My 2013 D-18 needs a neck reset

[JohnW63]

Wade,

I think the reports come out of the wood work because of how often we read here that how Martin does it, is always the best and their guitars don't need any work done on them, well, because they are Martins and they have been doing it since 1855 or something.

So, when anyone reads of an issue, and a few more people report the same things, it draws attention.

[SpiderTrap]

The old Neck Reset Gimmick . I hear it mentioned about everytime i go into a mu$ic $tore. One reason I dont bother with anything beyond an FG730S which Id just trash and get another . They work fine for performing - dont have to be concerned about dings or being stolen . Had Years and years of expensive guitars and always problems - to the point of not worth the head aches .
Ive had very bad luck with so called luthiers over the years. i remember Id brought a nice Guild in for a fret polishing , and the guy ground the frets down almost even with the fretboard. I was shocked, had stuff like this happen too many times. now do anything myself if needed ... no more horror stories ...

[Golffishny]

So I'm guessing the heat press adressed the belly bulge issue. Glad it worked. As a side question, do you have his number so I can ask if there is a way to adapt the heat press thing on my belly bulge.

Tried heat, doesn't work if you drink cold beer.

[Wasper]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Something that does seem eternal, however, is that whenever there's even the faintest whiff of a problem with a Martin guitar it brings people out to tell us how much Martin guitars have gone downhill.

I will say this though... I've lost count of the threads discussing a Martin guitar that needs a neck reset within the first two years (many within the first). There have been more "My Martin needs a neck reset" threads than any other manufacturer in my four years on this forum. Yes, this isn't all of their guitars, but there have been enough of those threads to make me question the build practices of Martin guitars.

To counter what you wrote:

Something that does seem eternal, however, is that whenever there's even the faintest whiff of a problem with a Martin guitar, it brings Martin fans out to tell us how rare problems are with Martin guitars.

In other words, I have a feeling that if there was another brand name on these guitars , then there would be a lot more people questioning the perceived problems with the neck joints and the need for neck resets so early on.

[sbeirnes]

Originally Posted by Wasper

I will say this though... I've lost count of the threads discussing a Martin guitar that needs a neck reset within the first two years (many within the first). There have been more "My Martin needs a neck reset" threads than any other manufacturer in my four years on this forum. Yes, this isn't all of their guitars, but there have been enough of those threads to make me question the build practices of Martin guitars.

To counter what you wrote:

Something that does seem eternal, however, is that whenever there's even the faintest whiff of a problem with a Martin guitar, it brings Martin fans out to tell us how rare problems are with Martin guitars.

In other words, I have a feeling that if there was another brand name on these guitars , then there would be a lot more people questioning the perceived problems with the neck joints and the need for neck resets so early on.

Agreed. I bought a new D18 in 2011 and it needed a neck re-set in the first year. Martin said it would take months to repair under warranty and I finally sold it at a heavy loss after getting jerked around by the dealer and Martin.

IMO, Martin's warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on and there are many other manufacturers that build better guitars now.

I hope the OP gets this resolved to their satisfaction as a nice D18 is a thing of beauty. Sadly, Martin has been skating by on their history for a long time. I suspect the next generation of musicians are not as wrapped up in Martin's legacy and will not put up with this lack of quality/service. Martin needs to step up their QC or suffer the consequences.

[ewalling]

This is an issue that can make guitar-buying over the internet particularly precarious. Dealers and private individuals rarely take shots across the face of a guitar to show how much saddle there is and/or how high the bridge is. Nor do they often take photos down the neck or of string height at the 12th fret. Some do, and I'm grateful to them (thanks Kenn Fox at Paramount Guitars!), but all too often we'll get spectacular shots of the top and the back and the headstock, but nothing to show that the neck has been set properly or, if used, still has a first rate neck angle. Because of this, I have a preference these days for manufacturers that use some form of bolt-on neck whose reset will not require major surgery or major investment.

[00-28]

Originally Posted by sbeirnes

Agreed. I bought a new D18 in 2011 and it needed a neck re-set in the first year. Martin said it would take months to repair under warranty and I finally sold it at a heavy loss after getting jerked around by the dealer and Martin.

IMO, Martin's warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on and there are many other manufacturers that build better guitars now.

I hope the OP gets this resolved to their satisfaction as a nice D18 is a thing of beauty. Sadly, Martin has been skating by on their history for a long time. I suspect the next generation of musicians are not as wrapped up in Martin's legacy and will not put up with this lack of quality/service. Martin needs to step up their QC or suffer the consequences.

Do you work at at one of those big music stores like Guitar Center or Musicians Friend? This sounds just like a lot of the nonsense I hear at times from ill-informed sales people that usually work at those places. ......Mike

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by Wasper

I will say this though... I've lost count of the threads discussing a Martin guitar that needs a neck reset within the first two years...

