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I've got a 1910 Larson-built Stetson guitar which needs a neck reset. After pricing this with the local expert, I'm going to do it myself, but need some assistance with what to expect. It's ladder - braced, and has a very shallow neck block, with a strange dowel-like cylinder glued in the middle of the neckblock, in the same plane as the neck (dowel pointing towards the tail block.) The neckblock only extends to the 13th fret - so removing the 13th fret and injecting steam into a hole drilled there won't work.

Anyone have any advice on how to remove this neck? Any expertise on doing neck resets on these old guitars? Thanks!

P.S. - Don't worry - old picture - I've removed the strings.

what's wrong with it/why does it need a reset?
may i speculate that the price from the local expert was a bit high?
imo such a nice and rare guitar as this warrants the greatest care and attention. which often costs a lot for a reason.
imo this is advanced level work -no offense but are you comfortable doing the work?
i'm just asking with the best possible intentions and no ill will

Arie -

No offense taken - you're asking all the right questions.

The reset is necessary because a straightedge placed on the fingerboard is algned with the ..... well. lets put it this way - if it's supposed to be a skosh above the bridge, this is on a plane somewhere below the plane of the soundboard. 100 years of age, and probably some of that in a closet with steel strings on it..... etc.

I knew it before I brought it to the repair pro - and he confirmed.

Yes, the price was astronomical. Out of the question. Oh. and the wait time was ..... long.

Yes, it's a very nice instrument, and I know that repair is a different animal than construction - if you screw up a build, it's into the bin. Screw up a repair, major damage to a 100 year old guitar.

I'm not taking this lightly. And I'm not going to touch this guitar until I've done as much research as I can.

Do you know anything about these guitars? Thanks.

contact either Tony Klassen and/or Frankie Montouro. They know every thing about Larson's and guitars that are similar to larsons. They also build and repair larson and larson style guitars.

Thanks, Brian. Will do.

Regards,


Corky

Hmm, was this built for steel or gut? For a nylon guitar it is normal for the FB plane to sit below the bridge top...
Is there any visible caving-in anywhere as solid proof the neck moved up?

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Build log

Alexandru - you're the first one to mention this - and it's true that it was undoubtedly built for gut strings - very lightly built, ladder braced, and 1910, etc.

If I lay a straightedge on the fretboard, how can I determine whether it's at the right angle for a nylon string guitar??

Thanks