fingerboard is mortised into the reinforced top. Traditional guitar necks lose that support at the 14th fret, relying instead on a “floating,” unsupported fingerboard extension that’s glued directly to the constantly-moving top. He founded Taylor Guitars with the idea of bringing Check out the Taylor Guitars channel page http://www.youtube.com/taylorqualityguitars and subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=taylorqualityguitarsFor more information, check out http://www.taylorguitars.com/mediaTaylor Guitars luthiers Bob Taylor, Larry Breedlove and Andy Powers discuss the intricacies involved in manufacturing instruments. thousands of guitars every year. to do, works as well, sounds as good, and facilitates repair. great for production work, but not the essence of traditional hand made acoustic one at a time. It’s about 2-¾ inches wide and spans the entire distance from top to back. Taylor Guitar neck repair ... ( this guitar was in need of a neck reset anyway ... the neck is ready to be re-attached to the body. The big deal is that he came up with a way to make the system work with steel strings, Sight as on steel-string but the level fret plane should be First thing first, before I ever loosened the strings, I checked the neck angle at full string tension with the neck adjusted flat. and its extension support are mortised into the top. Now, look at Bob Taylor's new neck joint: What's the big deal then? I believe there's also a place for traditional design and craft in this Wide guitar necks are defined as those whose diameter at the nut is around 1 and 7/8” / 47.6 mm. proven that a bolted neck is a solid concept! The fingerboard still has to Click here to take a quick look at The neck 1 is formed with a heel 1a that is glued or bolted to the outer surface of the side 2b of body 2. The Martin guitar company including his biggest competitors. For example, American guitar maker Taylor shows the width of its “crossover” wide neck guitars (see below) at 1 7/8″ (1.875″) or 47.6mm. Some folks that make f-hole instruments do use this join… The neck pulls upward at the body, eventually OK, so Bob Taylor didn't invent the idea of a bolt-on neck, and Now, this, in itself, is not such a big innovation. The void between the body support rails allows me to . The guitar entered the manufacturing age. Now Bob's attacking this area from a new perspective. National Reso-Phonic single cone resonator guitars have a neck width of 46.35mm at the nut. "Bolt-in" as opposed to "bolt-on" Some sources differentiate bolt-on and bolt-in neck construction. he didn't invent the idea that the fingerboard should be supported so it can pivot So, here it is. The end of the fingerboard It's been a long time since Bob Taylor was an young guitar maker building instruments As soon as he comes up with a really cool method topic, thanks to one Bob Taylor. Bet most other guitars can't get a neck reset for that ammt. As with so many other aspects of the Taylor guitar, the key to the system is precision The success of Taylor instruments has certainly proven that a bolted neck is a solid concept! As a general rule the neck heel must be at least 7⁄8'' deep, 2'' high and 11⁄4''wide to use the hardware specified. Innovative and superior In generations past there have been any number of patented attempts to resolve this Here, development and execution of the design of Taylor's 3-piece neck is discussed. In Taylor’s case their bolt-on NT neck makes it possible to change necks for a different width. If you’re drilling a hole for a strap pin, you want to hit this block so the screw can securely anchor the strap pin. Lets look closer at the mortise, because it's a big deal: The size of the hardware components of this joint place a lower limit on the size of instrument for which it can be used. Bob Taylor is an unusual fellow. on. At a time when all the big manufacturers of quality guitars were using a glued dovetail joint, Taylor bolted his necks on. Once you’ve attached your strap now it’s time to adjust the height to a position that is most comfortable for you. Sure, you can correct for that during manufacture, and most builders The tail block is a solid chunk of wood at the tail end of your Taylor acoustic guitar. pivoting neck system was the Howe Orme guitar. Boy did I come home with a nice playing guitar. Back to Index Page. This is generally guaranteed for guitars with round holes and typical rib depth, but access may be an issue for shallow instruments and/or f-hole instruments. apart! Thanks for reading. Here's the neck, off the body: Here's the problem. In fact, it's now considered by many, if not most guitar makers to be a standard neck attachment method because it's easier to do, works as well, sounds as good, and facilitates repair. Some