Guitar Repair FAQ
Can you shave the 1 ¾” neck on my D-18 GE to 1 11/16”?
To do this right, the neck will need to be removed, all the frets removed, and the neck shaved. Then, the entire finish will need to be stripped, the entire neck stained and refinished. Then you’ll need new frets, new nut, the neck reinstalled, etc. It’s a LOT of work and if I were to do it, would cost about $800. And what are you going to do about the wider bridge spacing? That 2 5/16” spacing will lay right on the edge of a 1 11/16” neck. So, basically, no, I won’t do it. Instead, I recommend that you sell the guitar and talk to http://www.myfavoriteguitars.com about the Clay Hess model, which is a D-18 GE with a 1 11/6” neck.
Can you replace a 1 11/16” neck with a 1 ¾”?
This is easier than the above example, but I still need to come up with the neck. Here you have the reverse problem with bridge spacing- you’ll have a wider neck, but narrow bridge spacing. It will look funny. And, I can’t get a Martin decal for the headstock. Actually shaving the neck is the easiest part of the whole operation and this would cost about $800, too, not including the new bridge and bridgeplate and saddle.
Can you reshape my current neck to a V, softer V, round, etc. profile?
This is do-able, most of the time, and I have done it. The problems here are in the refinishing. I will either have to strip the entire neck (which means removing it from the guitar, which is a neck-reset), or I’ll have to work with just the shaft of the neck. It’s impossible to perfectly match the original (faded and aged) stain. Plus, I don’t spray nitrocellulose lacquer and will only do a French polish shellac. This is a much lighter finish and 80% of people don’t “get it”. Shaving necks will weaken them, too. You may very well have problems with the neck bowing or the guitar not holding tune as well. The value of the guitar will be chopped in half. This is your risk. I’ll charge about $200 for this, for shaping, restaining, and finishing with shellac.
Can you make a nut with wider spacing to mimic the feel of a 1 ¾” neck?
To an extent, yes. I can definitely make a nut with wider spacing, but it will not, IMHO, really feel like a wider neck. For one thing, the neck is actually the same and there a certain heft that a wider nut just doesn’t duplicate. Plus, the strings will be closer to the edge of the fingerboard and that will change the feel. Actually, one of my favorite feels is a 1 ¾” nut with near 1 11/16” spacing- the exact opposite of what you’re asking for! I like this feel because the E’s feel “solid” and feel like the interior strings. But, of all the neck modifications, this one is the easiest to do.
One thing to consider is that a nut will equal string to string spacing (as opposed to equal center to center spacing) will automatically feel wider. So, if your current nut is not equally spaced, take that into consideration.
Do you have an opinion on tall or wide frets?
Many players like or think they might like taller and or wider frets. I personally do not and here’s why. Tall frets hurt my fingers! Yes, the common statement is that tall frets teach you to play with a lighter touch, but they do that by forcing you to play lighter. I don’t press hard but I like to just barely feel the fingerboard under my fingertips and I can’t do that with tall frets- I feel like I’ve lost touch with the instrument. Taller frets are also harder to slide on, and you do need some finger pressure to get a good clean slide. Wide frets will hurt intonation, IMHO, especially, as they wear down and the surface gets wider and wider. Both frets have their purposes- I do like taller (.050”) frets on electric guitar where it takes less pressure to fret anyway. The taller frets make vibrato and bends much easier. But on acoustic guitars, I like to stick with standard .040” tall frets and just keep them in good condition, replacing when necessary to maintain full height.
Will you work on my ___________?
Maybe. I currently work primarily on Martin, Santa Cruz, Collings, Bourgeois, Huss and Dalton, and some smaller builders. At this time, I prefer not to work on Gibson, Gallagher, Guild, Mossman, any Asian guitar (this includes Sigma, Shenandoah, Takamine, Blue Ridge, etc.). I’ll sometimes do nuts, saddles, pins, frets on the latter group, but I prefer not to do neck resets, bridges, bridgeplates, or major surgery on those guitars. If I do major work, there may be an additional time charge if the guitar gives me trouble. I’ve worked on these brands in the past and they often end up taking 2-3x the time. I frequently run across finish problems, non-standard construction, strange glues, plywood bridgeplates, etc. Since I am currently full to the brim with work on Martins, etc., I need to use my time wisely and thus am usually refusing the listed brands. There are other luthiers who may work on these instruments, and I suggest you contact:
http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/
Tell ‘em I sent you! In addition, Dan Lashbrook is a guru when it comes to modifying Guilds.