Thanks Hesh! I was looking at this as an opportunity to learn something new but it is sounding like more work than it’s worth. I think I will try thinning the bridge a tad (I know not ideal but the owner is fine with it).

Meddlingfool, I would agree with you but I think I’ll pass on the reset altogether.

Thanks for your help gents!
Rick

Thank You Rick it's nice to share the idea that there is little to no learning value, certainly not from a commercial sense if one wants to learn repair of resetting a doweled neck joint. It was never intended to be reset.

You could learn a term we use to describe a condition that we seek to avoid in the repair world "scope creep....." Scope creep can put one out of business....

Sure we hack it off and bolt the sucker back on but this is not a practice that any commercial luthier with chops and business would ever do unless they had nothing to do. Hell why not use JB Weld....

So no learning opportunity neck reset wise with this one. It also is interesting and just preserving it as an example of the past is a worthy endeavor too.

There are guitars Rick that make excellent learning mules like Harmony Sovereigns which are largly constructed just like a Martin with a proper dovetail joint.

Here is a re-built Harmony Sovereign sound sample that a customer sent to me:

https://soundcloud.com/wlindz/doxology- ... al_sharing

They are fun to work on and as you say, they are great projects for learning.

Thanks gents. Guitar job, that Harmony sounds wonderful!

Regarding the Giannini, the owner of the guitar told me he had been keeping the guitar as it had belonged to his uncle who gave it to him. It sat for years and he thought he should at least pick it up and play it but found the bridge had lifted off the top. He knew I was getting back into the lutherie gig and offered that it might be a learning experience for me to try to fix it and if it came back as toothpicks he was okay with that. My offer was to fix the bridge. I learned a lot on that exercise (removed the bridge, bridge plate and flattened a belly bulge issue. The reset was an after thought on my part as the angle of the fret board is very low. I can get it playable but it is not the idea repair IMHO. None-the-less, I have a build on my bench that I want to get back to and given this neck reset isn’t shaping up to be that straightforward I am going to stop at the bridge repair. I appreciate the feedback you folks have offered.

I’ve been away from the forum for quite a while - work got in the way. I just retired, so I’m gunning to get back at it and make some sawdust. I truly appreciate the OLF and the community it offers.

Take care folks.
Rick