New Hampshire, my home state, has a long-standing reputation for its organic exports, particularly timber and maple syrup. For nearly a decade, from 1973 to 1981, Michael Gurian operated a guitar factory here that produced high-quality instruments, which remain highly sought after today. Originally based in New York City’s Greenwich Village and later in the Lower East Side, Gurian’s factory became a notable establishment. Some of his employees went on to have illustrious careers, including Michael Millard, Thomas Humphrey, and William Cumpiano.

As the New York operation grew, Gurian sought a new location and found that the Granite State offered enough incentives to lure him north to the town of Hinsdale. In addition to manufacturing guitars, he operated a sawmill that supplied wood for guitars, furniture, pianos, and countless other products. He also published a mail-order catalog filled with tonewoods and other supplies for aspiring luthiers. The production numbers of his guitars vary, with estimates ranging from 2,000 to 5,000, but it’s likely that the actual figure is somewhere in the middle.

**The Guitars**

Gurian guitars could be considered boutique instruments even before that term became popular. They were expertly crafted from the finest tonewoods, with the only plastic component being the pickguard. Unlike many other instruments of that time, the binding, purfling, and rosette rings were made from wood—a rare feature of that era. The three primary models are characterized by long shoulder curves that extend from the fingerboard into a shallow waist.

The most distinctive feature—and the focus of this article—is the use of a mortise and tenon neck-to-body joint. Unlike traditional methods that rely on adhesives, this joint is secured by two ebony tapered pins fitted into adjacent sides of the neck block. I once asked Michael if the inspiration for this design came from the post-and-beam framing techniques of barns and older homesteads. He suggested that, whatever its origins, the idea to use it was either historical or perhaps mythical; I can’t remember for sure, as there was red wine involved.

In my career as a guitar repair technician, I sought out niche services—typically, tasks that were not commonly offered in most shops. Over time, I acquired many such skills, but one of the earliest was providing neck resets on Gurian guitars. Generally, most shops that peeked into the sound hole and saw two ebony pins sticking out of the neck block would decline the opportunity to return the neck and body to a reasonable geometry. For most, this was a wise move, but I viewed it as an opportunity to offer the service, and many shops knew they could refer clients to me. First, however, I had to figure out how to work on this mysterious neck joint.

In the early 1990s, I purchased every book I could find on guitar repair and construction. One notable book was “Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology,” written by Jonathan D. Natelson and William R. Cumpiano, a Gurian alumnus. Among the construction techniques detailed in this book is the use of a pinned mortise and tenon neck/body joint. While I didn’t find the fabrication methods for that attachment particularly useful, a later chapter provided instructions for removing and changing the neck angle, as well as guidance on making a tool for removing and setting the pins. Recently, a Gurian guitar arrived in my shop for a neck reset, and I want to outline some of the procedures I used. If you encounter one of these instruments and are considering a neck reset, I highly recommend getting a copy of their book. Along with this article, you’ll be well prepared for an interesting job.

The ebony pins are tightly fitted into tapered holes in the neck block.

I fabricated these tongs using the instructions provided in the Natelson/Cumpiano book.

A small drill hole at the tip keeps the tongs centered on the ebony and steel pins.

The two modified drill bits, along with the 7/32” brad points, are kept in a kit along with
the tongs.

Let the games begin! As in traditional neck resets, the fingerboard is heated and
separated from the soundboard. An 11/64” partial bit is fit into the hole opposite the upper pin.

With the tongs positioned above the left pin, pressing the handles together forces the pin
outward

Here’s an upper view of the mortised neck block.

The double pin holes are located within the lower half of the neck heel.

The holes are slightly offset from each other.

An interesting feature is the removable truss rod, which was fabricated in-house. It
consists of a single rod bent at one end and secured with metal tape.

The steel block acts as a stop, similar to early Rickenbacker models and some
Harmony models.

Pro tip: I learned this the hard way—mark the original location of the pins.

I skipped over adjusting the neck angle by shaving or sanding, assuming we’re all pros
here. With the new angle achieved, the original holes no longer align with the mortise, so they
are drilled out to 1/4” to accommodate plugs. Note that I replaced the truss rod nut because
the original hex hole was rounded over.

I used 1/4” plugs made of mahogany.

Fish glue provided me with enough working time to align the plugs with the grain.

Two plugs were used for each hole, clamping them tightly. Note the glue squeeze-out
through the pores in the front of the tenon.

The location for the new pin holes in the tenon must be marked for drilling. First, the
neck is dry-fitted back in place and secured with a clamp.

This 1/4” drill bit was shortened, and its tip was filed to a sharp center point.

Here come the tongs again, this time pressing the sharpened point into the mahogany
plugs on both sides.

The bit created a slight depression in the plug.

To ensure a snug fit when reinserting the pins, an awl or scribe is used to adjust the drill
hole location at a 45-degree angle, moving it 1/32” from the initial depression.

The new hole is slightly larger and overlaps the previous one.

The best results are achieved using a drill press and a 7/32” brad point bit, which helps
keep the hole square.

While the neck block hole maintains a taper, the new tenon hole must also be tapered.

The desired depth of protrusion is marked with a blade.

A tapered reamer gradually enlarges the hole until the pin fits at the correct depth.

Continue enlarging the hole with the reamer until the tape line aligns with the tenon.
After that, dry fit the new neck joint with the pins. If everything looks good, apply adhesive to
the fingerboard extension, clamp it down, and carefully press the pins back in using the tongs!