Thank you for this video. This is for me a second confirmation, beside the string height, that my Taylor needs a neck reset. Unfortunately I didn't receive a good guitar as it was out of the box in that state.
Thank you. Great informative video broken down well for someone with basic skills and commonsense. Can I make one suggestion please. For those of us outside U.S, could we have tolerances in metric please. Fractions are not familiar anymore. Thank you.
When adding tension to the truss rod (to bend it backward, against string tension), I like to reduce string tension first (1/2 turn or so), to reduce stress to the truss rod threads/cap, then re-tune up to pitch, then check where the straightedge falls on the bridge. This video checked the angle after not one, but two, truss rod tightenings that were already done against full string tension, which means the neck was potentially more biased to the front (pulled that way by now-excess string tension), making the straightedge test less accurate, compared to normal string tension's impact on where the straightedge lands..
I just had this done on my second hand (but as new condition) Taylor 210CE. It changed it from ok guitar to the guitar of my dreams with low action like an electric. In NZ Taylor won’t sell the shims to a non Taylor Tech. It cost me $150 (that was with discount) to get it done. The only thing is NZ is humid so we sit with humidity of 60%. When I first took the guitar in complaining about the action, their standard “non-Taylor” luthier said to sand the saddle. I had taken it to my tech who is not a Taylor Tech and he told me to take it to the Taylor dealer but under no circumstances to let them sand the saddle. He said he could have done the repair but he could not purchase the shims as he was not the Taylor dealer and they would not sell the shims to him. I had to fight tooth and nail with the guitar shop and insisted that they don’t sand the saddle. In the end I got what I wanted and now it’s perfect. The point of all of this is the same as the video, do not let a luthier/guitar tech sand the saddle, they are preset. Only a neck reset/shim change will do it.
18:10 The 6 digit difference between each shim is not a confidential number. Taylor regularly shares this with their customers. To keep the shims balance they always need to maintain a 6 digit difference. Exp (18 / 12) or (24 / 18) etc
Just called Taylor today for some shims for my new guitar. Asked them if me replacing the shims would void the warranty. They said it would not unless I damaged the guitar while doing it. Sent them the current shim sizes and the current E/e string height at 12th fret. My shims will arrive in a few days. This isn't rocket science. Taylor makes this pretty simple.
I hate ebony. My first partial refret, I thought i released the tension on the frets but the tearout on my first refret was insane. I guess i need to learn some more techniques. I know i dont want the guitar neck to be crunching the frets. I was able to fill the damage but that was scary.
What if you’re not in need of a neck reset per se, but just want a lower action. Would Taylor approve that as free? If not, or if you’re not the original owner, it seems like it would be quite expensive compared to just having the saddle shaved. Great and informative video btw.
Thanks dude for your interesting video. I would never venture this level of work myself but knowing the mechanics of the Taylor guitar setup has helped me to known what I can do myself, and what I certainly shouldn’t do (like reducing the saddle height). Also having knowledge of the Taylor specs for action measurements is valuable when adjusting the neck relief. I need to get one of those long steel rulers now. Shame you’re not closer to where I’m based as I would be sending my guitars to you - don’ t fancy setting up your business in the UK do you?
The explanation for this process was as masterful as his talent for doing it. Language is as fluid as the wood that can create the need for a reset, and his mastery of both is the proof anyone would need to trust their guitar in his hands.
Excellent detailed video of your process. I have a Taylor 314ce that's 8 or 9 years old and holding steady. Love the sound and appearance of Sapele. I also noticed how great the sides of the guitar looked, more of a sheen than the satin finish. Did you treat the sides (and I assume the back also) or did the customer? I'd like to know what you (or he or she) used to get such a really nice appearance, if you can remember that far back.
I would have liked to have seen the shim relationship explained better, as I think this is a repair that could be accomplished by those who may not be the original owners and are comfortable maintaining their own guitars.
Hi,lovely and great explanation in detail on taylors setup and expertise you possess ty !! I recently purchased a used taylor 210CE,( 2008 year it was made)According to the original owner the thrust rod was adjusted and it was setup, suppose to be professional. i know it does buss a little on the 1 string (.030 in) it does look like,visually, this string is a uncomfortably closer to the frets than the rest of them.the question is,,,, QUESTION Can i just buy a new original Taylor bridge saddle( there is a beige colour saddle ) from Long Mcquade for my model and replace it?? because it looks like it may have possibly been sanded down.(guessing) So if i purchased a new" one this way i would be sure all is well and would be back to the original taylor bridge setup as per factory anyways, am i correct ??ty
I love Taylor's for the ease of neck work generally. I've had 3 Martins, all needed neck resets early. Timber too green, too much movement. Bob Taylor did well to get his guitars out there. A great not too expensive instrument.
Oh and Taylor wont sent me the shims. That pissed me off. I cant spend 1500 on a class to be in the club. I fix ny own stuff and do it for free for people i know. Its upsetting to me.
This was great information! I just bought a 814ce but I feel the action is just a bit too high for my liking. It may be at the top end of Taylor's specs so I don't know if they would cover that under warranty. If I try to reset the neck myself, how can I obtain the different neck shims? They don't have them listed on Taylor's website. Thank you.
Jeff, Thanks for checking out the video. The shims are not available to the public. Only to technicians who have gone through Taylor’s training. I wouldn’t recommend resetting it yourself. Call Taylor to see who your closest Warranty tech is. Not all technicians are listed on their website so there may be one closer than you think. I can speak from personal experience. I’ve been a certified tech since 2017 and as of today, 4/5/21, I am not listed on their website. I say that not as a dig at Taylor but to encourage you to call Taylor and save yourself possible hassle in shipping the guitar to a tech in another city. Good luck
@@dbnwoodland Thanks David. I appreciate the info. I found there is a Taylor authorized shop about 30 miles from me but I talked to the man on the phone and he told me he has never seen a brand new Taylor that required the neck to be reset and doesn't think it would be a warranty issue. As I sight down my fret board with a straight edge as you demonstrated, it hits the bottom of the bridge... almost hitting the guitar body but the measurement at the 12th fret is just at, or slightly above Taylor's specs so I'm not sure if they'll want to mess with it. I just prefer a lower action and it being a $3,700 guitar, I want it to be perfect for me. Thanks again!
@@jeffroutledge9153 Hmmm...That's odd. Hard to say without seeing it, but if I were you I would put it in the hands of your local Taylor tech if you have concerns. What I said in the video in terms of specs, is a ballpark to shoot for. Wood does what it does, we just work around it. If your guitar doesn't meet the spec's that I laid out but still plays great, then leave it be. As long as you're humidifying it properly, I say enjoy. I have customers get frustrated that their guitar doesn't meet my general spec's and they think something is wrong with the guitar. Not necessarily. If your guitar doesn't meet the spec's I laid out in the video, the first step is to just take it to a local Taylor tech to have it checked out. They had the same training I did so if they call it good then trust them.
@@dbnwoodland Thanks for that info David. I did end up taking the guitar to an authorized Taylor shop yesterday and should hear something from them tomorrow. I appreciate your assistance. Have a great day!
