Official Luthiers Forum!

I have constructed 3 guitars at this point and I'm working on my 4th. On the last one I had to reduce the height of the saddle more than I really wanted to. Although it turned out okay...

I want to make sure that the plane of the neck is the correct height above the place on the body where the bridge will be located. As I recall (I'm at work and should be working instead of being on the OLF... ) the Jonathan Kinkead book said that the distance should be 3/32" to 7/32". I have fitted the neck and right now the distance is 8/32". Is that too high? I have already put on the heel cap, but of course if I need to lower it, I'll do it...

Are the frets installed on the fretboard?

It all depends on the height of the bridge you're using as well as the thickness of fretboard you're using.

For a 3/8" high bridge and a 1/4" thick fretboard, I like to have 1/32"-1/16" clearance, with the frets installed, between the plane of the frets and the top of the bridge. So you'll have to work backwards for your plane of the neck and top of the soundboard.



3/32" to 7/32" is a BIG tolerance and too much IMO. I would want to see that tolerance much tighter. Like +/-1/64". You won't have to worry about the heel cap as when you're changing the checks of the neck, you really don't need to remove much in order to lower/raise the plane of the fretboard.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I agree with Rod. It all depends on how thick you want your bridge and fretboard.

Necks change over time and saddles have to be lowered or necks reset. If you had some trouble with a low saddle before, then an extra 1/32 won't hurt.

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Rod,
At this point the frets are not installed. So, I guess what you are saying is that you can't just measure the plane from the neck (w/o the fingerboard) to the top. You have to measure with the fingerboard to the top of the bridge (w/o the saddle). Based on your comments, 1/32" to 1/16" is the range you are looking for with the frets installed. ...How about with the frets not installed?

this question pops up from time to time. One thing you have to ask yourself is what neck angle do you want to use. I am a Martin guy and like to build in that style. Martin specs are strings to be 1/2 inch off the top at the front of the bridge. http://bluescreekguitars.com/blog/ this link will show you how I attain that with consistency . I want to use a 3/8 bridge with a 1/8 exposed saddle. I will go as high as .410 and .150 in the saddle . I try and hold the spec so that I don't get too much saddle height. I can adjust the bridge easy enough on the set up. I use a 1 1/2 degree neck angle. If you use a 2 degree angle you will have to do more adjusting on neck set or go with a higher bridge.
You have to be careful as you ge higher on the bridge you will place more rotational force on the top. When I get the body built I like to pr set the neck so that without a fretboard I will be about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch off the top at the saddle position. Then when I am finished with the lacquer I can then set the neck without too much work. The variables that you have to look at are , the fretboard thickness , neck angle and fret height. Plot all this into the equation.
This is why I like to have the body pretty far along the line when I get ready to pre set the neck. If I can get it close and only have the finish difference to contend with when I do the final neck set I can dial in the above target number. I can tweak the fretboard thickness and bridge thickness so that the saddle will be where I need it. You can let the saddle a tad higher because in the first few weeks , the top will rise a bit and things move as the guitar takes the load. It isn't an iron clad rule but it isn't uncommon to have to drop things a 1/32 after a few weeks. The neck will take on relief so plan and be aware that this usually happens.
Don't brace tops and brace in high humidity as that can make the top very iffy as winter comes around. Lets see what eles people can add to this
john

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Thanks John,
That's a good explanation. This is a pretty critical part of the build and I'm not sure that I have given it enough attention in the past. I have probably been lucky...

On my last few I have been trying to get the strings to be 1/2" off of the top (measured at the middle 2 strings, the low and high strings are always a little lower without a compound radius board) in front of the bridge. For me I have found that getting a straightedge to sit .4 above the top with the frets installed gets me as close as I want to be. I generally look for the bridge to be in the .35 area in the middle. I like to have a little more saddle to work with. On the last one, after calculating the fretboard height, I was looking at .08 clearance at the bridge area with a straightedge on the neck without the fingerboard. It's all math once you decide the optimal height off of the soundboard you want the plane to be off of the fretted and installed board.

_________________
Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.