Tear Down...

Here, I'm heating up the tongue of the neck. I have placed insulating pieces of paper towels covered with tinfoil around the perimeter to reflect and protect the body from the direct heat. After heating for 10 minutes or so, I broke the edges of the glue joint with a utility knife. I then heated up a 1 inch putty knife and began sliding it under the tongue. I used some blue painters tape to protect the finish of the guitar. I took my time on this step, being careful not to apply too much force. I let the heat do the work.

One word here about the glue used. A good Luthier will always glue the neck on with hide glue. Hide glue is unique in that not only does it provide a very strong bond, but can also be softened with heat and/or steam allowing you to remove it.