[CHH]

I'm what most would call "retired" and making decisions on some jobs I've had waiting in my basement shop for a long time. I've done a few acoustic flat-top neck resets, always successfully. This one is a 1982 J-45 DeLuxe, which has a neck joint that was used from some years. The neck has a paddle-like extension that is glued to the underside of the top under the neck extension (the 14th to 20th fred area of the fingerboard. It seems to me that the neck joint is unlikely to be steamed free like most dovetail neck joints, as the paddle extendion cannot be lifted through the top.

Have never seen any explanation of how this neck is removed for re-setting. It very likely can be sawed off and converted to a bolt-on type, but that might be less desirable if there's some reasonable way to steam the existing neck joint apart. I know these guitars are far from Gibson's better work, but it does sound pretty good (if not very loud).

Does anyone know of a way that these necks can be removed for re-setting?

[tarlek]

http://www.myspace.c...2%3A14775645%7D

That guy did it. I don't see a paddle there, maybe its separate? Good luck.

[CHH]

tarlek, on 11 November 2012 - 06:44 PM, said:

http://www.myspace.c...2%3A14775645%7D

That guy did it. I don't see a paddle there, maybe its separate? Good luck.

Thanks. Interesting, but that's not the type. It COULD be a J-45 that has been modified extensively. I don't think Gibson ever used that double parallelogram inset pattern on a J-45. Seems to me that was mainly a Southerner Jumbo pattern. The one that had the paddle neck joint were "square shouldered" models from the 1969 to 1983 years. I don't mean that the paddle design was used through all those years -- I just think it was limited to those years, possible about 1977 to when the J-45 was dropped all together in 1983. (Of course it was brought back in 1984, but with the older slope-shouldered design.) These square-shouldered models with the paddle in the joint construction had the heavier "double-X" bracing on the tops. Couple other things I've noticed, the headstock is wider (tuners stick out farther) than other J-45 or J-50 and the heel of the neck is slightly cut off before extending all the way down to where the back meets the side. The neck heel stops about a half inch shy of reaching the back, and is cut off with a slight bevel there. It's a much smaller neck heel than the typical old Gibson as seen in the photo that you linked to.

I guess this 1982 model is pretty near the bottom of Gibson's business and performance curve. Seems like it would be nice to rescue it even if just to represent that sad era.

[duluthdan]

CHH: I am NOT a Luthier, but I recall hearing or reading about these and how some removed the 15th fret and then drilled down and cut to free the neck. There was a need to refil the fretboard later on and then resetting the fret. The description seemed like the paddle was much narrower than the neck. and so the saw cut did not go near or through the fingerboard edge. But, this would seem to also result in a small cut throuth the top? What a screwy design. Must've thought these would never ever need a neck reset.

[retrorod]

I have never attempted a neck reset. Perhaps someone who has will respond. In the meantime and as an added info rescource, you may want to try the forum on this site also...
http://www.frets.com/

LOTS of good info on those pages
Good Luck,Rod