Off center fingerboard

[Tim Skaggs]

I found a nice mid 50's Kay M-1 that has had the neck replaced. I'm not concerned with the replaced neck, (I have a '52 Kay that has had the neck replaced & it's great) but I notice that the bridge has to be offset toward the treble side to center the strings on the fingerboard. It's not extreme, but it is noticeable, perhaps as much as 3/8" at the feet, and the string notches in the bridge are also offset toward the treble side perhaps as much as 1/8 to gain even more toward the treble side. With the offsets, the strings are centered on the fingerboard & the bass plays and sounds great. I believe it would sound even better if the bridge was centered between the F-holes. The neck appears to have been set properly and also seems to be solid as a rock. It looks like hide glue was used, but not positive on that. The seam cleanup was good and I didn't have a magnifying glass when I went to look at the bass. How hard would it be to get the neck out intact and reset with the fingerboard centered? I spoke to one luthier & he said it will be almost impossible to get the neck out of the block without damaging the neck or the block even if hide glued. I've worked with violins & steamed hide glue into submission. The guy I spoke with said you can't get steam to the bass dovetail or the top surfaces of the neck block. I think it can be done, but I'm not sure I'm up for such a repair. Can a well set neck be removed? I'd like to buy this thing (it's priced very right), but I don't know about the off center issue.

[vejesse]

Almost impossible to get the neck out? That's a bread and butter repair buddy.

[Tim Skaggs]

Maybe the guy I asked about it didn't want the work. I know he's replaced necks in dozens of basses. I had it in my mind (from working on violins) that it wouldn't be that difficult, but I've never attacked that big a project. Is steam in the dovetail the correct approach?

[uprightben]

I know luthiers who have an extreme adversion to kay neck joints, perhaps the fellow you talked to is in that camp.

[Tim Skaggs]

No, I spoke to him again. He was concerned the replaced neck was glued in with carpenters wood glue or something similar. I asked the seller & he said the luthier who did the repaired said the neck was set with hide glue. I've got it bought, so I have to decide if I want to play it "as is" or get it corrected. As I described in my first post, it plays and sounds good, I just think it's falling short of its potential sound with the bridge set off center. I'll play it a while and research options to get the neck off. The new neck doesn't feel like an old Kay; it's thicker and feels like it's built like a tank.