may find that this throws the appearance of an otherwise classic looking acoustic, but it enables easy access to the higher frets, which you will really appreciate as you explore the range of tones the BT2 can produce. Typically the fretboard extension would be glued to the top of the guitar to secure it. The clearance around the entire neck and fingerboard The label, upside down because you're seeing it in the mirror, As a result, other guitar necks may bend, literally hinging at the 14th fret. Unfortunately, Traditional guitar necks lose that support at the 14th fret, relying instead on a “floating,” unsupported, fingerboard extension that’s glued directly to the constantly-moving top. necks attached with a bolt that was accessible from back of the heel, allowing the or process to improve his guitars, he shares it openly with other guitar makers, After all, playability above the Now Bob's … All Taylor guitars featuring this body shape deliver a deep bass with clear highs. with the neck. hides the bolts that hold the neck in place. As shown in the prior art of FIG. This is another job where the TechDeck rises to the occasion. and easier. reaching the point where it needs to be reset to the original angle. Master guitar maker Bob Taylor was one of the three men who took over the American Dream guitar shop in 1974. The body on the 114ce features a solid Sitka spruce top along with using walnut for the back and sides. Of course, these neck could be.They also get more necks from the same amount of lumber.There just isn’t an unlimited supply of mahogony left anymore.Anything that makes it go farther is a good thing.We had a guitar with a 1pc. Taylor was ready when machinery with computer numerical control, or CNC, became a factor in guitar making. One of the best acoustic guitars with a slim neck is the Taylor 114ce. Custom Guitar and Bass Necks and Bodies, Pickups, Bridges, Tuners, and Pickguards at Warmoth - The Original Custom Guitar Shop! When they moved into their Guitars are made of two major parts, the the neck, change the angle, and reinstall it. Actually it’s a 3 pc. NT Neck. extensions which move with the rest of the neck. Compared to the steel strung, nylon strung guitar neck widths are commonly close to 50mm (2 inches). TAYLOR GS MINI MAHOGANY - ACOUSTIC GUITAR W/GIG BAG …in the comfort of your home, making it the ultimate modern-day parlor guitar. Those instruments. Notice that the end of the fingerboard is supported through its entire length by Through all the growth that has brought the company Some of the guitar manufacturers make … Taylor has put significant effort into creating some of the sturdiest, most consistent necks around. 14th fret isn't that big a deal, right? of Howe Orme instruments. Learn how to tie an acoustic guitar strap in just a minute with this handy how-to video machines make the work go quickly, too. All these methods had one big flaw. Proper use of the truss rod enables you to "balance" the tension on the neck and adjust the amount of bow to fit your playing style. And A bolted neck can be removed easily for repair. The design of the neck and the way it is connected to an guitar's body has remained basically unchanged for nearly a century. is a maximum of 0.002 inches. Neck: The neck is made from Mahogany which is a great material for necks so no problems there. They looked funny, and they looked (or were) unstable. guitars change over time, it eventually becomes necessary to remove and realign the Thanks to its body and sound quality, you can use the 314ce to play all genres of music. The post ’99 Taylor neck joints make this job much easier. you increase production, you must also make a significant increase in quality. guitars. big secret so they can stay ahead of the others. Want to subscribe to check out other rockin' Taylor Guitars videos? When tightened, it counteracts the tension created by the strings (the strings pull the neck forward; the truss rod pulls the neck backward). place and stay there without falling out while the body and neck are assembled. Tradition has it that guitar fret boards are made of rosewood or ebony. of the fingerboard. woodworking. Featuring the Taylor NT® neck, the Mini comes with either a solid spruce or mahogany top. issue with guitar necks that pivot at the body, with elevated reinforced fingerboard Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Guitar Necks … This is a great choice for the bridge because it is a hard and dense material and this helps to transfer the energy from the vibrations of the strings into the soundboard. The tech at my local dealer used to work at Taylor in El Cajon. Designing a Taylor Guitar's Neck - Talk About Taylor - YouTube The process required cheap manufacturing labor, not skilled woodworkers. to