you may want to ask on http://p084.ezboard.com/btheunofficialmartinguitarforum

There's a ton of people on there with guitar hardware expertise that could surely give you some sound advise.

Thanks, I'll look that up.

What kind of guitar do you have, John?

Its an original Yamaha, the one that first made them famous for guitars. The other one is a Yamaha too, but its about five years newer.

Talk about an alcohol finish: you can't see it in the avatar, but this one's got a beer finish. I mean, its been in a bar so often that there's beer stains still on it. That's how I got it, and left it that way. All I did to it was fix the nut and saddle, replace the machine heads, and work on the action. There's also a lot of little dents and nicks on the body. I rescued it from an abusive owner, I guess.

 

[LawrenceU]

John,
Go to my friend's website www.bryankimsey.com He is one of the best luthiers in the country. He has quite a bit on neck sets/resets, angles, action etc. in his luthiery section. He's a solid Christian as well.

 

[heartoflesh]

Originally posted by LawrenceU
John,
Go to my friend's website www.bryankimsey.com He is one of the best luthiers in the country. He has quite a bit on neck sets/resets, angles, action etc. in his luthiery section. He's a solid Christian as well.

Yes!

I actually emailed Bryan for advise on the K&K Pure Western pickup I installed in my Martin. He warmly recommended it, and I'm glad I took his advice.

 

[JohnV]

Originally posted by LawrenceU
John,
Go to my friend's website www.bryankimsey.com He is one of the best luthiers in the country. He has quite a bit on neck sets/resets, angles, action etc. in his luthiery section. He's a solid Christian as well.

Why can't I find it, Lawrence? I even found it in my "favourites" file, clicked on it and got nothing. I googled, and nothing. Do you have a link I can try?

 

[heartoflesh]

This should work...

Bryan Kimsey's Page

He's also a big contributor on the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum, the link I posted above.



[Edited on 7-29-2005 by Rick Larson]

 

[JohnV]

Rick:

Thanks, that worked. I have no idea why my finder couldn't find it, its exactly as Lawrence wrote it.

I talked to a Luthier, and I went through Bryan's page on neck resets, and I've written to a contact given to me by someone who e-mailed me ( he's a reader of this Board. ) I think, so far, that I'm leaning to a trade in. Even if I reset the neck, and even if I think it sounds like a million bucks, its going to be worth about a couple hundred dollars, at the very most. Which is more than I'll spend on it to get it reset. And resetting the neck won't change the width of the keyboard, which I widened very slightly when I remade the nut. Its still too narrow for my aging fingers. It used to be fine, but the older I get the harder it is to get my fingers between the strings. Let's face it, its not a Guild or a Gibson.

I don't know, I'll just think on it some more, and read up on it some more.

 

[mgeoffriau]

If you do decide to trade it in, take a look at Larrivee guitars. They are right up there (if not better than) Martin, Taylor, etc. in terms of quality and sound. The playability is probably in between Martin and Taylor (better than M, not quite as good as T).

But, ALL of their guitars are built with the same construction methods, unlike Martin and Taylor, who have notable differences between the top end and bottom end of their respective lines. Larrivee guitars differ really only differ in style and cosmetic variances.

I have the near bottom of the line dreadnaught, and added a K&K pickup also. It's an incredible guitar for the price. Blows away my old Simon & Patrick.

 

[LawrenceU]

Welcome to the Larrivee club, Mark. About two years ago I seriously infected John with the Larrivee disease. He's never been the same since. One day he will come over to the light!

I have a D-9. I've put in a bone saddle and nut. It is a sweet cannon. When they open up and get a little age they are even better.

 

[JohnV]

Mark:

I know all about Larrivee. If you have one, I envy you, like I envy Lawrence. All I see right now is the light at the end of the tunnel, but no way to get there.

Lawrence didn't infect me, contrary to his assertion. He only made it worse by rubbing it in.

It happened quite by accident. I played an L-9, and, well, let's just say that I didn't play it but that it played me. I could do things I could not do before. Up to that time I had played both Taylors and Martins, and even a Gibson or two. I was convinced that I had worked my own Yamaha to the playability level of any of them, save the one Gibson I played. Taylor nor Martin had nothing on my Yamaha, at least not the ones I had played.

But then I played the L-9, much to my protest to the storekeeper. He would not let me go unless I tried it. When I told him I could not afford the cleaning of it, much less the guitar itself, he just ignored me and told, no ordered me to try it.

The rest is just like Lawrence says, I haven't been the same since. I'm smitten. Completely. In other words, I'm not interested in buying another guitar unless its a Larrivee. And I hope its an L-9 or a D-9 at least.


Back on track, As I said above, its not that my old Yamaha has changed, its more that I've outgrown the limitations of it due to its present design. I have two Yamahas, and one plays very well, but doesn't have as good a sound as the one I'm considering for a neck reset. A neck resetting would change the limitations of it. The sound is really quite enviable, as it booms well, brings out the richness on the upper and lower ends well, and resonates with beauty of tone. And right now it also has that popular "old" colour and marks that make it look "authentic", like Alanis Morisette's Gibson or Willie Nelson's Martin. But somehow the Yamaha name doesn't have that same appeal to it, no matter how it looks.

After thinking about it for a while the question has turned for me to whether I can have that guitar made to play like a Gibson or Taylor if I get the neck reset. I have been assured that the sound should not alter by the resetting. But iff I lose that, and it doesn't put the guitar to my level of playing, then it would have been a waste of money. On the other hand, if the name Yamaha will ever be on par with Martin, then I have the very guitar that will be worth the most if I leave it alone, as it is the original one that put Yamaha on the map.

Hmmm, decisions decisions.

[Edited on 8-20-2005 by JohnV]