New info on the High Bridge saga.

[Larrivee4me]

[Mr_LV19E]

With all due respect, you are wrong - the major reason is movement of the neck. If you sight the neck from the headstock, I'm betting you'll see a bend at the neck/body joint. Shaving the bridge is NOT the solution. Please visit Frank Ford's site; he can explain it much better than I can:

http://tinyurl.com/u6iy

I stand corrected.
Thanks for the link, very interesting info. BTW all my guitars are well within those parameters.

Jean claims his guitars will never need a reset. Is there anyone here that has one of his builds from the 70's. Is it even close to needing or has it had a reset?

[unclrob]

I gotta say that a lot of repairpeople I know are using this technic to solve this kinda problem.But as I say "what do I know".

[ibisimon]

Hi, I hadn't looked at the post in a while. I hadn't sent out the guitar as I was waiting for the box (long story) It's going out today and I promise a full report on how long and what was done. Thanks for all of the interest.

[flatlander]

I stand corrected.
Thanks for the link, very interesting info. BTW all my guitars are well within those parameters.

Jean claims his guitars will never need a reset. Is there anyone here that has one of his builds from the 70's. Is it even close to needing or has it had a reset?

1980. no adjustable rod. no reset. It has developed a slight hump where it joins body, above block, but easily got developing buzz out with small amount of fret filing. I didn't watch humidity too close and think that it might have been avioded. top may have shrunk a little above block.

[Mikeymac]

With all due respect, I'm amazed that LvGod is able to perfectly diagnose the problem (and proper repair solution) for the guitar without ever having seen it...

[flatlander]

I gotta say that a lot of repairpeople I know are using this technic to solve this kinda problem.But as I say "what do I know".
What do you know? how about you're a southern boy that lives in the real world? I mean you could find out exactly what thickness the bridge is "Supposed" to be, and then rebuild the guitar around it, right? 

[Walkerman]

With all due respect, I'm amazed that LvGod is able to perfectly diagnose the problem (and proper repair solution) for the guitar without ever having seen it...

LVgd wasn't diagnosing the problem, he was commenting on the most common cause for a neck reset.

[GA-ME]

"With all due respect, I'm amazed that LvGod is able to perfectly diagnose the problem (and proper repair solution) for the guitar without ever having seen it..." LVGOD was merely stating the best way and most correct way of fixing a shallow neck angle. Uncle Rob is right many repair people can fix this problem in other less expensive ways but those ways are merely stopgap measures to delay the inevitable. Having heard many on this forum lament on the price of the 000's I guarantee if it WAS YOUR BRAND NEW $2000 PLUS LARRIVEE, which supposedly has a lifetime warranty to the original owner, you would NOT WNAT A STOP-GAP MEASURE. My 000-60 has a neck angle as bad as the guitar in this thread and I guarantee I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A GUITAR FROM LARRIVEE which I do not play first. Presently, my guitar plays great, my luthier set it up flawlessly, but there is no where to go from here and it is just over a year old. I guarantee all you people espousing the great Larrivee customer service would be singing a different song if you had a $2000 plus dollar instrument that they wanted to shave the bridge on rather than fix what should have been done right the first time! When its your money then you can complain......

[tikabear]

"Having heard many on this forum lament on the price of the 000's I guarantee if it WAS YOUR BRAND NEW $2000 PLUS LARRIVEE, which supposedly has a lifetime warranty to the original owner, you would NOT WNAT A STOP-GAP MEASURE. My 000-60 has a neck angle as bad as the guitar in this thread and I guarantee I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A GUITAR FROM LARRIVEE which I do not play first. Presently, my guitar plays great, my luthier set it up flawlessly, but there is no where to go from here and it is just over a year old. I guarantee all you people espousing the great Larrivee customer service would be singing a different song if you had a $2000 plus dollar instrument that they wanted to shave the bridge on rather than fix what should have been done right the first time! When its your money then you can complain......"