I can't help but wonder if this is because there are more Martins out there than pretty much any other guitar--probably the same reason you've lost count of all the Martin PRAISE threads out there as well. More neck reset threads doesn't mean anything in the face of many more guitars. Taylor necks are made of the same wood and are just as susceptible to warping, but they bolt on, which is a 30 minute repair. Seems to me, the problem isn't Martin QC. The problem is the backlog Martin has at their repair shop which makes getting a dovetail neck reset a many month ordeal. If a Martin neck reset took 30 minutes (or even overnight) at your local Guitar Center, you wouldn't see any complaining here. The guitars are not selling because people want to pay more for a fancy name; they sell more because they sound like no other guitar. Part of that recipe is a dovetail neck, which has the drawback of being more susceptible to complications. If Larivee made more guitars, you'd see more neck reset threads about them as well--along with heaps of praise and brand recognition. This isn't as black-and-white an issue as people like to make it seem; more a knee-jerk reaction to take down the king of the heap. There is no *perfect* guitar--only a long list of pros and cons that--like it or not--come bundled under a headstock. But if it's a particular sound you're after, I've yet to hear a bolt-on that sounds just like a Martin.

Originally Posted by zoopeda

...Taylor necks are made of the same wood and are just as susceptible to warping, but they bolt on, which is a 30 minute repair...

The speed and ease of changing the neck angle on a Taylor is a fair point, but neck warpage has nothing at all to do with the need for a typical neck reset. That is normally due to body deformation which changes the relationship of the neck block to the bridge. Reseting the neck means changing the angle at which the neck is attached in order to restore the proper relationship.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

The speed and ease of changing the neck angle on a Taylor is a fair point, but neck warpage has nothing at all to do with the need for a typical neck reset. That is normally due to body deformation which changes the relationship of the neck block to the bridge. Reseting the neck means changing the angle at which the neck is attached in order to restore the proper relationship.

Thanks for teaching me that, Todd!

Point remains: dovetail is a part of the Martin soup. If it was a bolt-on neck, resets would be quick and painless. But then it wouldn't be a Martin.

Does beg the question for the experts out there: Has Martin experimented with putting a bolt-on neck on a standard series dread to compare sound?

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

Does beg the question for the experts out there: Has Martin experimented with putting a bolt-on neck on a standard series dread to compare sound?

Well, they already use one on the John Mayer signature model, which, at a cool $3750 (street price), is not exactly a budget model.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Well, they already use one on the John Mayer signature model, which, at a cool $3750 (street price), is not exactly a budget model.

But that's an acoustic-electric guitar, designed for plugged-in use. (Plus, isn't the bolt removed in the Simple Dovetail process?) I'd love to play a standard D-18 or D-28 next to an identical guitar with a bolt-on neck. I'm sure the gurus up at Martin have played with this and, despite the obvious headache they'd receive from a switch to bolted necks, insist on Dovetail (presumably to preserve tone)...

[nobodeuno]

I don't think Martin will ever move away from wood & glue dovetails, they've been promoting it way to long as better. I could be wrong though...using micarta, richlite and Hpl are pretty unconventional...you never know! That being said Martin makes tens of thousands of acoustics each year and I don't know what percentage of those need neck resets in the first 10 years?

I do know that the Taylor, Breedlove, and Collings bolted necks are superior in the long run, with Taylor out front for intonation and neck angle workability. I also know that there have been some bad Taylor's as well, but easily fixed by changing shims. I do believe Taylor's truss rod is one of the best and very sturdy...

As for playing a Martin with a bolt on neck...Collings has a few model replicas of the Martin, they sound well...really great!
I don't think the John Mayer Martin has a bolt on neck...simple block dovetail...?

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by nobodeuno

I don't think the John Mayer Martin has a bolt on neck...simple block dovetail...?

Yes, the specs do say a simple dovetail neckjoint. Funny - I could have sworn it had a mortise and tenon joint. Did Martin change the construction of this at any point? I remember there being one or two complaints here years ago in which someone did not like Martin charging so much for a guitar that a 'lower quality' neck joint.

[wade63]

Wasper- "There is no *perfect* guitar--only a long list of pros and cons that--like it or not--come bundled under a headstock. But if it's a particular sound you're after, I've yet to hear a bolt-on that sounds just like a Martin."
Bingo! I'll add how many guitars are copied after Martin but still don't sound like a Martin. If it ain't broke, well, and if it is broke, fix it. If my Martin develops problems that I bought new, they'll fix it. If I bought my Martin used for half price (and I did) develops problems, I'm still way ahead. Sure this is a pain but a rarity. I have more than one guitar so I'll play it for awhile. We certainly hear about Gibson troubles and all the rest. I go by sound, I'd still buy another Martin if mine "imploded". I hope my 18 (I liked it better than the more expensive models I tried) lasts the 30+ years I need it, probably outlive me, but if it needs repairs (I know I will) so be it.
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