Bolt-on Neck Repair

[upsidedownpotato]

So through some acts of clumsiness, my guitar was accidentally stepped on. The front two screws of the bolt-on neck appear to have shifted forward and the neck itself is now at an angle.
I've done a bit of research that suggest things like toothpicks and wood glue, but as I am complete newbie to this sort of thing, I'd rather ask for advice first before attempting anything.



So is there anything I can do, or should I just suck it up and find a local guitar repair shop?

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I'm gonna bet the 2 rear screws have been boogered up, too. If you have a local guy with a good rep, yeah - drop it by. He can tell you whether it's serious, or a simple fix.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

The first thing I would do is add my location to my profile so others might direct me toward a competent repairman.

That can easily be repaired by most shops.

 

[upsidedownpotato]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Good idea, done that now. Though from what I can tell this forum seems rather US-based? Whereas I'm from the other side of the pond. Here's hoping though! Is there anything I should lookout for in finding a decent repairman, other than reviews I suppose?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I'd use a drill press to drill out the stripped holes to a slightly larger size, glue dowels in place, cut flush and redrill holes for the neck screws. Much more stable than trying to fill with toothpicks and glue. I'd also get new neck screws while I was at it.

Oh yeah...get those strings off of there! No sense in making the problem worse by keeping tension on the joint!

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Get some new neck screws also, because they're most likely bent.
Man, you actually lucked out, that could have been way worse actually. Its a fairly straight forward fix if you cant find a local luthier. Find some youtube videos an practice on an old board a few times, youll get it just take your time.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Also, let me just add that however much neck screw is exposed after the neck is off, (leave the plate and screws and measure how much is sticking through), thats all the deeper you need to drill your holes. So mark your drill bit with masking tape and be careful because you could drill through your fretboard otherwise.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I would remove it clean up the chips and glue it on. :rambo:. I did a bolt on to glued in neck and it turned out so awesome i want to do it again.

But yeah seriously you could dowel it and just re-drill the holes into that.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

This is a surprisingly easy fix.

First...punch the guy in the nose that stepped on your guitar.
Then, take the strings off; unscrew the neck screws and throw them away (after measuring their length); drill out the screw holes in the neck (making sure you measure and don't go through the fretboard); glue in some hardwood dowels (not pine) and trim flush; buy new screws the same length as the originals; line up your neck on the body and drill new screw holes; put in the new screws; put strings on; play.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Take it to a repair shop that can put in some inserts into it. Then it'll use machine screws to connect.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Take it to a repair shop that can put in some inserts into it. Then it'll use machine screws to connect.

The only problem with that is that the inserts can be pulled out if you put too much tension on the joint. A wood screw (neck screw) directly anchors into the wood via the threads. Can the screws be ripped out? Obviously yes, that's the OP's original problem. But inserts can be pulled out 10 times easier.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

All this blather, but the truth is the materials the axe is made from are crap. A simple glance at the pix shows that the neck is made of luaun - sometimes marketed as Philippine Mahogany. That species is not even close to true mahogany in structure, strength, etc. The ONLY similarities are: it's brown color, and the grain LOOKS like a true swietenia mahogani. The stuff is punky, pithy, lightweight, and really not good as solid lumber for a guitar neck. A body - yes, but not a neck.

So, from the start - you ain't got a chance with that neck. It's made of junk, and damn little will ever improve or help it. That's the truth.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

All this blather, but the truth is the materials the axe is made from are crap. A simple glance at the pix shows that the neck is made of luaun - sometimes marketed as Philippine Mahogany. That species is not even close to true mahogany in structure, strength, etc. The ONLY similarities are: it's brown color, and the grain LOOKS like a true swietenia mahogani. The stuff is punky, pithy, lightweight, and really not good as solid lumber for a guitar neck. A body - yes, but not a neck.

So, from the start - you ain't got a chance with that neck. It's made of junk, and damn little will ever improve or help it. That's the truth.

Yet, oddly, you were the first reply on giving advice to fix it.

Seriously, it's gonna cost next to nothing to fix, and won't even take all that long. From that, the OP has then either successfully repaired his broken guitar, or completely butchered it and learned what not to do. Either way, he learned something. That's the truth.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

All this blather, but the truth is the materials the axe is made from are crap. A simple glance at the pix shows that the neck is made of luaun - sometimes marketed as Philippine Mahogany. That species is not even close to true mahogany in structure, strength, etc. The ONLY similarities are: it's brown color, and the grain LOOKS like a true swietenia mahogani. The stuff is punky, pithy, lightweight, and really not good as solid lumber for a guitar neck. A body - yes, but not a neck.

So, from the start - you ain't got a chance with that neck. It's made of junk, and damn little will ever improve or help it. That's the truth.

Wow! You can tell all that by looking at a picture of it (which can only show, in your words, thesimilarities with "true mahogany") showing "its brown color, and the grain"?

So, are you suggesting that he fork out the big bucks to get a $3500 Gibson made of true mahogany rather than spend the $10-20 to fix what he's already got?

And besides, he DOES have a chance to help/fix it to be as good as new, probably even better with the neck screws anchored in hardwood dowels rather than its "punky, pithy, lightweight, and not good" luaun!

What an attitude of help you have for another forum member who is obviously in desperate need for some constructive suggestions.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Wow! You can tell all that by looking at a picture of it

Yeah. It's called 40 years in the repair biz.

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I had the same thing happen to my number one guitar at a gig earlier in the year. I tried the maple toothpick and super glue trick first, since I figured if it wasn't enough to fix I could to the drill and dowel, which I've had done before too, and it worked out perfectly. Worth a try first, since it will will cost you at most a few dollars.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

Yeah. It's called 40 years in the repair biz.

Oh, wow. I didn't realize that. 40 years!?! That's almost better than my 60 years! I guess we all better respect your opinions as if they were actually absolute fact from now on. And so I guess the OP better not even attempt to waste his time trying to fix that hunk of junk pile of scrap firewood called a guitar (even though it may only take 10 minutes and less than $20), and he should just go ahead and buy a real guitar...probably ought to spend at least $4000 to make sure he gets one with good/real wood.

We all should know now that if anything breaks it's because it was too cheap to begin with and should not even be attempted to be repaired, it should need to be replaced with something better.

We all appreciate your very insightful, experienced, input about the quality of wood.

But still, for some reason, I can't help but think that in this case, at least, you are totally wrong. And "that's the truth".

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

It's wood...it can be fixed. My suggestion above (drill out, dowel and redrill with new screws) is the most sound advice in this thread.

ICTGoober, I don't know why you're going on about this in such a negative light. If you really have so much experience, you'd know it's an easy fix. If the guy likes the guitar, it's worth attempting such an easy repair, even if its only $150 guitar. A luthier could fix it in 20 minutes. And you absolutely can not tell by that picture whether it's Luaun or not. Either way, doesn't matter much...Luaun's "cheap", but it doesn't make a guitar any less a guitar if it sounds and plays great in the end

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I stand by all my posts.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Bolt-on Neck Repair

I stand by all my posts.