Hi everyone, I finally bought a used 95'D2-H. After buying a dehumidifier and drying the guitar and also doing the basic setups like saddle height and neck relief... I found the saddle almost touching the bridge. It looks exactly like the photo on this Frets.com page:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/NeckReset/CollingsReset/collingsreset.html

My question is how advisable is it to attempt to DIY a neck reset as it is taught in the above webpage.

I believe there are no 'luthiers' in my country that has done a collings neck reset before. I have also heard stories of how guitars come back with dinks and scratches from these workshops. I wouldn't send it back to Collings for the reset because it would be too costly for me.

My concerns are:
1. Will the intonation become messed up?
2. How easy is it to do successive cuts to the neck to make the angle change?
3. What other problems should I be looking for?

Thanks for any advise.

Where are you located? I feel your frustration being overseas but Neck Reset is a very complicated job even with a Collings Bolt-on neck. I will definitely take it to a pro. If any local luthier with experience in Taylor Bolt-on Neck (probably more likely) it will probably be easier for them to pick up the skills for resetting Collings.

Is there any other thing you want to do with you guitar? Like pickup installation, strap button, FWI pins/nut/saddle etc. The shipping won't seem as much if you can get more done in one go!

If you have to ask how difficult it is to reset a Collings neck then that tells me you probably shouldn't attempt this. A Colling's neck is easier to reset then a dovetail joint type of neck but it still takes some expertise to do. I have built a few guitars with dovetail necks and did a fairly decent job on those necks with no prior guitar repair experience and I still wouldn't try to reset my D2H neck. Maybe Bryan K will chime in here and give his 2 cents worth.

Thanks guys for replying.
Ed, you have played this guitar with Tomcat before. I am located in Singapore.

I am quite frustrated with this guitar alright. I mean the tone is really fantastic, but the condition of the guitar isn't. It wasn't until I brought the guitar home that I realise there was so much work to be done. There are scratches everywhere and some places are even 'hazy' and it looks like the scratches were from the polishing the prev owner attempted. The Waverly tuners were so tarnish that they had greenish 'growth' in them. The guitar was also very wet from the swells you can feel on the top and back.

I wouldn't be complaining if the guitar was advertised as such, but the prev owner said it was mint condition never played and here I can see some wear on the frets.

I have done some simple woodwork before so I thought it wouldn't be too difficult to do the reset myself.

I am using light guage and in doing the test mentioned in Frets.com, the nut was a touch too low. I took out the nut and added a shim below to raise the height slightly. I am waiting for an ivory nut blank to arrive so that I can replaced it.

I have seen a luthier working on a guitar thru a shop window before and it was kinda scary. His workspace was so cluttered with tools and other guitars and he was 'spinning' the guitar he was working on here and there, can't imagining how the guitar can escape any injuries..

Does anyone have any indication how much a neck reset would cost in US dollars? Thanks

James, that D2H is a real Cannon!! You got yourself a great guitar there! I have been thinking of it from time to time! It is the loudest Dreadnought I ever played and I think it is a good one even among Collings D2Hs.

Tone is the most important part of a guitar, be happy with it!

I agree with you about the condition of it... While it is in very good condition. The scratches etc. were probably due to in-proper care. I suggest you buy the Petro Polish/Scratch Remover kit or the Virtuso Cleaner/Polish and try to polish it up yourself. It can remove most haze and scratches even from Vintage Martins with lots of haze and scratches.. I have great success using both products myself..!

That guitar have been played I am sure but probably not outdoor. From what I can recall, the action is quite high and the strings on the guitar is quite old as well. From the time I try it out, theres a very big pack of moisture absorbent boucning inside the guitar... both me and Tomcat thought that it might cause damage to the internal bracing of the guitar this way. We have suggested to the original owner to take it out.

The owner told me he never adjust the guitar. Did you check the neck relief as well?

Since the guitar have been exposed to high humidity in SG for all this years, another suggestion for you is to take all the strings off the guitar and store the guitar in a correct humidity environments for a couple of weeks. The Belly on the top will probably go away a little. I tried this method on an old Martin D28 and the action have gotten back to a more playable state afterward.

If any of the above couldn't solve your problem, a Neck reset will cost approx. 2-300US. I suggest you send it to Bryan or whoever qualified and have them do a complete setup.. that is, to set the neck, shape the FWI nut and saddle, dress the fret (if needed), clean the tuners, give the guitar some slight buffing (if needed) and have a complete checkup for your guitar. If you ship by EMS Speedpost, it cost approx. 100USD one way. Total will be approx. 500 dollar US.

I know the guitar repairer you mentioned. I am sure he worked on a lot of Taylors but I probably won't trust him with a Collings as well. I don't think he charge any less than a qualified person in US plus shipping.

Check out Bryan's website, click on Luthery and than rates. He once replaced a Bridge for my Collings and removed some serious scratches and did a very great job.

For 500USD, you can have a completely perfect D2H to enjoy with.....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ed,

James it's too bad that the guitar was not as advertised. It infuriates me when a seller misrepresents a guitar. People like that are scum. Where did the guitar come to you from, the US, your country, a dealer, E-bay ?
I second what Ed told you about talking to Bryan Kimsey about doing the work. He's an honest guy and does excellent work.

HI James,

Sorry to hear abt yr Collings.
Can u email me offline?