Another Gold Tone Neck Issue

Hi, Steve
Say, I'm trying to take the bolt-on neck off a Gold Tone guitar. Got the screws out and the heel is ready to separate from the body, but the fingerboard extension over the upper bout ain't moving. Is that going to be glued, or screwed somehow? Any tips for getting it loose?

We're enjoying both the tin tenor and the newly-playable Mossman.

Thanks for the great work!
Lauren

Lauren,
If the fingerboard is screwed down, there will be screw
heads visible on the inside. You will need an inspection mirror and a bright light. Resonophonics tend to have the fingerboard tongue screwed down. There is some possibility that the screws go in from the top and are hidden under pearl dots. Look for dots arranged in a box shape with one in the middle. Look for a paper thin gap under the tongue or some indication that there is no glue in the joint. Pop out a dot and look under it. It is much more likely that the fingerboard is glued down. The glue melts at about 250 degrees. It is possible to heat it with a clothes iron, protecting the finish with asbestos blocks. Lay the iron on top of the frets. We use Watlow heater blankets, that are cut to the exact shape needed, and rheostated to the optimum temperature. You will also need a 1" to 2" spatula sharpened to a dull edge, to slide into the joint as the glue melts. When the neck pops off, clean the joint while the glue is still hot and easy to remove.

You can Google Gold Tone Banjos, and ask them. They should know exactly what tongue joint you have. Who knows, it might even be a warrantee problem that you are dealing with.

Steve Mason