So it sounds like you recommend to never lower the saddle because neck resets are the better option. I kind of understand, but neck reset--even with a bolt-on neck--is still way more invasive and costly than shaving a little off the saddle. As far as break angle is concerned, can’t that just be increased by filing into the bridge to deepen the slot from the saddle to the bridge pin?
Never is a strong way to describe it. I would say with Taylors design, you have options. I can change the neck pitch angle if I’m not getting what I want out of a traditional setup. Especially if I have a client who has a completely different playing style than myself or what I would call the “average guitar” player. As for your suggestion, it wouldn’t be my choice of repair because I would need to convince a customer to allow me to remove wood from their bridge. Most customers in my experience want the guitar to remain the same unless otherwise needed. To me that seems unnecessary when I can reset the neck in 15 minutes. I would disagree with your description of it being an invasive repair. My point really is that you have options and with those options, you as a tech can make the best decision for your client.
@@rstevenhanson I appreciate you being considerate to ask for a DM. I do agree with you, the job is pricey relative to sanding a saddle. My pricing is on my website so I’m pretty open. Are you a local? Are you the original owner? Neck resets are potentially covered by Taylor’s warranty. It’s been some time since I made the video but I think I do explain Taylors policies. I should say as well, that my pricing is likely different than another technicians. Never a bad idea to shop around and find someone you’re comfortable with.
would've liked to have heard it, I'm sure cowboys chords would buzz with only .003" relief. I shoot for .006-.008" as the strings will sound more alive. Too little relief and it will deaden the sustain of the guitar open and especially if you ever put a capo on the 3rd-4th string. I feel like he was avoiding having to change shims again or take a little off the low E side of the saddle. I feel like too many people on UA-cam show setups that take too many shortcuts just to get the job done faster.
I keep my Taylor at .003" relief without any problems, despite the fact that my action is also lower (0.070" on Low E, 0.040" on High E at the 12th fret).
You didn't check intonation before and after. I read a reply beloe where you said if it goes out you adjust it at the saddle. Why not just put a thinner or thicker shim on the triangur shim to adjust it? To get it close anyways then fine tune at the saddle if a few are still off. It seem to me if you use different shims, thinner or thicker on the triangular shim, it will not only change the pitch, it will slide the neck closer or further away from the saddle.
You’re partially right. I didn’t show the intonation that was done to the guitar. The point of the video was to talk about Taylor’s NT Neck design. Changing the neck shim can, emphasize can, change the intonation but we’re getting into the world of theory vs reality. Yes the neck pitch angle is different, the distance between the nut and saddle may be different, but the intonation is likely still the same. Especially if Ive only moved the pitch 2 thousands of an inch. Check the intonation after a neck reset, yes, but am I worried about it changing? Not at all, and if it does, then I’ll make the changes as needed.
Good tutorial! I just reset the neck on my 214g, I went from 4/10 to 22/28 and I'm still adjusting the truss rod to get close to the action I'm looking for. I'm wondering if I'm at a point where humidity control is my only option
Sorry man, I don't know what you mean by 4/10 and 22/28. Where is this measurement? What are you measuring with? Metric or imperial? Way to little info to be able to offer any kind of help I'm afraid, but humidifying is always a good idea. Be sure to keep your guitar between 45-55% relative humidity in its case.
@@dbnwoodland Sorry for the lack of detail there, and thanks for the speedy response. What I meant to say was that the shims that were in the guitar were a 4(top) / 10 (where it meets the body). I knew I had to make a dramatic difference, so I opted to change the angle by increasing those values from 4 / 10 shims all the way up to 22 / 28 shims. This helped my action quite a bit, but I found myself still pulling on the truss rod to get the action lower. The shims only go up to +30, so I was thinking I've basically maxed out what I can do by affecting the neck angle, which brings me to the question.. Now I'm wondering if I can help it any further by maybe reintroducing some humidity via a soundhole humidity tool. Thanks !
@@whitehh15 Oh ok, you're a Taylor Tech, or at least you have access to their shims? If you don't mind taking some more measurements I'm curious about your guitar. With a straight neck under tension E to e with standard 12 gauge set, using a straight edge, how high or below are you relative to the bridge, measuring down the center of the fingerboard? In 32nd's or 64th's if you don't mind. Same question, but now measure the treble side. Same question again, now measure the bass side. What is your string action at the 12th fret for the low E and High e? Does the Saddle match the fingerboards radius? How much saddle material is above the bridge on the high e side? How much on the low E side? This would give me a better idea of your guitars condition. If it doesn't meet Taylor's standard specs then something is really wrong, either in design, humidity, or damage.
@@dbnwoodland Not a Taylor tech. I was able to buy a repair kit / shims from them, (maybe because of the pandemic?). I've actually only got a very old straight edge, and a "Fritz ruler" The Fritz ruler is like a string action gauge, but far less detailed, so I'm unable to provide exact measurements at this time. I'll have to grab one from the local shop when I get a chance. The bridge hasn't been altered at all, and as far as I can tell the nut looks to be unaltered as well. It's probably worth noting that this is a recurring issue with Taylor guitars in my area. I've bought 2, and seen a few more locally that suffer from the exact same issue. Cold / dry winters are probably to blame up here in Northwestern Ontario. When I get a string action gauge I'll toss you those details, maybe I'm completely missing something. Thanks!
EDIT: Disregard everything below, I am a dummy LOL… I thought you were talking about the *saddle* when you said when you were really talking about the *bridge* (which is exactly what you said..! I just comprehended it as “saddle” lol…), but yeahhh, I definitely should’ve just kept watching before commenting… 🙃🤦🏻♂️ 7:10 I’m struggling to understand how exactly the *radius* of the fretboard would have any bearing on the assessment of neck angle or the clearance you’re typically looking for to the bridge? Your straightedge seems to be in the center of the fretboard so it’s contacting each fret (assuming perfectly level board/frets obviously) at a *single point* on each fret, effectively giving a “flat” line in that manner. Were you more speaking towards the importance of being in the center and lining the measurement up properly maybe? Maybe I’m missing something here? Also are saddles really “flat” anyways? I thought they were somewhat radiused (in terms of if you drew a curved line connecting all the the string contact points on the saddle) I’m not an acoustic tech (just do electrics) but I’d imagine any guitar that has a saddle/bridge that’s flat or doesn’t account for the radius of the neck would play horribly, unless the neck was also flat/no radius (like most classical nylon style guitars) Sorry if it’s a dumb question, maybe I misunderstood or I’m missing something, I’m just trying to comprehend here and Im a total guitar nerd - it matters to me to understand the detailed physics/metrology(?) that come into play in improving the playability, sound, and intonation of guitars Cheers
Seriously! I have watched like 10 of these videos and no one explains it. I have my whole kit of Taylor shims here but I have no idea how to know which ones to pull. -P
I've done 3 Taylor RESHIMS. The first one was a fluke. The next two I figured out by measuring the shims till I found one that would work. Just ignore the Taylor markings on the shims.
