Official Luthiers Forum!

hi guys,
(P.S., I tried researching this online w/out success)

doing my (hobby) 3rd neck reset on my own cheap guitars.

Anyways, after I steamed off the neck, I noticed this LARGE prism shaped piece of softwood "brace" glued to the top on one side, and to the neck block on the other side. It fell off a day after I steamed the neck off.

Can't figure out how to insert pics...so, it's the width of the fretboard at the soundhole, the length is from the the neck block to the first brace (next to the soundhole), and the depth is about halfway down the heel. There is a groove that accepts about 1 1/2" of the truss rod "box", and another 1 1/2" empty groove.

So, what I want to know is:

1. Do I have to reattach it? (I'd rather not b/c I would like to use a bolt/nut neck attachment system instead of glue).
2. Does it help the truss rod work?
3. What are the arguments for and against reattaching it?
4. Does it have a name so I can research it?

The guitar is a early 70's Japanese Martin copy. The top is plywood with X bracing.

Thanks a million!!

Pictures would really help. Use the button that say full editor and then browse down and you will see a thing called filename. You can upload pictures there...Mike

_________________
Another day, another dollar.

thanks, Mike...I couldn't find a full editor button, but I think I'm already there. I tried to upload files but my pics are 1.5 Mb, and the limit is 256kb. I'm having trouble linking the image to the dropbox files...

If you resize your pictures in something like MS paint to 600 pixels wide, that works well and can be uploaded.

thanks, I resized them, I hope that they're big enough to see!

It worked!
thanks!
sorry for all the white space between the two pics!

OK Glutton now I can see what you mean, thanks for the pics.

That piece is their idea of an extension to the neck block likely used, or wished to be used to firm up the upper bout.

Question though: Does this guitar have an upper transverse brace? I'm asking because some imports substituted an extended neck block for an upper transverse brace. Some used both.

If it does not have an upper transverse brace (UTB) I would reinstall the piece. If it does have an UTB and the UTB is still firmly intact and looks substantial by design you may not need that piece.

thanks for the response.

Yes, there is a UTB.

What about the truss rod? Does the TB need that piece?

Any advantage to it being there?

I can't be sure if the truss rod needs the piece but if there is an UTB that piece is likely not doing anything if much to keep the upper bout of the instrument from distorting. If you glue it back now you may be firming up an already distorted upper bout geometry.

Manipulate the rod and see how it moves? Most rods won't move much if at all toward the ends.

If I was not sure if the piece was necessary I would glue it back in place.

Don't you hate it when you have pieces left.....