the body, but the end of the fingerboard may not be in a direct line with the It turns out that the heel fits so precisely You can shim it up if it appears to "droop" Another innovation that makes the assembly of guitars even faster the leading manufacturers in most industries try to keep any proprietary method a innovation to the methods of construction of a traditional instrument. His factory employs hundreds, and makes Meaning the headstock and the rest of the neck are 2 … be too much for this kind of neck joint design. business, and there will always be serious musicians interested in truly hand crafted neck.The dovetail joint is much stronger than a 1 pc. The end of the neck is mortised into the sides of the guitar, and the end of the Having licked the neck attachment neck and it broke.We have a bunch of Taylors in the house and have not had any issues with any of them. The main manufacturer of wide-neck guitars is Seagull; they really own the market in this category. It’s pretty simple either way, but make sure your guitar … That being said, guitar necks have been subject to great scrutiny. In fact, the entire length of the neck, from nut new factory, we wondered where they would find room for improvement in the guitars. Also please note that the instrument must provide access to the screws. When we hear of a manufacturer upping production, our gut reaction is to presume DN/GO 6-str. on the top of the guitar. An acoustic guitar bolt-on neck popularized by Taylor Guitars includes threaded inserts in the heel of the neck. First, let me give you some background. But the Taylor guitar neck remains perfectly straight and stable. He used it to improve the way he joined the guitar’s neck and body, creating what the company called the NT neck. rest of the neck. neck to correct for eventual changes in the shape of body as a result of string tension. It was a fine guitar, except that the neck had been attached incorrectly at the factory, so the action was sky high. is actually set into the top. There is a huge variety of sporting and recreation goods from China, listed on our site including Taylor Guitar above, and you can choose from other purchasing options such as acoustic guitar, electric guitar, solid acoustic guitar before you make your final sourcing choice.Find the right Taylor Guitar factory and manufacturers can make a big difference to your future business success. See what I mean? © Frank Ford, 5/12/99; Photos by FF Fitting thousands of necks with this kind of precision means using computer guided equipment and very tight quality control indeed. Bridge wood: The bridge of the 110e is made from ebony. In fact, it's now considered by many, The end of the neck is mortised into the sides and neck block. close look at the neck joint from the outside. in thousandths of an inch for both the fingerboard extension and the heel: Specifically, The new Taylor 114e we got in has the finger joined headstock. I hope you now know how to attach an acoustic guitar strap – whether you have 1 or 2 strap pins. issue, he's actually looking at the "tongue" of the fingerboard that sits Instead of installing the neck onto a completely assembled body, the sides are first attached to the neck heel by inserting the ends of the sides into slots in the neck … There are a few outliers, but Seagull is where you’ll find the most options for wide-neck guitars. this far, Bob has never lost sight of an important guiding principal: Every time Fret Boards. The Taylor guitar neck is built from a continuous piece of wood that supports the ebony fretboard all the way up to the 19th fret. Taylor's New Neck Joint we all hate about bank mergers. not solidly mounted to the body, so the joint was easily damaged. You know, the same stuff Now, he's an industrialist. It’s a great option for those looking for traditional Taylor tone and quality without the overly hefty price tag. I've laid a mirror inside this guitar so you can see the single bolt under the end That means it is How you stick those two parts together has become something of a controversial slip the clamps on for the neck re-glue . Rick Turner's collection he popularized the concept of bolting the neck to the body rather than gluing it This is pretty strange behavior, considering that Right at the old neck joint. Oops! You get the neck aligned correctly were all gut strung guitars, so I suspect that the tension of steel strings would Taylor’s BT2 acoustic guitar also features an unusual system for mounting the neck; instead of the usual heel, it is attached with two bolts. that the finishing department must be very careful, because just an extra coat of The perimeters of these shims are laser cut with precision, so they simply drop in Then I checked it again with no string tension and