More of a pain than a asset ... I can take a martin mortise and tenon and simply release the glue on the fretboard extension.. unbolt it and instead of all that on and off bolting and unbolting .. you run your sandpaper on each side until its where you want it.. . May have to steam it a little ... but the main advantage is you dont have to buy special shims and when your done .. your done ...no "secret" shim settings ... Ha. .. I realize he's a tech for Taylor... and I also know you can sand those shims and add to or recut the top shims to change the angle . Hell your only talking thousands here .. But I prefer the dovetail for sound quality... not to impressed with Taylor's sound transfer.. I like his neck straightening portion... I also agree with his .080 on the Bass string for two reasons , it's easier to play and it will gain you more time before the next reset... Bluegrass pickers and other players with a heavy attack when playing don't want less than .90 and some even like .95 to .110 . AND they use pretty heavy strings to boot..
The problem isn’t Taylor genius design, the problem is idiot guitar techs. Just got my guitar back from a new set up, from a “certified Taylor tech” and the stings are in the sky, and he chipped the finish next to my neck pocket. If you have to rely on a tech, your pretty much screwed. Buy a Martin, lower and raise the saddle and adjust the neck yourself. Done.
That sounds like a pretty shitty experience. My assumption is you’ve reported it and should have all the issues addressed by Taylor directly instead of your local tech. Ouch. Just reading this made me cringe. I’m curious for a follow up once the issues have been resolved.
I own a Taylor Academy 12e. It's neck position is correct as described here yet the action is too high, uncomfortably high. When I bought it I didn't know enough about those things to understand how much of a difference it would make. I have another guitar, no name, beat up, ugly, but it players great. Since all measurements are within Taylor spec, if I want it adjusted I will have to pay for a neck reset out of pocket - and at that the guy says he won't guarantee it'll be what I want. That's crazy. It's insane that I have to play with a setup defined by a CNC machine. It's a beautiful instrument,I love the look, the smaller body size, but I don't like to play it. I've no choice but have the saddle shaved to make it playable for me. I'm disappointed about this restriction and if I ever buy another guitar, it won't be a Taylor.
@@dbnwoodland Yes. But I've owned it too long to return it (registered to me), and the shop won't eat the cost of a full setup, at least $100. I didn't check MSRP with taylor before purchasing but since I find I think I over paid by $50 already. I won't give them another $100 on top of that. I know it's my own fault, I didn't do enough research and I trusted someone who makes commission on sales. I took it to another shop who says a simple neck adjustment with shaving the saddle is by far the best and the most common way to go. $35 for 20 minutes work and after hearing about my plight he said he'd he'll throw in a new set of light guage strings. I said go ahead - I was right there as he did the work, took a couple tries before the action was right, it plays beautifully, I love it. If it voids my warranty, so be it.
@@myinterests5573 I’m glad it worked out in the end. Original owners are entitled to neck resets, if you have the NT neck design and assuming it needs one. You would just need to submit for approval from Taylor after it was assessed by a certified Taylor tech. Just for future reference. I hope it continues to work well for you.
@@dbnwoodland There was no recommendation that I contact Taylor myself ... That may have saved a lot of frustration. The tech never said he WASN'T Taylor certified but that's where I bought it and they advertise as being able to do repairs and adjustments .... I was just told it didn't NEED a neck reset, I just wanted lower action. The tech said to do it "right" and maintain the warranty would require the neck reset. Because it wasn't out of spec they would need to charge me for the work. I like it now that it suits my playing style, but voiding the warranty for a simple adjustment is nonsense. Hopefully I'll never need to actually find out. Lesson learned.
@@myinterests5573 I don't think that shaving the saddle voids the warranty on the guitar. You can always restore the guitar to the original condition by replacing the saddle - they are available from Taylor's online store, as well as from major dealers.
There is not. It depends what shims are installed from the factory and what direction you need to move the neck. Sorry, there is no quick answer to this question. What does the guitar need. That’s the answer.
@@AlexandrosNikolakis I appreciate your interest in speaking with me but this really isn’t a job to be worked out in the comments section. Is there a local Taylor Tech in your area? To my knowledge, Taylor doesn’t sell their shims to the public so how are you planning on making adjustments without them? Also if your guitar needs humidifying then the measurements won’t mean anything once the guitar is humidified. I’d like to help but truly, the best advise I can give is that you go see a local Taylor Tech.
@@dbnwoodland thanks for your reply.Well i build greek bouzoukis and guitars and also mandolins...in case they wont sell me the shims i can probably make them in my cnc if i figure out the specs they need to be...
@@dbnwoodland Not sure exactly just if you're fretting a note where the action is high meaning you have to press harder I heard you get better sustained was in sure if that's true or not. It probably applies more to note slightly higher up.
A bolt-on neck is logically what all acoustic guitars should have. My glued on neck needs the same reset this one did, so I'll look elsewhere for how to do that - or just cut it off and make it a bolt on. ;-)
Eliminate as many possibilities as you can. I’m assuming you mean the saddle and not the bridge. If you’re having bridge issues then definitely take it to a local professional. 1. Is the neck straight? 2. Is the guitar humidified between 45-55%? 3. Are you using the manufacturers recommended string gauge? 4. Is the pitch angle at least at or above the bridge, with the neck being straight? Best of luck.
I just purchased a brand new GS MINI-E MAHOGANY and it arrived with the action at 5/64" measured at the 12th fret (low E) and 4/64" (high E). Perfect! On the third day it was 12/64" (low E) and 9/64" (high E). I live in Puerto Rico. Tropical island with super high humidity. I called Taylor and they said to take it to a certified Taylor Service Center. But just my luck. There isn't one in Puerto Rico. No certified Taylor techs on the island. The sad part is that I've been repairing guitars since 1986 and I can do the neck shim repair myself. But Taylor won't send me the shims unless I become a certified Taylor tech. It's a bummer that I had to cancel all my upcoming acoustic gigs (I'm a fulltime musician) and all because I have a brand new guitar that is unplayable and I can't fix it without those shims. I hope to get that certification soon. I'm anxious to get this fixed.
I can only imagine the dehumidification process you deal with on a daily basis. Best of luck man. I hope you pass the tests. Its worth it if there is a Taylor dealer on the island. I wish I could offer help but it seems like you're already taking the best course of action.
@@dbnwoodland UPDATE. After proving myself to Taylor via detailed photographs the agreed to send me a few shims to test out. They arrive this Friday. Very grateful for your great video and for Taylor's response.
@@dbnwoodland The humidity in my home fluctuates between 66% and 78% every day. It's insane. Sometimes it rises to 87%. The absolute Lowest I've ever seen here is 60% and that's very rare.
@@joequintana5546 congrats man! I hope you get what you need. If you don’t mind, follow up with how the project goes. It would be great to see you playing the guitar.
@@joequintana5546 Jesus…that is some humidity…most people I talk to it’s the opposite. I have to run a swamp cooler in my shop and store front in order to maintain RH%
I see all these videos of resetting Taylor guitar necks. Don't anyone understand why? It is because they need resetting every couple years or so and after a while they are sawdust. I bought one Taylor and it is the last. I am used to nice guitars you can actually use more than a few years without having to do a neck reset. It should tell you something. Taylor won't even let you purchase the shims! They only service new guitars and if you are not the original buyer, they couldn't care less. Stick with a Martin or Gibson etc... because even their cheapest are far better and will not leave you hanging in limbo with an unfixable piece of Taylor junk..
