Variable Set Neck

[zyonsdream]

Michael Kelly has developed a set neck that can be raised or lowered with the turn of a screw. I see the good points but it seems like a well set up guitar wouldn't need one of these? Any thoughts on this?

[fryovanni]

Michael Kelly has developed a set neck that can be raised or lowered with the turn of a screw. I see the good points but it seems like a well set up guitar wouldn't need one of these? Any thoughts on this?

Neck resets are expensive and a fact of life on acoustics. This is probably why many acoustic builders have adopted either bolt on or adjustable design. It all amounts to the need and or want for a "feature". On a solid body, the need for a reset is less likely(they just don't move like acoustics). The variable height is likely not as big of a deal because you have more adjustment than is usually desired on solid body guitars(bridges are design with adjustments). It is probably a lot of effort for little value on a solid body.

Rich

Edit;

can it be classed as a set neck?

. No, it is just a mechanical joint. Edited August 22, 2008 by fryovanni

[WezV]

can it be classed as a set neck?

it seems like it has a lot more adjustment than you would ever need though... the only real benefit i see is being able to go from a really nice low action to a slide guitar pretty quickly

[Mattia]

He's also in no way the first to do this; there are viennese guitars (Stauffer) from the late 19th century with adjustable necks with single bolt adjustments, and more recent incarnations predating Kelly's mechanical system include Mike Doolin and Harry Fleishmann, and a very similar system to the Kelly one is being used by McPherson Guitars. And plenty of acoustic builders (smaller) are building some version of an adjustable joint. My current acoustic (thred in the acousttic section) has 3 setscrews to ride on and two fastening bolts, which allow side to side and angle adjustment..

The advantage for an acoustics are real and multiple:

1) No need for neck resets

2) You can set the saddle height optimally, exactly how you want it for best downward pressure and tone, and adjust the action without having to file the saddle

3) As the top moves after stringing up, or over the seasons due to temp and humidity shifts, you can easily fix the action.

It's unnecessary for an electric; you've got an adjustable bridge. Acoustics don't, so having a system that allows easy, gradual, precise adjustment of neck angles is a definite benefit.

[zyonsdream]

Yah I don’t think it would translate well to an electric guitar and I’ve never had an acoustic that moved to a point a truss rod or bridge height adjustment wouldn’t work to correct the action. I think it’s a novel idea and I love Michael Kelly guitars but it seems like it’s an easy way to pass the set up to the consumer. My guess: these guitars play like crap out of the box and need a lot of tweaking.

[jaycee]

On the video the guitarist says that when using alternate tuning e.g. the treble E to a C you get fret buzz on conventional guitars, with this system you can raise the action to solve that problem.

I can't ever see Tommy Emmanuel using this type of guitar tho, he needs a good solid joint on his

[Mattia]

On the video the guitarist says that when using alternate tuning e.g. the treble E to a C you get fret buzz on conventional guitars, with this system you can raise the action to solve that problem.

I can't ever see Tommy Emmanuel using this type of guitar tho, he needs a good solid joint on his

The three sets screws and a bolt system is rock solid. No less than a regular bolt or set neck system.

[VesQ]

Here´s what i think about the desing. Dont´take it seriously thou.

If you want a neck joint wich enables neck to move. It would have to be a loose joint.

All this makes me to ask. Hmm.... Loose neck joints, anyone ?

Probably that desing works also as a tremolo. But only if you are fast enough to turn the hex key.

Edited August 22, 2008 by VesQ

[Setch]

You get a big old gap at the end of the heel, and an ugly mechanical addition to the back of the guitar.

I'll pass.

There are a great many people accomplishing the same end, with far more elegance.

[cherokee6]

I think the Babiscz guitars have that feature. It comes in handy if you want to play slide.

[fryovanni]

Yah I don’t think it would translate well to an electric guitar and I’ve never had an acoustic that moved to a point a truss rod or bridge height adjustment wouldn’t work to correct the action. I think it’s a novel idea and I love Michael Kelly guitars but it seems like it’s an easy way to pass the set up to the consumer. My guess: these guitars play like crap out of the box and need a lot of tweaking.

I doubt that would be a motivation. The simplest method(and cheapest) would be a set neck. These are added as a feature, with real benifits, and not usually adopted without some real thought put into the design. Like it or not, have use for it or not, it is not a cheap workaround.

Peace,Rich

[erikbojerik]

I’ve never had an acoustic that moved to a point a truss rod or bridge height adjustment wouldn’t work to correct the action.

Zyon....to be fair, you probably haven't owned an acoustic that is old enough to have run out of bridge height adjustment room. On older acoustics, you can shave the saddle/bridge down only so far, then it needs a neck reset. That's what these adjustable neck joints are designed for....for avoiding bridge height adjustments over decades.

Not to mention, the strings lose the ability to drive the top as the bridge saddle gets lower and lower. There is actually an optimum saddle height for driving an acoustic soundboard, which can vary with a lot of things...and this kind of neck adjustment can help you find it for each instrument.

As has already been said, this kind of neck adjustment is probably overkill on an electric with an adjustable bridge (IMO).