Under The Knife

As a last resort, Alex Bishop prepares to operate on a vintage Yamaha acoustic - but will it recover from the ordeal?

- Alex Bishop

Repeatedly, old Father Time has proven to be an enemy of so many instruments; the unrelenting tension of taut steel strings will so often gradually buckle soundboards, warp necks and twist fingerboards beyond the realms of play-ability. While it’s often the case that a thorough setup by an experienced luthier may rectify these problems, replacing frets, levelling fingerboards and crafting a new nut or saddle may not always be enough to fix a guitar when its carefully aligned geometry has been pulled out of shape by the malevolent forces of time. A new beginning is required; the guitar must be subjected to an emergency procedure.

“The true test of any aspiring guitar repairer is surely the daunting task of performing a ‘neck reset’ for the first time on a valuable guitar”