Gotta say, your comment's not at all accurate in my Taylor's case. I've owned my '14 for nearly 10 years now (original owner), and E string action never budged from 5/64 (Taylor's factory spec), until this year when it appears to have creeped up to 5.5/64, so I'm about to reshim mine for the first time (to bring it down to my preferred 4/64). There are tons of original early-days Taylors from the 1990s going strong, so definitely not sawdust. As for Taylor not letting you purchase shims, you're wrong there, too. They'll send you a set for free, or sell you a kit w/multiple shims for $49. Just send an email their customer service and see for yourself. They will want to make sure you know which end of the wrench to use, because they don't want a warranty claim from an amateur's mistake, but the hurdle's not high.
Don't know about US but in Europe if you contact the Netherlands customer services and give them the height of the action and the height you want it to be together with the numbers on the current shims (you need to remove the neck for this) they will do a calculation and send you the shims you need. They actually offered this to me and I have heard of others getting the same. Having said that I declined their offer because I think my issue is just not that simple (too involved to go into here) Anyway I would not buy another Taylor, my 314ce has been troublesome since the day I bought it brand new online around 4/5 years ago and a Luthier they sent me to gave a very bad experience.
Wow! First time in my life I've watch a very informative and helpful videos on neck reset. You are amazing! I got a question though. I got a brandnew guitar and I am not sure if i did right when i shaved off the bridge a bit on the bass part. The bridge is the one that is higher. Or should I say thicker. With the straight edge on the nech to bridge, the bass side of the bridge is a bit thicker about 1mm the the edge of the ruler. And on the treble side of the bridge, it is 1mm lower from the ruler edge. What I did is is shaved off the bass side to make it equal with the treble side to have atleast 1mm space in between the straigth edge and topt of the bridge. Now there is a space of 1mm on both side (treble and bass) of the bridge. I'm a bit worrried because the youtube videos tells me that it should lang straight at the bridge top and there should no space in between. Is my bridge okay or di I over did it?
Sorry man, I rarely check my comments. Busy around the shop I’m afraid. If I’m reading this correctly, yes you made a problem. Just for clarification, you sanded the bridge or the saddle? If it’s the saddle then it’s much less of a problem. The saddle can be replaced easily if needed.
You are not hydrating the wood with lemon oil. You would never want to hydrate a guitar fingerboard. Lemon oil doesn't contain any water. You can't hydrate something without applying water in some form to it. A more appropriate description would be oiling.
To be honest I don't remember. I see a lot of Taylor's and they kind of become a blur. Any Taylor with the NT neck design will be like the one in the video. The exceptions are the big baby's, T5's, T3's, and their might be another one I'm forgetting. This design typically is seen on Taylor's steel string acoustics.
I'm assuming you're talking about a Fender acoustic and not an electric, because yes the bolt-on neck makes it very easy to change the pitch angle for their electrics. To my knowledge, fender necks are not bolt-on but dovetail. Someone will likely correct me. If not a dovetail specific neck joint, some sort of glued in neck I assume. Even if the neck is a bolt-on, I'm fairly certain that the fingerboard is glued to the top and would require heat and moisture to loosen the glue to remove the neck. This is just a long way of saying yes it can come off but not easily.
Yes, It’s possible. If needed, then I would address it at the saddle and or nut. I’ve been fortunate thus far, as to not experience any major or even medium changes in intonation after resetting a neck. More likely, the issue would have been present before the reset and then became exacerbated. After which a setup would solve the issue.
It won't be a problem . The neck length will stay the same. But never let anyone touch the saddle ; it is a fixed point. Seriously . Even after I explained to my tech how Taylor necks are adjusted, he still wanted to change my saddle . I said goodbye to him and have not been back.
@@brucew.5177 why shouldn’t I touch the under saddle? I need low action but I don’t think that the luthier in the shop where I bought my Taylor will do this job. He seems to be very unfriendly to me and also I am scared to bring the guitar to other guitar shops because I didn’t buy the guitar there. I can’t do the Taylor reset on my own but I can sharpen the under saddle like I did this with the nut
@@bogdangrund3913 The nut and the bridge / saddle are fixed points . The shims make the neck pivot at the 14th fret so you are not changing the neck length at all .
@@brucew.5177 I don’t understand this because I am not a guitar luthier and also I don’t know what to do that’s why I will just sand the under saddle because I can’t properly play my Taylor
After watching ypur video, I'm even more mad. I would never buy a Taylor. Cant be a member of the club. And you can share the information. You're not a robot! Good video, bad Taylor. 👎
They do, and will, but they prefer you use a dealer for the work, given it's possible to screw up the guitar if you don't know what you're doing. @@dbnwoodland
Sad part is we spend all this money on a piece of wood & in time no matter how well you take care of your guitar at some point the wood will shrink. All companies have these loop holes so warranties these days are useless & there is always a hidden fee or something. And extended warranties are worse as they start the day of riding along with the manufacture warranty & if that's not bad enough you have these third party warranty companies like All State charging you a fee on top of the protection plan & you were told no there are no extra fees. Buy a cheaper guitar learn to do setups & throw the guitar out after the top sinks.
The break angle you are talking about is B.S. The more saddle above the bridge the more pressure against it & the bridge & it will crack over time. Also I have hardly any break angle but as long as there's some you still get good loud quality sound. Power pins that allow no break angle do what you're talking about. Certified is such an overused term that means nothing. It's to make people think oh I'm getting the best. I've been around the block along time to know a lot of B.S. angles for companies & people to make money. If Taylors QC was better no one would need to have it in for service. And if you say the wood shrunk then you just double talked for the warranty. I just put up a video of the junk guitar that has hardly any break angle & sound just as loud & good as others that have more.
Another thing is you're still lowering the strings in to the sound hole which is suppose to make acoustics not sound as loud. The principle for high end to low end guitars for the most part are built the same.
Waist of time and a little BS.. When Taylor came out with the shimmed neck resets, they advertised the way to do this on they're website sot that you could do it yourself at home..! Nothing proprietary about that ! And if you want to kill the volume output on your guitar.. set-in it up .080'' will do exactly that !
The dude rambles for about 6 minutes so go ahead to 6:35
Thank you for this video. This is for me a second confirmation, beside the string height, that my Taylor needs a neck reset. Unfortunately I didn't receive a good guitar as it was out of the box in that state.
Thank you. Great informative video broken down well for someone with basic skills and commonsense. Can I make one suggestion please. For those of us outside U.S, could we have tolerances in metric please. Fractions are not familiar anymore. Thank you.
When adding tension to the truss rod (to bend it backward, against string tension), I like to reduce string tension first (1/2 turn or so), to reduce stress to the truss rod threads/cap, then re-tune up to pitch, then check where the straightedge falls on the bridge. This video checked the angle after not one, but two, truss rod tightenings that were already done against full string tension, which means the neck was potentially more biased to the front (pulled that way by now-excess string tension), making the straightedge test less accurate, compared to normal string tension's impact on where the straightedge lands..
I just had this done on my second hand (but as new condition) Taylor 210CE. It changed it from ok guitar to the guitar of my dreams with low action like an electric. In NZ Taylor won’t sell the shims to a non Taylor Tech. It cost me $150 (that was with discount) to get it done. The only thing is NZ is humid so we sit with humidity of 60%. When I first took the guitar in complaining about the action, their standard “non-Taylor” luthier said to sand the saddle. I had taken it to my tech who is not a Taylor Tech and he told me to take it to the Taylor dealer but under no circumstances to let them sand the saddle. He said he could have done the repair but he could not purchase the shims as he was not the Taylor dealer and they would not sell the shims to him. I had to fight tooth and nail with the guitar shop and insisted that they don’t sand the saddle. In the end I got what I wanted and now it’s perfect. The point of all of this is the same as the video, do not let a luthier/guitar tech sand the saddle, they are preset. Only a neck reset/shim change will do it.
