I have a AB Manson 1994 Kingfisher acoustic in the shop for a neck reset and new bridge. The guitar has a custom scale length and 21 frets. It is supposed to have a standard dovetail joint and Titebond was used for the glue according to Manson. The guitar was made in England and I have email access to Him.
The guitar had a mysterious cover glued to the neck block. I have included a photo of it. Manson told me he doesn't know why it is there, and the owner assures me that it is original, no one besides Manson and I has ever worked on the guitar. To assure myself that it wasn't covering a screw or bolt, I removed it. The cover came off pretty cleanly at the glue joint, but I found another raised area under it that looked like a second plate. When I attempted to remove it, nothing came loose and it now seems to be part of the actual block. The builder has no idea.
I was not able to hit the dovetail pocket using the standard procedure of drilling off center into the 15th fret slot. After consulting with Manson I learned that he uses a dovetail that is probably about 10 mm deep. I drilled a new hole 10 mm from the body joint into the fretboard (off center of course) and hit a pocket. As I inserted steam into the hole and began to work the body side to side, I didn't feel any of the normal loosening of the joint. After about 1-2 minutes, steam began to emerge from the truss rod access at the peghead. I immediately removed the steamer, and I could tell by feeling for heat that the steam was not penetrating the heel.
Since Manson had recommended removing the heel cap to check for a pin he sometimes installs under it (this guitar didn't have any pin under the cop), I decided to drill a new steam hole through the heel under the cap and into the pocket. I laid out a line on the side of the heel 10 mm deep as a guide and drilled an angled hole into what should have been well into the pocket. Solid Mahogany all the way in. Tried steam but no dice.
At this point I have a guitar with a new bridge made, old one removed, the tongue loose from the top, a chipped-up neck block that will need a new cover plate, and no idea what to do next to remove the neck. I'm of a mind to turn down any such work on handmade guitars in the future, especially when the builder can't remember construction details.
Any ideas?