Did you buy your guitar used or are you the original owner?  If you did buy new, I'd be interested to hear about how Larrivee addressed the problem.  As I said in a previous post in this thread, I believe most, but certainly not all, Larrivees have shallow neck angles and a few get out with severely shallow angles leaving the owner "nowhere to go" in adjusting the action.  It is a good reason to not to buy unless you look at it first but if you can ask the right questions of a seller and get a 2 or 3 day "grace period" where you could return the guitar, then I, personally, would still feel comfortable buying sight unseen.   

[Mikeymac]

"With all due respect, I'm amazed that LvGod is able to perfectly diagnose the problem (and proper repair solution) for the guitar without ever having seen it..." LVGOD was merely stating the best way and most correct way of fixing a shallow neck angle. Uncle Rob is right many repair people can fix this problem in other less expensive ways but those ways are merely stopgap measures to delay the inevitable. Having heard many on this forum lament on the price of the 000's I guarantee if it WAS YOUR BRAND NEW $2000 PLUS LARRIVEE, which supposedly has a lifetime warranty to the original owner, you would NOT WNAT A STOP-GAP MEASURE. My 000-60 has a neck angle as bad as the guitar in this thread and I guarantee I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A GUITAR FROM LARRIVEE which I do not play first. Presently, my guitar plays great, my luthier set it up flawlessly, but there is no where to go from here and it is just over a year old. I guarantee all you people espousing the great Larrivee customer service would be singing a different song if you had a $2000 plus dollar instrument that they wanted to shave the bridge on rather than fix what should have been done right the first time! When its your money then you can complain......

I wasn't trying to downplay that there was a problem with the guitar, it just seemed to me that - without seeing it personally - it would be hard to say with such certainty what the problem is.

GA-ME, if you bought your Larrivee new, then you have the original owner's lifetime warranty.  When you say, "There's no where to go from here," you're wrong. Go right back to Larrivee. If it truly needs repair work in the future, Larrivee should offer the proper warranty work to fix your guitar or replace it...that's their warranty.  If either your dealer or Larrivee don't seem to want to address your guitar's neck problem, and a competent luthier/repair tech says there's a problem, get back in touch with Larrivee again, and also contact the Better Business Bureau, and let Larrivee and your dealer know you're going to do this.

I find it hard to believe that Larrivee wouldn't be willing to address your problem (I had a warranty issue taken care of on my OM many years ago, a raised bridge, and Larrivee took care of it through my local dealer; an independent, local luthier did the work and Larrivee paid for it).

[unclrob]

I'm sorry you feel this is a stopgap solution.If new the guitar should be delt with thru the warranty.I work on lot of guitars weekly and most are used,most people and players can't afford a neck set and as far as I'm concerned if the neck joint is solid why pull it.Shaving the bottom of a bridge is a viable solution.But again what do I know 40 years of fixing the darn things.

[GA-ME]