18:10 The 6 digit difference between each shim is not a confidential number. Taylor regularly shares this with their customers.
To keep the shims balance they always need to maintain a 6 digit difference. Exp (18 / 12) or (24 / 18) etc
Excellent video - super informative! Thanks for taking the time to go into such detail!
0joj thanks for watching the video.
Just called Taylor today for some shims for my new guitar. Asked them if me replacing the shims would void the warranty. They said it would not unless I damaged the guitar while doing it. Sent them the current shim sizes and the current E/e string height at 12th fret. My shims will arrive in a few days. This isn't rocket science. Taylor makes this pretty simple.
Why do I need to do the neck reset to bring down the action when all I need to do is sanding down the saddle?
Super informative video!
I hate ebony. My first partial refret, I thought i released the tension on the frets but the tearout on my first refret was insane. I guess i need to learn some more techniques. I know i dont want the guitar neck to be crunching the frets. I was able to fill the damage but that was scary.
What if you’re not in need of a neck reset per se, but just want a lower action. Would Taylor approve that as free? If not, or if you’re not the original owner, it seems like it would be quite expensive compared to just having the saddle shaved. Great and informative video btw.
Thanks dude for your interesting video. I would never venture this level of work myself but knowing the mechanics of the Taylor guitar setup has helped me to known what I can do myself, and what I certainly shouldn’t do (like reducing the saddle height). Also having knowledge of the Taylor specs for action measurements is valuable when adjusting the neck relief. I need to get one of those long steel rulers now. Shame you’re not closer to where I’m based as I would be sending my guitars to you - don’ t fancy setting up your business in the UK do you?
I thought when you adjust neck tension you need to wait 24 hours to remeasure
The explanation for this process was as masterful as his talent for doing it. Language is as fluid as the wood that can create the need for a reset, and his mastery of both is the proof anyone would need to trust their guitar in his hands.
Much appreciated Stephen. If you own any Taylor's, I hope they treat you well.
Excellent detailed video of your process. I have a Taylor 314ce that's 8 or 9 years old and holding steady. Love the sound and appearance of Sapele. I also noticed how great the sides of the guitar looked, more of a sheen than the satin finish. Did you treat the sides (and I assume the back also) or did the customer? I'd like to know what you (or he or she) used to get such a really nice appearance, if you can remember that far back.
Just learned that a neck reset is what I call shimming the neck.
Same general concept. You can apply the same methods to a bolt-on neck. Just different measurements.
I would have liked to have seen the shim relationship explained better, as I think this is a repair that could be accomplished by those who may not be the original owners and are comfortable maintaining their own guitars.
Hi,lovely and great explanation in detail on taylors setup and expertise you possess ty !! I recently purchased a used taylor 210CE,( 2008 year it was made)According to the original owner the thrust rod was adjusted and it was setup, suppose to be professional. i know it does buss a little on the 1 string (.030 in) it does look like,visually, this string is a uncomfortably closer to the frets than the rest of them.the question is,,,, QUESTION Can i just buy a new original Taylor bridge saddle( there is a beige colour saddle ) from Long Mcquade for my model and replace it?? because it looks like it may have possibly been sanded down.(guessing) So if i purchased a new" one this way i would be sure all is well and would be back to the original taylor bridge setup as per factory anyways, am i correct ??ty
An important ommission was not showing the third bolt remove and instal under the FB
Was there a crack between the neck bushings? I have seen other techs point this out to me.
I love Taylor's for the ease of neck work generally. I've had 3 Martins, all needed neck resets early. Timber too green, too much movement.
Bob Taylor did well to get his guitars out there. A great not too expensive instrument.
Oh and Taylor wont sent me the shims. That pissed me off. I cant spend 1500 on a class to be in the club. I fix ny own stuff and do it for free for people i know. Its upsetting to me.
This was great information! I just bought a 814ce but I feel the action is just a bit too high for my liking. It may be at the top end of Taylor's specs so I don't know if they would cover that under warranty. If I try to reset the neck myself, how can I obtain the different neck shims? They don't have them listed on Taylor's website. Thank you.
Jeff,
Thanks for checking out the video. The shims are not available to the public. Only to technicians who have gone through Taylor’s training. I wouldn’t recommend resetting it yourself. Call Taylor to see who your closest Warranty tech is. Not all technicians are listed on their website so there may be one closer than you think. I can speak from personal experience. I’ve been a certified tech since 2017 and as of today, 4/5/21, I am not listed on their website. I say that not as a dig at Taylor but to encourage you to call Taylor and save yourself possible hassle in shipping the guitar to a tech in another city. Good luck
@@dbnwoodland Thanks David. I appreciate the info. I found there is a Taylor authorized shop about 30 miles from me but I talked to the man on the phone and he told me he has never seen a brand new Taylor that required the neck to be reset and doesn't think it would be a warranty issue. As I sight down my fret board with a straight edge as you demonstrated, it hits the bottom of the bridge... almost hitting the guitar body but the measurement at the 12th fret is just at, or slightly above Taylor's specs so I'm not sure if they'll want to mess with it. I just prefer a lower action and it being a $3,700 guitar, I want it to be perfect for me. Thanks again!
@@jeffroutledge9153 Hmmm...That's odd. Hard to say without seeing it, but if I were you I would put it in the hands of your local Taylor tech if you have concerns. What I said in the video in terms of specs, is a ballpark to shoot for. Wood does what it does, we just work around it. If your guitar doesn't meet the spec's that I laid out but still plays great, then leave it be. As long as you're humidifying it properly, I say enjoy. I have customers get frustrated that their guitar doesn't meet my general spec's and they think something is wrong with the guitar. Not necessarily. If your guitar doesn't meet the spec's I laid out in the video, the first step is to just take it to a local Taylor tech to have it checked out. They had the same training I did so if they call it good then trust them.
@@dbnwoodland Thanks for that info David. I did end up taking the guitar to an authorized Taylor shop yesterday and should hear something from them tomorrow. I appreciate your assistance. Have a great day!
So it sounds like you recommend to never lower the saddle because neck resets are the better option. I kind of understand, but neck reset--even with a bolt-on neck--is still way more invasive and costly than shaving a little off the saddle. As far as break angle is concerned, can’t that just be increased by filing into the bridge to deepen the slot from the saddle to the bridge pin?
Never is a strong way to describe it. I would say with Taylors design, you have options. I can change the neck pitch angle if I’m not getting what I want out of a traditional setup. Especially if I have a client who has a completely different playing style than myself or what I would call the “average guitar” player.
As for your suggestion, it wouldn’t be my choice of repair because I would need to convince a customer to allow me to remove wood from their bridge. Most customers in my experience want the guitar to remain the same unless otherwise needed. To me that seems unnecessary when I can reset the neck in 15 minutes. I would disagree with your description of it being an invasive repair.
