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Hi guys, I'm thinking of doing a neck reset on my late 90's ooo-c1e. Has anyone done one before on this or similar model? I'm not sure of the method of neck attachment, or if it needs to be steamed off? it's a less expensive model, I believe it has laminated sides.

i believe that model is a bolt on mortise and tenon. these are significantly easier to reset than the french dovetails. to find out for sure, look inside the sound hole on the head block. . . if there is a wooden plate attached, with the model and serial number engraved into it, it is a bolt on. you need to remove the wooden plate. it is attached via double stick tape, so it should come off with a feeler gage or probe of the like. remove the bolt behind the plate.
now, on these models the fingerboard tongue is glued to the top. you'll need to heat up the FB tongue to soften the glue and carefully work it loose from the top with a suitable probe, knife, etc.
next, inject steam into the threaded insert in the headlock, as it is drilled thru to the mortise and tenon. the steam will allow the neck to separate from the body. now, these particular neck joints are prone to being loose and do not always need steam to remove them, however, it depends on the guitar's condition.
after the neck is off, the angle needs to be reset and then the tenon shimmed, shaved down for fit and reglued.
Neck resets are a pretty intermediate to expert repair, and lots could go wrong. . . especially when steam is introduced to in inside of a guitar body. there are lots of sensitive glue joints, as well as thin , soft pieces of wood that react significantly to the temperature and moisture of steam. proceed with caution and if you have any step by step breakdowns, there are plenty of willing to help contributors on this forum!

Great post by Zachary!

In addition before doing anything simply inspect the neck heel to body joint. If you see any evidence of a gap the glue joint likely failed as Zac suggested. These glued mortice and tenon joints are in perpetual sheer and fail frequently leaving only the lone bolt to keep things in place... If the instrument is yours and/or you do not wish to attempt the entire neck reset for now AND you see the gap between the heel and body/sides removing the wooden plate and tightening the bolt can often return the neck angle to f*ctory specs without removal. It's a quick fix and not intended to be the permanent solution which would be one of two choices.

Either complete removal and refitting the neck with the proper neck angle and reassembling the joint as Martin intended or complete removal and the addition of a second threaded insert and bolt converting it to a two bolt bolt-on no longer gluing the mortice and tenon but replying on the two bolts.

There is a third possibility too that is often done and that involves not removing the fret board extension but only the plate, bolt, and the glue joint has to have already failed. Next is flossing in the new neck angle and reassembling. I've not done this method but have heard plenty of folks describe it who have and they indicate good results and minimal effort. YMMV

Thanks guys, the joint hasn't failed but the neck angle isn't quite right anymore. I bought this guitar when I was sixteen and knew nothing about humidity control so it had a rough couple first years.
I shaved the bridge down a few years ago to be able to maintain good action but now that I've gotten some experience working on guitars and it's no longer my only acoustic I thought I'd try to get the neck angle fixed and replace the bridge. I had a feeling it was one of the bolt on models but wasn't sure if they also used glue. I might go ahead and add a second bolt and forgo the glue.
Thanks agian

Not wishing to sidetrack Brandon's post, but would a DC-16 series guitar have the same m+t/single bolt arrangement?

My understanding is if your neck block looks like this, it's the single bolt and glue mortis and tenon joint.

Yes, the dc16 models are all mortise and tenon, bolt on necks.

Thanks chaps! Just need to pluck up the courage and have at it!

If the OP is the original owner of the guitar since new, and it can be documented to Martin's satisfaction, then Martin themselves would reset the neck under warrantee, no?

_________________
Peter Havriluk

Neck resetting is covered as a warranty issue to original US purchasers with appropriate proof-of-purchase or factory registration.

The bolted mortise is also glued, sort of a "belt and suspenders" approach to neck attachment.

Many of us wish they would have skipped the glue!

2018 UPDATE - Martin no longer covers resetting as a warranty consideration unless the neck is actually loose, and without obvious damage.

_________________
Cheers,

Frank Ford

FRETS.COM
HomeShopTech
FRETS.NET

Roger that on skipping the glue!

It's very common for the bolt to loosen up and as such when ever we are doing a simple set-up on these guitars we pop the plate and crank the bolt. Often it's the case that the necks move enough to noticeably lower the action. Just did one today and when the pro player picked it up he noted that it was much easier to play toward the body joint.

You can see from the outside in the neck/body joint area if the bolt is loose too and there will be a bit of a gap.

Even if the bolt is tight,(a Bellville washer helps) it's seems a bit of a mushy connection with the block disconnected from the back.

Brandon - did you end up going forward with the reset?

I've never tired a reset on a Martin M&T - any trick get getting heat into the correct area of the M&T joint?