SG Special Neck Joint

[67Special]

Hi,

 

I have a 67 Special that I've had for about 27 years now. To be honest, I've never bothered with it that much, favouring my Strat, but have recently got involved with a band and dug the old SG out in attempt to fatten up the sound. I found that, if I back off the volume to, say, 7 or 8, through my Marshall JCM800 I can get some fantastic, smooth yet incredibly raunchy sounds from it and now regret not having used it more. It seems like I've owned my dream guitar all these years, and haven't realised it!

 

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase - the neck joint is stepped and I suspect foul play… I haven’t been able to spot any others like this, so wonder if it's some sort of bodged repair. Instead of the fretboard sitting more or less directly on top of the body, there is a gap. This was filled with softwood, which was stained to match the main colour. I pulled this out with my finger nail when I panicked and thought my guitar was being eaten by worms!!

 

So, is this a standard set-up, or am I looking at having the neck reset by and expert, or maybe just piecing-in a nice bit of wood to fill the gaps at the sides?

 

Hope you can help...

[pfox14]

The neck joint/heel of your SG should be stepped. The fingerboard shim is normal for a '67 SG, though it sounds like there is a problem with the material that was used. Souldn't be soft enough to dislodge with your fingernail. If the action is OK and everything else is working fine, I would leave it alone.

[67Special]

Thanks pfox14

 

I've since found a few photos on the net to confirm this and I wonder if the extra height thus gained, is to clear the P90s, or are all 67s SGs like this?

 

The material I pulled out was soft, almost like balsa, but it's long gone. I'll fill it with mahogany. I'm also looking for some strip tuners as this one's fitted with replacements.

 

It's solid as a rock now. I learned that SGs (or at least mine) don't like to be horizontal - as long as it's stored on a proper guitar stand it's fine. With flexing/settling of the wood taken out of the equation, the guitar stays in tune even with the primitive bridge set-up!

[BigKahune]

The neck joint/heel of your SG should be stepped. The fingerboard shim is normal for a '67 SG .... If the action is OK and everything else is working fine, I would leave it alone.

 

+1

 

A common Gibson practice in the 60s. I've got a 65 MM with the same type of shim.

[pfox14]

It's solid as a rock now. I learned that SGs (or at least mine) don't like to be horizontal - as long as it's stored on a proper guitar stand it's fine. With flexing/settling of the wood taken out of the equation, the guitar stays in tune even with the primitive bridge set-up!

 

Glad you were able to fix it. Most people couldn't do what you did. I've never heard of an SG haviong problems being left in a case???? Gibson sells replacement tuners - individual Gibson Deluxe (look like the Grover Deluxes) they are very good quality. I put a set on my SG. http://store.gibson.com/les-paul-pearloid-machine-heads/

[Stan Martin]

Hi,

 

I have a 67 Special that I've had for about 27 years now. To be honest, I've never bothered with it that much, favouring my Strat, but have recently got involved with a band and dug the old SG out in attempt to fatten up the sound. I found that, if I back off the volume to, say, 7 or 8, through my Marshall JCM800 I can get some fantastic, smooth yet incredibly raunchy sounds from it and now regret not having used it more. It seems like I've owned my dream guitar all these years, and haven't realised it!

 

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase - the neck joint is stepped and I suspect foul play… I haven’t been able to spot any others like this, so wonder if it's some sort of bodged repair. Instead of the fretboard sitting more or less directly on top of the body, there is a gap. This was filled with softwood, which was stained to match the main colour. I pulled this out with my finger nail when I panicked and thought my guitar was being eaten by worms!!

 

So, is this a standard set-up, or am I looking at having the neck reset by and expert, or maybe just piecing-in a nice bit of wood to fill the gaps at the sides?

 

Hope you can help...

[Stan Martin]

I have a '68 SG Standard with Vibrola/Lyretail tailpiece. One day several years ago, after having not played it in months, I picked it up and began playing. It quickly became apparent that something was seriously wrong. The tones were out of intonation everywhere on the neck! Open chords, upneck chords , it didn't matter. The guitar was completely out of intonation. Ever since I had bought it new back in 1969, it had never been in perfect intonation, but never as "out" as it now was. I was baffled. Then, I began looking. I sighted up the neck toward the headstock and saw that the instrument had an abnormal amount of negative relief (the neck was bowed away from the strings). Further close inspection revealed that the neck, at the point where it's set into the body, was separating from the body. The glue had given out and there was an 1/8" gap at the heel between the neck and body where there should not have been any gap. Alarmed, I e-mailed Gibson, described what I'd seen, and was told that the instrument needed a "neck reset" job.

Long story short, I sent it to Gibson's Repair & Restoration facility in Nashville, TN, and, seven weeks and $800.00 later, I got it back. It was perfect! The guitar was returned properly set up, neck reset, new strings, and with firmly re-anchored bridge posts (a problem repaired which I had not originally mentioned to Gibson). There was now no trace of neck relief, neither negative nor positive, and it has been that way ever since. The intonation, everywhere on the neck is perfect, according to electronic tuning. You may be experiencing the same or similar problems.

[67Special]

Hi Stan,

 

My case is not a proper Gibson one, so it's possible the guitar is supported in the wrong places when it's in there. When having serious tuning problems, I took the guitar to a couple of shops, who couldn't find anything wrong with it, so I stood it on a stand for a while and it seemed to settle down. Becuase it's a Special with the wraparound bridge that has the intonation set for a wound 'G', it's never totally in tune. You can drive yourself up the wall trying to get it perfect, and I find the best way to tune it is to use an electronic tuner to get all the open strings strings spot-on, then drop the 'G 'slightly flat. It's still a bit sharp up the neck, but because I've balanced the error out, it's insignificatn and you soon forget about it. You can drive yourself totally nuts tuning guitars.

 

I'm reluctant to replace the bridge becuase I think it must be part of the sound. Everyone in the band has comented how good the guitar sounds.

[old mark]

As far as not liking to be horizontal, NO Gibson guitar should ever be laid on its back with the top of the peg head resting on a surface, not ever.

Increased pressure on the back of the peg head at the top might snap the head off or at least crack it through at that bend...it is a very common break, and although it is mostly an easy and reliable repair, it dramatically lowers the value of the guitar and may make it harder to play, simply depending on how it breaks.

It is not just GIbsons that do this, but it is a pretty common accident with Gibson guitars and it is a reason I always keep mine in their case when they is not being played.

I have also seen an old Gibson break its neck at that spot falling off a guitar stand on a stage...I don't use them, either, even at home...I have a large-tail wagging dog.

 

You can use an old towel or cloth of some kind to support your guitar in its case it if does not support it properly.It should be a snug fit.

 

mark