My point really is that you have options and with those options, you as a tech can make the best decision for your client.
@@dbnwoodland Love your response. Not invasive but still pricey. What do you charge. Should I DM?
@@rstevenhanson I appreciate you being considerate to ask for a DM. I do agree with you, the job is pricey relative to sanding a saddle. My pricing is on my website so I’m pretty open. Are you a local? Are you the original owner? Neck resets are potentially covered by Taylor’s warranty. It’s been some time since I made the video but I think I do explain Taylors policies. I should say as well, that my pricing is likely different than another technicians. Never a bad idea to shop around and find someone you’re comfortable with.
What about using lighter gauge strings 10s or 11s.
Will that affect the warranty?
would've liked to have heard it, I'm sure cowboys chords would buzz with only .003" relief. I shoot for .006-.008" as the strings will sound more alive. Too little relief and it will deaden the sustain of the guitar open and especially if you ever put a capo on the 3rd-4th string. I feel like he was avoiding having to change shims again or take a little off the low E side of the saddle. I feel like too many people on UA-cam show setups that take too many shortcuts just to get the job done faster.
I keep my Taylor at .003" relief without any problems, despite the fact that my action is also lower (0.070" on Low E, 0.040" on High E at the 12th fret).
You didn't check intonation before and after. I read a reply beloe where you said if it goes out you adjust it at the saddle. Why not just put a thinner or thicker shim on the triangur shim to adjust it? To get it close anyways then fine tune at the saddle if a few are still off. It seem to me if you use different shims, thinner or thicker on the triangular shim, it will not only change the pitch, it will slide the neck closer or further away from the saddle.
You’re partially right. I didn’t show the intonation that was done to the guitar. The point of the video was to talk about Taylor’s NT Neck design. Changing the neck shim can, emphasize can, change the intonation but we’re getting into the world of theory vs reality. Yes the neck pitch angle is different, the distance between the nut and saddle may be different, but the intonation is likely still the same. Especially if Ive only moved the pitch 2 thousands of an inch. Check the intonation after a neck reset, yes, but am I worried about it changing? Not at all, and if it does, then I’ll make the changes as needed.
Good tutorial! I just reset the neck on my 214g, I went from 4/10 to 22/28 and I'm still adjusting the truss rod to get close to the action I'm looking for. I'm wondering if I'm at a point where humidity control is my only option
Sorry man, I don't know what you mean by 4/10 and 22/28. Where is this measurement? What are you measuring with? Metric or imperial? Way to little info to be able to offer any kind of help I'm afraid, but humidifying is always a good idea. Be sure to keep your guitar between 45-55% relative humidity in its case.
@@dbnwoodland Sorry for the lack of detail there, and thanks for the speedy response. What I meant to say was that the shims that were in the guitar were a 4(top) / 10 (where it meets the body). I knew I had to make a dramatic difference, so I opted to change the angle by increasing those values from 4 / 10 shims all the way up to 22 / 28 shims. This helped my action quite a bit, but I found myself still pulling on the truss rod to get the action lower. The shims only go up to +30, so I was thinking I've basically maxed out what I can do by affecting the neck angle, which brings me to the question.. Now I'm wondering if I can help it any further by maybe reintroducing some humidity via a soundhole humidity tool.
Thanks !
@@whitehh15 Oh ok, you're a Taylor Tech, or at least you have access to their shims? If you don't mind taking some more measurements I'm curious about your guitar.
With a straight neck under tension E to e with standard 12 gauge set, using a straight edge, how high or below are you relative to the bridge, measuring down the center of the fingerboard? In 32nd's or 64th's if you don't mind.
Same question, but now measure the treble side.
Same question again, now measure the bass side.
What is your string action at the 12th fret for the low E and High e?
Does the Saddle match the fingerboards radius?
How much saddle material is above the bridge on the high e side?
How much on the low E side?
This would give me a better idea of your guitars condition. If it doesn't meet Taylor's standard specs then something is really wrong, either in design, humidity, or damage.
@@dbnwoodland Not a Taylor tech. I was able to buy a repair kit / shims from them, (maybe because of the pandemic?). I've actually only got a very old straight edge, and a "Fritz ruler" The Fritz ruler is like a string action gauge, but far less detailed, so I'm unable to provide exact measurements at this time. I'll have to grab one from the local shop when I get a chance.
The bridge hasn't been altered at all, and as far as I can tell the nut looks to be unaltered as well.
It's probably worth noting that this is a recurring issue with Taylor guitars in my area. I've bought 2, and seen a few more locally that suffer from the exact same issue. Cold / dry winters are probably to blame up here in Northwestern Ontario.
When I get a string action gauge I'll toss you those details, maybe I'm completely missing something.
Thanks!
EDIT: Disregard everything below, I am a dummy LOL… I thought you were talking about the *saddle* when you said when you were really talking about the *bridge* (which is exactly what you said..! I just comprehended it as “saddle” lol…), but yeahhh, I definitely should’ve just kept watching before commenting… 🙃🤦🏻♂️
7:10 I’m struggling to understand how exactly the *radius* of the fretboard would have any bearing on the assessment of neck angle or the clearance you’re typically looking for to the bridge? Your straightedge seems to be in the center of the fretboard so it’s contacting each fret (assuming perfectly level board/frets obviously) at a *single point* on each fret, effectively giving a “flat” line in that manner. Were you more speaking towards the importance of being in the center and lining the measurement up properly maybe? Maybe I’m missing something here?
Also are saddles really “flat” anyways? I thought they were somewhat radiused (in terms of if you drew a curved line connecting all the the string contact points on the saddle) I’m not an acoustic tech (just do electrics) but I’d imagine any guitar that has a saddle/bridge that’s flat or doesn’t account for the radius of the neck would play horribly, unless the neck was also flat/no radius (like most classical nylon style guitars)
Sorry if it’s a dumb question, maybe I misunderstood or I’m missing something, I’m just trying to comprehend here and Im a total guitar nerd - it matters to me to understand the detailed physics/metrology(?) that come into play in improving the playability, sound, and intonation of guitars
Cheers
I appreciate you watching the video.
All I wanted was to learn how to determine the shim increase. I already know how to remove a bolt.
Seriously! I have watched like 10 of these videos and no one explains it. I have my whole kit of Taylor shims here but I have no idea how to know which ones to pull. -P
I've done 3 Taylor RESHIMS.
The first one was a fluke. The next two I figured out by measuring the shims till I found one that would work. Just ignore the Taylor markings on the shims.
@@cliffordbabcock9911 what’s the best way to measure them?
Do someone knows if i can take My baby Taylor to The Tecate factory? To reset my babys neck??? Thanx..
More of a pain than a asset ... I can take a martin mortise and tenon and simply release the glue on the fretboard extension.. unbolt it and instead of all that on and off bolting and unbolting .. you run your sandpaper on each side until its where you want it.. . May have to steam it a little ... but the main advantage is you dont have to buy special shims and when your done .. your done ...no "secret" shim settings ... Ha. .. I realize he's a tech for Taylor... and I also know you can sand those shims and add to or recut the top shims to change the angle . Hell your only talking thousands here ..
But I prefer the dovetail for sound quality... not to impressed with Taylor's sound transfer..
