New Member - Yamaha FG 412 SB

Thanks for your reply, I do appreciate that.

Yes, the guitar is lovely, and the interesting thing is that I have no desire to own or play a 12 string (to be honest) but this guitar is so beautiful that it deserves a good home. If I can get the reset done at some stage I will certainly play it, but I have an attachment to it for reasons that I don't really understand!

Shaving the bridge is a non started for me. I simply don't like the idea. Sanding the saddle is fine, but it's about as low as it can be. I must admit that I did look into shaving the bridge at one stage, but I have been steered away from that by the poor quality sound that comes from the guitar if the bridge is shaved too far. By then of course, there's no turning back! Similarly, the idea of cutting off the neck and making it a bolt on affair seems horrendous to me....even painful! So that is a non starter too. That doesn't leave too many options but I am in no hurry to find a solution. If a neck reset is the only way, then so be it. I don't know of anyone here in NZ that does this kind of work, and I fear that even if I find someone, they will refuse the job due to the nature of epoxy in these guitars. The instrument would cost somewhere in the region of $500 - $800 (NZD) so spending (probably) in excess of $1000 for the reset seems crazy....but I would do it if I found the right person.I'm not against doing it myself, once I have practiced several times on some budget guitars to get a fee for what's involved, and to make jigs etc etc. I'm also not in any hurry. If it takes another year before I get started, then that's what it takes. I would have to be confident in my abilities before attempting this. Also, if it takes and day, a week, or a month to remove the neck, that that's fine too.

I do have an alternative (possible) way to tastefully get this instrument back to a playable condition, but I will raise that for discussion a bit later on as I need to read through the forum first.

Lot's to think about!!

I have looked at some of your posts, and I will be looking at many more posts in this wonderful resource. All the knowledge and experience I have seen so far is astounding.

After much 'sleeping on it' since we last spoke, and also after much conversation with Freeman Keller (who asked me to say 'Hi' to you from him), I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the neck reset is far too dangerous for me to consider doing myself. The chances of ruing this wonderful instrument are just too high for me to contemplate, especially as I have never done a neck reset on any guitar!! So, of course the whole point of the exercise is to bring the strings and fingerboard closer to each other, and the following is, I think, the best way forward for me to achieve that, and to still keep the instrument unmolested to a large extent.

In a short phrase, I intend to remove the fingerboard and replace it with a new one, but the new one will be tapered with the thin end to the nut, and the thicker end to the soundhole.

That's the plan at this stage and I think that with care, this might be the best option for me. The finished product should be a very playable guitar and no one will notice the tapered fingerboard unless they have a closer inspection for some reason. I expect that many guitarists might spot it, but I don't think the tapered fingerboard would catch most peoples attention. If the opportunity ever arose the have the neck reset professionally, then a straight fingerboard could be applied at that time, and the instrument would still be perfect.

If I have trouble removing the fingerboard with heat ( I certainly won't force it off), then I will have the more complex, but still within my skills option of making a jig (or maybe 2) to hold the neck and guitar in position and using the laminate trimmer, block plane, sanding, to whittle down the fingerboard until it is completely removed. Making the taped fingerboard will take some practice for sure, but I will not be in any hurry so it can take as long as necessary. As I mentioned before (I think), I can't begin this job until probably the end of the year so I have a lot of time to think about this whole idea and to start the design of the jig(s).

I hope you don't that I'm completely crazy to contemplate this work-around. I genuinely think that this could be the best way forward for me to bring this instrument back to life. The only other option is for it to spend eternity as a wall hanger, and it deserves more than that!

When I start this (assuming that there isn't a reason why I shouldn't?), I will keep you in the loop with lots of pictures etc etc so you can see the progression in real time.

Best regards,
Neil

I think that finding a luthier here in NZ is a 'needle in a haystack' proposition, and even if I found one that I would trust to do the job, there is still the danger that it will all turn bad, and I would still have to pay for the time, which could be quite expensive.

I agree that there is a lot to consider for removing and replacing the fingerboard, but to me it seems like the best option from an list of poor options!!! I'm reasonably confident that I can do the job, but there will need to be a lot of measuring and note taking to make sure that I get everything spot on correct. If I do have to refinish the neck, which is more likely than not, then that's a bridge I will cross at the time. If I have to get a professional to do the refinish, that would be ok as competent finishers are a lot more common than competent luthiers!!

There's a lot to consider, a lot of measurements to take and a lot of practice needed, but if I can pull this off, then I will have saved a lovely guitar from a life of looking good but not being played.