Rob, I understand shaving the bridge is a viable cost effective solution for getting a used box in playing condition.  What I am saying, however, is is does not address the underlying issue of the neck angle being off. Over time, the fix of the bridge will be offset by continued shifting of the neck and then what? Perhaps that is why one so often sees vintage guitars with info stating recent neck reset and bridge replacement. You fellows who keep these instruments in playable condition have an area of expertise and a neck reset is a complicated, exacting, and time consuming process, and as such it is expensive. Expertise costs money. I am presently awaiting the results of the OMV in this thread to see what Larrivee does, but as it stands now they seem to want to take the cheaper alternative of shaving the bridge rather than dealing with the underlying structural issue of an overtly shallow neck angle. If that is the factory solution, I'd just as soon as have the neck reset in my state, at the hands of a luthier I personally know and trust, rather than shipping a guitar across country to have an essentially temporary correction of the issue at the factory. Though my guitar has the neckangle problem, I have truly bonded with the instrument. It sounds fantastic and my luthier has it playing great. The issue is, sound not withstanding, the guitar was not done right and I payed $2000 dollars plus for an instrument at about the top of Larrivee's food chain. If the guitar were under a true lifetime warranty, as is a Martin, I could take the instrument to my luthier, with whom I have a relationship predicated upon mutual trust and respect, the neck would be professorially rest, and it would be done over with and everything would be great. My luthier said if it were a Martin he could reset it under warranty with no problem, why is Larrivee's policy so much more difficult for the end consumer? Rob,I am truly not trying to denigrate your expertise, it is as you said though, cheaper to shave the bridge, but the fact remains the neck angle is still off and if the instrument is to remain playable eventually that will have to be addressed at one point in the future. Sorry if I am ranting a bit, but I wonder how many on the forum would feel if their dream guitar ended up having the issue my 000-60 or the OMV in this thread have? For most people guitars in this price point are our LIFTIME Dream guitars and to have the process soured is a bit disconcerting. Guitars are more than mere pieces of wood glued together and I for one bond with them in an anthropomorphic manner. I still have every acoustic guitar I have ever purchased and am not one to trade them off they become like family, they give me the gift of creation, and I suppose I tend to get a bit emotional over the fact that there is a problem with one of my "Friends" That's all I guess I'll be saying about "Frankie's" issues. What ever the net result I'll get her fixed and keep her playing well for as long as my fingers work!

[LvGod]

I'm sorry you feel this is a stopgap solution.If new the guitar should be delt with thru the warranty.I work on lot of guitars weekly and most are used,most people and players can't afford a neck set and as far as I'm concerned if the neck joint is solid why pull it.Shaving the bottom of a bridge is a viable solution.But again what do I know 40 years of fixing the darn things.

As has been said before, you can shave the bridge, but the neck angle will still be bad, and when you have to reset it, the bridge will have to be replaced, as well. I just noticed that you said, "shaving the BOTTOM of the bridge." How do you shave the bottom?  Did you mean the bridge saddle?

[jeremy3220]

As has been said before, you can shave the bridge, (1)but the neck angle will still be bad, and when you have to reset it, (2)the bridge will have to be replaced, as well. I just noticed that you said, "shaving the BOTTOM of the bridge." (3)How do you shave the bottom?  Did you mean the bridge saddle?

1. Only if the angle is bad to begin with. Maybe the bridge was cut too thick at the factory.
2. Not unless the bridge is too low before the neck reset.
3. Take it off.

[unclrob]

GA-ME,Like I said its a new guitar it should go back and fixed rite,period.Larrivee doesn't use many outsite repairpeople and does seem to prefer to do it themselves.Before sending it back make sure your tech takes measurements and you should take pix's.
LvGod,in the old days some techs use to shave the top of the bridge.Now when shaving a bridge you remove it and sand some off the bottom and reglue.
jeremy3220,you are right I've seen a rash of tall cut bridges.The neck angle has been  right on and still no saddle height.Sometime to get product out someone rush's something or the CAC is just not setup right.

[LvGod]

OK, we're going in circles here. I'm pretty sure most folks knew what I meant in my original post when I talked about a break in the angle at the body joint.

"1. Only if the angle is bad to begin with. Maybe the bridge was cut too thick at the factory." - Sounds like an excuse to me. Besides there are other ways to check the neck angle without comparing it's proximity to the top of the bridge.
"2. Not unless the bridge is too low before the neck reset." Um... please follow the thread - this would only occur if the stopgap 'neck shaving' technique was used.
"3. Take it off." Never have heard of this method. seems like it would result in making the feet of the bridge very thin...

unclrob - how many neck resets have you done?

[flatlander]

Having never seen you, I think the "G" should be lower case.

[TrinityGuitars]

LvGod is short for Love God  It should be upper case. If God is not loved than who else can be?
Jim Holler

[unclrob]

Lv I've done 257 neck resets according to my book.