I like his neck straightening portion... I also agree with his .080 on the Bass string for two reasons , it's easier to play and it will gain you more time before the next reset... Bluegrass pickers and other players with a heavy attack when playing don't want less than .90 and some even like .95 to .110 . AND they use pretty heavy strings to boot..
It would have been nice if you would have played it so we couldn't see if I actually played after the reset
The problem isn’t Taylor genius design, the problem is idiot guitar techs. Just got my guitar back from a new set up, from a “certified Taylor tech” and the stings are in the sky, and he chipped the finish next to my neck pocket. If you have to rely on a tech, your pretty much screwed. Buy a Martin, lower and raise the saddle and adjust the neck yourself. Done.
That sounds like a pretty shitty experience. My assumption is you’ve reported it and should have all the issues addressed by Taylor directly instead of your local tech. Ouch. Just reading this made me cringe. I’m curious for a follow up once the issues have been resolved.
I own a Taylor Academy 12e. It's neck position is correct as described here yet the action is too high, uncomfortably high. When I bought it I didn't know enough about those things to understand how much of a difference it would make. I have another guitar, no name, beat up, ugly, but it players great. Since all measurements are within Taylor spec, if I want it adjusted I will have to pay for a neck reset out of pocket - and at that the guy says he won't guarantee it'll be what I want. That's crazy. It's insane that I have to play with a setup defined by a CNC machine. It's a beautiful instrument,I love the look, the smaller body size, but I don't like to play it. I've no choice but have the saddle shaved to make it playable for me. I'm disappointed about this restriction and if I ever buy another guitar, it won't be a Taylor.
Are you the original owner of the guitar?
@@dbnwoodland Yes. But I've owned it too long to return it (registered to me), and the shop won't eat the cost of a full setup, at least $100. I didn't check MSRP with taylor before purchasing but since I find I think I over paid by $50 already. I won't give them another $100 on top of that. I know it's my own fault, I didn't do enough research and I trusted someone who makes commission on sales. I took it to another shop who says a simple neck adjustment with shaving the saddle is by far the best and the most common way to go. $35 for 20 minutes work and after hearing about my plight he said he'd he'll throw in a new set of light guage strings. I said go ahead - I was right there as he did the work, took a couple tries before the action was right, it plays beautifully, I love it. If it voids my warranty, so be it.
@@myinterests5573 I’m glad it worked out in the end. Original owners are entitled to neck resets, if you have the NT neck design and assuming it needs one. You would just need to submit for approval from Taylor after it was assessed by a certified Taylor tech. Just for future reference. I hope it continues to work well for you.
@@dbnwoodland There was no recommendation that I contact Taylor myself ... That may have saved a lot of frustration. The tech never said he WASN'T Taylor certified but that's where I bought it and they advertise as being able to do repairs and adjustments .... I was just told it didn't NEED a neck reset, I just wanted lower action. The tech said to do it "right" and maintain the warranty would require the neck reset. Because it wasn't out of spec they would need to charge me for the work. I like it now that it suits my playing style, but voiding the warranty for a simple adjustment is nonsense. Hopefully I'll never need to actually find out. Lesson learned.
@@myinterests5573 I don't think that shaving the saddle voids the warranty on the guitar. You can always restore the guitar to the original condition by replacing the saddle - they are available from Taylor's online store, as well as from major dealers.
hey you did it perfectly!So maybe you know...what kind of shims should i get?Is there a calculator for that?
There is not. It depends what shims are installed from the factory and what direction you need to move the neck. Sorry, there is no quick answer to this question. What does the guitar need. That’s the answer.
@@dbnwoodland i need to move the neck backwards. I will measure the action and neck angle and will come back
@@AlexandrosNikolakis I appreciate your interest in speaking with me but this really isn’t a job to be worked out in the comments section. Is there a local Taylor Tech in your area? To my knowledge, Taylor doesn’t sell their shims to the public so how are you planning on making adjustments without them? Also if your guitar needs humidifying then the measurements won’t mean anything once the guitar is humidified. I’d like to help but truly, the best advise I can give is that you go see a local Taylor Tech.
@@dbnwoodland thanks for your reply.Well i build greek bouzoukis and guitars and also mandolins...in case they wont sell me the shims i can probably make them in my cnc if i figure out the specs they need to be...
@@AlexandrosNikolakis Ah, I see. Best of luck.
Nice videos. Is it true if a string is slightly higher (action) you will get better sustain?
It’s a contributing factor but can you give more details? Higher where exactly? Some areas it’s good, others it’s bad.
@@dbnwoodland Not sure exactly just if you're fretting a note where the action is high meaning you have to press harder I heard you get better sustained was in sure if that's true or not. It probably applies more to note slightly higher up.
90 thousands? good lord that high
A bolt-on neck is logically what all acoustic guitars should have. My glued on neck needs the same reset this one did, so I'll look elsewhere for how to do that - or just cut it off and make it a bolt on. ;-)
How do you know the problem is the neck angle not the bridge thickness? Thank you
Eliminate as many possibilities as you can. I’m assuming you mean the saddle and not the bridge. If you’re having bridge issues then definitely take it to a local professional.
1. Is the neck straight?
2. Is the guitar humidified between 45-55%?
3. Are you using the manufacturers recommended string gauge?
4. Is the pitch angle at least at or above the bridge, with the neck being straight?
Best of luck.
Take take away is, save your money and get an Olson guitar instead.
I just purchased a brand new GS MINI-E MAHOGANY and it arrived with the action at 5/64" measured at the 12th fret (low E) and 4/64" (high E). Perfect!
On the third day it was 12/64" (low E) and 9/64" (high E).
I live in Puerto Rico. Tropical island with super high humidity.
I called Taylor and they said to take it to a certified Taylor Service Center. But just my luck. There isn't one in Puerto Rico. No certified Taylor techs on the island.
The sad part is that I've been repairing guitars since 1986 and I can do the neck shim repair myself. But Taylor won't send me the shims unless I become a certified Taylor tech.
It's a bummer that I had to cancel all my upcoming acoustic gigs (I'm a fulltime musician) and all because I have a brand new guitar that is unplayable and I can't fix it without those shims.
I hope to get that certification soon. I'm anxious to get this fixed.
I can only imagine the dehumidification process you deal with on a daily basis. Best of luck man. I hope you pass the tests. Its worth it if there is a Taylor dealer on the island. I wish I could offer help but it seems like you're already taking the best course of action.
@@dbnwoodland
UPDATE.
After proving myself to Taylor via detailed photographs the agreed to send me a few shims to test out. They arrive this Friday. Very grateful for your great video and for Taylor's response.
@@dbnwoodland
The humidity in my home fluctuates between 66% and 78% every day. It's insane. Sometimes it rises to 87%.
The absolute Lowest I've ever seen here is 60% and that's very rare.
@@joequintana5546 congrats man! I hope you get what you need. If you don’t mind, follow up with how the project goes. It would be great to see you playing the guitar.
@@joequintana5546 Jesus…that is some humidity…most people I talk to it’s the opposite. I have to run a swamp cooler in my shop and store front in order to maintain RH%
what size is the bolt?