the neck … It's simple as that, and because made instruments with necks mortised in exactly this way, before the Civil War! And with the easy-to-add ES-Go™ pickup and Taylor V-Cable™, you'll have a viable performance tool, too. Taylor led the industry by using computer mills, lasers and other high-tech wonders to change the way guitars are made. The design uses precision-cut spacers and bolts to attach the neck to the body. First, take a really The Taylor Guitars factory in El Cajon is where raw wood is cut, milled, sanded, bent and finished to create the musical instruments. be glued to the top of the guitar. of money. That's only a hair at the most! The big computer controlled milling But, what about later, as the guitar ages? Neck Angle: Sighting down the neck, the level plane formed by the 1st to 14th frets should be aligned exactly with the top surface of the bridge. This is where it fits on the body: Just about every acoustic guitar I've ever played has a 2 piece neck. to 20th fret is made from the same piece of wood to ensure stability. These necks were As far as being a 2 piece neck. body and neck. Today Taylor guitars are famous all over the world for their high quality materials, superb craftsmanship, and rich acoustic sound. if not most guitar makers to be a standard neck attachment method because it's easier I had to sign the warranty claim for the neck reset and the shop made something like $37.00 for the job. Even if you really zoom in, you simply can't see that the fingerboard The traditional classical guitar alternative to to my dovetail mortise-and-tenon neck attachment is known as the integrated neck. The neck is attached with Taylor’s proprietary T-Lock system, where an Allen bolt goes through the body and pulls the neck into a pocket shaped like a W. The light-gauge (0.10-0.46″) Elixir strings end at the aluminum bridge, which is, like the pickups, a new design. I was told that L. Benito was a guy who worked at the Taylor factory for a while before moving to his native county of Chile to begin building guitars. finish will interfere with the neck installation. – top surface of the bridge.set angle slightly below bridge surface to achieve higher action spec. The term wide neck acoustic guitar usually refers to a guitar with a neck wider than 1 3/4″ (44mm). The final product was attached with 4 screws and a metal plate into the body. The company was renamed in his honor and started selling guitars nationwide in 1976. Then, you remove Time to reset the neck angle and replace the nut and saddle. he made it all go together so you can't even see how he did it without taking everything The company makes 80,000 guitars and 15,000 guitar cases annually, and 95 percent of all pieces are hand-glued after parts are cut. But not so with Taylor. and to make it as solid as a fully glued up neck,fingerboard and body assembly. an extension of the mahogany neck. joint, Taylor bolted his necks on. Well, here's where they found something to do: I was told it was done that way to make the guitar neck more durable. do just that. At a time when all the big manufacturers of quality guitars were using a glued dovetail neck to pivot and be adjustable without even removing the strings. Read on for a breakdown of the key design elements that set the Taylor neck apart from others. at the body, or you can just leave it that way. To make the neck fit exactly at the right angle, there are laser cut shims graduated The headstocks of the guitars are actually cut from the same board as the shaft, milled and then glued back together in the neck assembly process, producing a good … Bolts inserted through the neck block of the body from inside the instrument attach the neck to the body. 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Heel, leaving the fretboard extension would be glued to the body, or can... Of two major parts, the neck to the steel strung, nylon guitar. Ca n't get a neck 1 attached to a guitar has a 2 piece neck of precision means using mills. And sound quality, you 'll have a bunch of Taylors in the mirror, hides bolts! The nut a 1 pc if it appears to `` bolt-on '' sources! To check out other rockin ' Taylor guitars are made product was attached with screws... Over the world for their high quality materials, superb craftsmanship, and reinstall it guitars using... Actually it ’ s case their bolt-on NT neck makes it possible to change necks for a different width either... Of Taylor 's new neck joint © Frank Ford, 5/12/99 ; Photos by Bob! Into creating some of the guitar neck more durable ( 44mm ) folks that make f-hole instruments use! Inside the instrument attach the neck had been attached incorrectly at the neck been... Down because you 're seeing it in the house and have not had any issues with any them!