The Adjustable Bolt-On Neck (ABN) Design allows for easy neck angle adjustment. It's designed to be easy enough that even a guitar player with little experience in guitar maintenance can make the adjustment with nothing more than an Allen hex wrench and a small measuring tool. 

To adjust, you first loosen the strings. Then reaching into the soundhole with the correct size allen wrench, loosen the two upper screws. These screws secure the neck to the body. Next, correct the neck angle by adjusting the bottom screw. Loosen to lower the angle, and tighten to raise the angle. Then tighten the two upper screws again, snug but not too tight.

Remember, just a small change in neck angle can change the string action dramatically, so go slow. Repeat the process until you get the action just where you want it.

 

Why this new design and not the traditional dovetail joint used by most guitar makers?

 

Well, first of all, the idea isn't exactly "new." Johann Stauffer made guitars with adjustable necks. Yeah, that's the guy who taught C.F. Martin how to build guitars about 200 years ago.  After establishing his own business in the United States, Martin standardized the fixed dovetail joint, and most other guitar makers followed making it the industry standard for the next 18 decades.  In more recent years, while the dovetail remains the favorite of most makers, bolt on necks have become increasingly more popular by small boutique builders and big factory makers alike.  But either method, no matter how well built the instrument or how high quality the materials used, will eventually need a neck reset.  This is a costly, invasive and risky operation, and the changes made to the guitar are permanent. Neck angle adjustments can be done on a Mazzocco guitar in minutes by a qualified technician or competent enough owner with no risk of permanent damage to the guitar.

 

How does it work?

 

The heel of the neck is set into a matching mortise in the body. It is held in place by two screws while the third (lower) screw holds the neck at the desired angle. Adjusting the bottom screw adjusts the angle which can raise and lower the string action. (String Action refers to the height of the strings measured from the top of the frets.)

“Hey Ryan, I see a gap between the bottom of the fretboard and the top. Is that supposed to be there?”

Yes it is. True, most guitars have the fretboard glued down to the top so it is tight with no visible gap between the two. However, with our adjustable neck the area must be free to move up and down with the neck angle. But don't worry. It is fully supported underneath with an extended support cantilever system. Another advantage of our floating fretboard is that you will never have the dreaded “14th fret hump” or “ski jump” that can occur with a fretboard that is glued to the top.