I see all these videos of resetting Taylor guitar necks. Don't anyone understand why? It is because they need resetting every couple years or so and after a while they are sawdust. I bought one Taylor and it is the last. I am used to nice guitars you can actually use more than a few years without having to do a neck reset. It should tell you something. Taylor won't even let you purchase the shims! They only service new guitars and if you are not the original buyer, they couldn't care less. Stick with a Martin or Gibson etc... because even their cheapest are far better and will not leave you hanging in limbo with an unfixable piece of Taylor junk..
Gotta say, your comment's not at all accurate in my Taylor's case. I've owned my '14 for nearly 10 years now (original owner), and E string action never budged from 5/64 (Taylor's factory spec), until this year when it appears to have creeped up to 5.5/64, so I'm about to reshim mine for the first time (to bring it down to my preferred 4/64). There are tons of original early-days Taylors from the 1990s going strong, so definitely not sawdust. As for Taylor not letting you purchase shims, you're wrong there, too. They'll send you a set for free, or sell you a kit w/multiple shims for $49. Just send an email their customer service and see for yourself. They will want to make sure you know which end of the wrench to use, because they don't want a warranty claim from an amateur's mistake, but the hurdle's not high.
Don't know about US but in Europe if you contact the Netherlands customer services and give them the height of the action and the height you want it to be together with the numbers on the current shims (you need to remove the neck for this) they will do a calculation and send you the shims you need. They actually offered this to me and I have heard of others getting the same. Having said that I declined their offer because I think my issue is just not that simple (too involved to go into here) Anyway I would not buy another Taylor, my 314ce has been troublesome since the day I bought it brand new online around 4/5 years ago and a Luthier they sent me to gave a very bad experience.
Wow! First time in my life I've watch a very informative and helpful videos on neck reset. You are amazing!
I got a question though.
I got a brandnew guitar and I am not sure if i did right when i shaved off the bridge a bit on the bass part.
The bridge is the one that is higher. Or should I say thicker.
With the straight edge on the nech to bridge, the bass side of the bridge is a bit thicker about 1mm the the edge of the ruler.
And on the treble side of the bridge, it is 1mm lower from the ruler edge.
What I did is is shaved off the bass side to make it equal with the treble side to have atleast 1mm space in between the straigth edge and topt of the bridge.
Now there is a space of 1mm on both side (treble and bass) of the bridge. I'm a bit worrried because the youtube videos tells me that it should lang straight at the bridge top and there should no space in between.
Is my bridge okay or di I over did it?
Sorry man, I rarely check my comments. Busy around the shop I’m afraid. If I’m reading this correctly, yes you made a problem. Just for clarification, you sanded the bridge or the saddle? If it’s the saddle then it’s much less of a problem. The saddle can be replaced easily if needed.
You are not hydrating the wood with lemon oil. You would never want to hydrate a guitar fingerboard. Lemon oil doesn't contain any water. You can't hydrate something without applying water in some form to it. A more appropriate description would be oiling.
Hi, what’s this Taylor Guitar? Mine is 214ce plus.
To be honest I don't remember. I see a lot of Taylor's and they kind of become a blur. Any Taylor with the NT neck design will be like the one in the video. The exceptions are the big baby's, T5's, T3's, and their might be another one I'm forgetting. This design typically is seen on Taylor's steel string acoustics.
I Went from 0/6 to 24/8
on a Fender can it also be done?
I'm assuming you're talking about a Fender acoustic and not an electric, because yes the bolt-on neck makes it very easy to change the pitch angle for their electrics. To my knowledge, fender necks are not bolt-on but dovetail. Someone will likely correct me. If not a dovetail specific neck joint, some sort of glued in neck I assume. Even if the neck is a bolt-on, I'm fairly certain that the fingerboard is glued to the top and would require heat and moisture to loosen the glue to remove the neck. This is just a long way of saying yes it can come off but not easily.
What about intonation when you go to adding shems shortening and lengthening the fretboard intonation changes
Yes, It’s possible. If needed, then I would address it at the saddle and or nut. I’ve been fortunate thus far, as to not experience any major or even medium changes in intonation after resetting a neck. More likely, the issue would have been present before the reset and then became exacerbated. After which a setup would solve the issue.
It won't be a problem . The neck length will stay the same. But never let anyone touch the saddle ; it is a fixed point. Seriously . Even after I explained to my tech how Taylor necks are adjusted, he still wanted to change my saddle . I said goodbye to him and have not been back.
@@brucew.5177 why shouldn’t I touch the under saddle? I need low action but I don’t think that the luthier in the shop where I bought my Taylor will do this job. He seems to be very unfriendly to me and also I am scared to bring the guitar to other guitar shops because I didn’t buy the guitar there. I can’t do the Taylor reset on my own but I can sharpen the under saddle like I did this with the nut
@@bogdangrund3913 The nut and the bridge / saddle are fixed points . The shims make the neck pivot at the 14th fret so you are not changing the neck length at all .
@@brucew.5177 I don’t understand this because I am not a guitar luthier and also I don’t know what to do that’s why I will just sand the under saddle because I can’t properly play my Taylor
What wood is the neck made of?
Mahogony
After watching ypur video, I'm even more mad. I would never buy a Taylor. Cant be a member of the club. And you can share the information. You're not a robot! Good video, bad Taylor. 👎
Where can I buy the shims?
To my knowledge, Taylor does not sell them to the public.
They do, and will, but they prefer you use a dealer for the work, given it's possible to screw up the guitar if you don't know what you're doing. @@dbnwoodland
Sad part is we spend all this money on a piece of wood & in time no matter how well you take care of your guitar at some point the wood will shrink. All companies have these loop holes so warranties these days are useless & there is always a hidden fee or something. And extended warranties are worse as they start the day of riding along with the manufacture warranty & if that's not bad enough you have these third party warranty companies like All State charging you a fee on top of the protection plan & you were told no there are no extra fees. Buy a cheaper guitar learn to do setups & throw the guitar out after the top sinks.
The break angle you are talking about is B.S. The more saddle above the bridge the more pressure against it & the bridge & it will crack over time. Also I have hardly any break angle but as long as there's some you still get good loud quality sound. Power pins that allow no break angle do what you're talking about. Certified is such an overused term that means nothing. It's to make people think oh I'm getting the best. I've been around the block along time to know a lot of B.S. angles for companies & people to make money. If Taylors QC was better no one would need to have it in for service. And if you say the wood shrunk then you just double talked for the warranty. I just put up a video of the junk guitar that has hardly any break angle & sound just as loud & good as others that have more.
Another thing is you're still lowering the strings in to the sound hole which is suppose to make acoustics not sound as loud. The principle for high end to low end guitars for the most part are built the same.
You said wood is going to do what it's going to so many times but yet the warranty states different. Smh Taylor = overpriced hype
0.003 to 0.007 relief! I heard fret buzz unless you are a super light player.
Your high end elite talk & after you adjusted to trussrod you didn't tune to pitch smh that which will change the relief.
You have a french horn on the floor why is that Ted
I fix them as well. I specialize in Brasswind, Woodwind, and fretted instrument repair.
100th comment!
Waist of time and a little BS.. When Taylor came out with the shimmed neck resets, they advertised the way to do this on they're website sot that you could do it yourself at home..! Nothing proprietary about that ! And if you want to kill the volume output on your guitar.. set-in it up .080'' will do exactly that !