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Is there any reason that year/model would make this more expensive than your average reset? Guy had a quote for 3k$, which I think was really a 'I don't want to do it' price. Says the person claimed it had special bracing that added difficulty. I looked inside, and other than a horrific double X, the neck block area looked completely normal.

I don't do that type of work myself, but I'm passing it on to a friend who does. Just curious if the high quote was BS...

That certainly sounds like the classic eff-off price.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I'm not in the business of commenting on the pricing or work of others but I can tell you what would be on my mind with this one.

G*bson resets of this era have some unique challenges (read pricing premiums) for some shops. There is also the issue of how busy a shop may be and if they even want to do this kind of work or do this kind of work with the current work load. In the repair business there is a thing called a "punitive" quote that is engineered to suggest, economically.... that one go elsewhere.

These G*bsons have thin, fragile heels that can break during the neck reset process. They are also known for the neck being finished on the guitar making for a sloppy separation and the need for finish repair and touch-up often to a greater degree than some other guitars.

Regarding the $3K price it's often the case that when a guitar needs it's neck reset other things need tending to as well. Possibilities include loose braces, cracks, lifting bridge, shaved bridges necessitating replacing the bridge to a normal height to reset the neck angle to. Worn bridge plates, previously lowered saddles, fret work including a refret, new nut, etc. Also at this age any electronics even if not OEM can be in need of perhaps an element replacement or even replacing because technology has advanced.

It's not uncommon for us, when we have time to do these "whole nine yards" jobs to charge $1,200 - $1,500 for a suite of major repairs all needed at the same point in time for an instrument needing a neck reset.

With the exchange rate that $3K is now understandable at least for 2/3rds of it. As mentioned it just could be that the previous Luthier did not want to lose their soul working on a G*bson..... It's also entirely possible that the client neglected to consider everything that the previous Luthier was quoting for..... an important consideration when one wishes to be fair...

PS: I know a guy who attempted to remove the bridge plate on his 60's J-50 and did it himself to save a buck. He split the top and destroyed the guitar.....

eff-off is another way to say "punitive quotation..." Hope you are well Alex!

Hesh can probably help with this, but I've heard of a few guitars that had the neck installed before the top and then the fingerboard glued on last. Could this be one of those? That makes a neck reset nearly impossible.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

It is not one. Those ended in the 1940's. Other than having the body and neck finished together, the only issue I have had with resetting 1970's Gibsons is the laminated neck with the 3/4" thick center lamination. On those, the cheeks of the dovetail can come off during the steaming. Both issues together add maybe 20% to the labor cost.
FYI, a neck reset on the Gibsons with the top over the dovetail are not 'nearly impossible'....it just takes a different technique to remove the neck. It adds about 10% to the cost.

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John

Thanks John,

I already don't recall if this had a lam neck or not. Seems to me this should just be a more or less straight forward piece of work...

What's that technique, John?

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com