This Gurian neck has received a new fingerboard and its tenon has been reconstructed. The unique Gurian tapered pin neck joint design has been replaced with barrel bolt connectors for reasons specific to this particular guitar. Carbon fiber veneers were applied to strengthen a cracked heel and tenon.

The Gurian two pin method of attaching the neck was designed to simplify its removal. A special tool is required to remove and re-insert two tapered ebony pins that pass through the head-block and tenon. This tool is unique and available to only a few repair facilities in America. The owner was required to ship this guitar to me because no one in Switzerland was equipped to serve him. For this and other structural reasons the neck joint was converted to a bolt-on design. The first step was to repair the fractured heel and plug the two pin holes.

Two carbon fiber plates were adhered to the sides of the tenon for support and two barrel bolt connectors were installed. A new fingerboard was required because the original one was severed during a previously botched attempt to remove the neck.

The new fingerboard has face markers located in the same manner as the original.

The soundboard was seriously damaged by a repairman in Switzerland who was not familiar with the Gurian neck joint design. After the soundboard fragment was replaced a graft was installed to provide support for the weakened soundhole. A special caul was made in order to glue the graft. The label inside the guitar reflects the spirit of the era that these fine guitars were made. It reads “Gurian workshops. Earth, third planet from the Sun.”

With a new fingerboard, the soundboard shows little sign of having been fractured.

Reconstruction complete the Gurian awaits a new pickguard and final set-up before being shipped back to its owner in Switzerland. His delight is evident in a letter received shortly thereafter.  It’s posted along with an audio clip of the instrument on my Letters page.