My friend's Taylor 514ce - neck problem

[glenklein]

Hi all,

My buddy's Taylor 514ce came apart at the neck heel. I haven't seen it yet, but am pretty sure this is the bolt-on NT (new technology) neck that Taylor used after 1999. If I'm not mistaken, these have the support under the tongue of the fretboard (from the 14th fret down to the 19th fret).

First - why would this neck come apart? Is this caused by an environmental change, or do they come loose with use? Is the wood just at the break-in point and it's time for a neck reset?

I'm having trouble understanding why this came apart. It should be an easy fix and is probably ready for a neck reset anyway?

Any advice?

Thanks - Glen

[Kevin Sjostrand]

For sure send it back to Taylor and let them do it....it is probably going to be done under warranty as long as it was not abused to cause this.

Kevin

[tippie53]

with the bolt on this is a simple fix , best advice is call Taylor and they can get you in touch with a Taylor repair center near you

[glenklein]

Thanks Kevin and John.

Calling Taylor is already in the works. I'm still curious as to why this would happen after several years... especially since I'm close to finishing up my bolt-on.

Thanks - Glen

[tippie53]

the few Taylor's I worked on were not glued but true bolt ons. Often if the weather is dry the neck block may shrink just enough to let the strings pull the neck out of the mortice to expose and open the joint. I am not a bolt on fan as even when glued the glue is in shear .
Dovetails are the only joint that have the glue joint in compression. That does not mean that a bolt on will not sound as good as a dovetail. Just my preference.

[glenklein]

I am not a bolt on fan as even when glued the glue is in shear.

John - hate to sound stupid again, but what does "in shear" mean? Do you mean the neck to block joint is not compressed?

Do people glue the bolt on necks? If so, where do they glue it? In the neck block mortise?

[tippie53]

If you think of the direction of the force applied to a joint, In a dovetail the glue surfaces are pressed together , so the glue joint is in compression. In a tenon the rotational forces of the neck rely on the bolts to hold the neck together , and the sides of the tenon want to slide , this is where the force is in shear , or lets say that they would slide against each other if the glue failed.