Dobro Neck re-set/repair

[Chris Vallillo]

The fall playing season is over and I'm back home and trying my hand at a few repairs. My friend Rocky Maffit says it's zen thing for me. He's probably right.

I was just asked to repair a Dobro with serious neck issues. It seems like it might have taken a hit from the back of the neck. The neck is loosened and there is damage to the body on both sides of the joint (see pics) action atrocious with no break angle on the strings.

My first Dobro repair, although I've been inside my own instruments multiple times. This one has pencil marks indicating repairs 4 different times since 97. I've removed the cover plate and Spider cone and unscrewed the tone bar so the neck is quite loose, however there appear to be 4 screws beneath the double pearl dots on the fingerboard extension screwing the fingerboard to the top. Having never done this before, I've got a couple questions.

What's the best way to pop off the pearl dots? I've thought about heat and a dental pick, but don't want to damage the fingerboard if possible.

Also, does anyone know if the fingerboard extension is glued as well as screwed on?

Thanks!

[Mark Swanson]

Yes I'd say that there are neck issues there.
Drill out the pearl dots, and just replace them.

[Michael Lewis]

It's difficult to see from the quality of the pics but looks like the body binding at the side of the neck is loose. This leads me to think the sides and top may be separating and allowing the neck block to rotate toward the resonator. This would be a serious structural consideration and effect the neck angle.

[Chris Vallillo]

Yes the binding and top are pulled loose on both sides of the neck, clearly compromising the structural integrity of the neck and it's angle. I'm assuming that this is the result of trauma to the instrument although it also may be a result of bad construction. My plan is to remove the neck, assess and hopefully repair the structural damage then re-set the neck.

Mark, anticipating that I might need to do something like you suggested, I've already ordered the pearl dots from Sty Mac! I assume you're suggesting I drill a small hole and pry out the pearl dot. I'll try to prep the dots with heat to soften the glue first.

[Mark Swanson]

Yes! Heat, and a little moisture. Just drill a 1/8" hole in there, put a drop of water in, and heat up an old drillbit and stick it in the hole for a bit....presto.

[Chris Vallillo]

Interestingly enough, the pearl "dots" were plastic and when I went to drill them out, they came loose as soon as the drill went through. All I had to do was unscrew the fingerboard extension (not glued) and the neck came right out.

The top was indeed separated from the body. I'm not sure of this was from trauma or from a bad original glue job (I didn't feel any old glue in the joint when I went to clean it out). The quality of this instrument is surprisingly poor with sections of the tone ring coming loose and very sloppy cuts for the neck joint. Not Dobro's best work!

I shot Titebond into the separations with a syringe and clamped it overnight. Waiting on the replacement saddle blank to finish it up, but hope that's the end of it!

[Mark Swanson]

Cool! We all love it when it's easy like that.

[Thomas Wentzel]

The quality of this instrument is surprisingly poor with sections of the tone ring coming loose and very sloppy cuts for the neck joint. Not Dobro's best work!

You can blame that on Regal ...Tom