Official Luthiers Forum!

Okay, without opening a giant can o' worms here... what does the "perfect" neck look like? I mean, when you sight down the neck from the nut or playing side, what do you like to see from the nut end to the saddle? I ask because of a recent conversation with a fellow luthier...I believe it's hard to quantify completely because we all have different building and setup techniques, and action/playability goals...but, game on...let's hear it!

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

depends on how it is to be played.

-heavy strummer: some relief, higher action
-finesse player: flat and level, lower action

-some fall away at the 14th fret (or body join), so that as the guitar settles in, this area doesn't become an upward ramp

-feels good in the hand, smooth and dry feeling (0000 steel wool buffed), not buffed to a high gloss with a sticky, draggy feel.

-frets dressed nicely, not rough feeling when sliding a hand down the side

-for the profile, I like round, like part of a circle, not v shaped

- specifically, from sighting from the nut down to the saddle, I use a compound radius, so it looks like a cross section of a cone, with a 10" radius at the nut, terminating with a 25" radius at the saddle.

- your debate must have been more specificly about the nut / saddle relationship, the way you posed the question - what were the two opposing ideas?

Hi Jason,

Well my buddy is an advocate of sighting down a neck and seeing absolutes of measurement at fret 1,2,3,4,5...etc and so contends that nut action, relief at 5-7, 12th fret action and height above the top at the saddle...in short, the "perfect" neck is always attainable and with the same measurements at any given fret or spot along the line from nut to saddle for any desired action, ie, "low, medium, or high"...muy feeling is that from one guitar to another there are enough differences that one must be adept at improvising and overcoming to a degree to achieve nut, 5-7, 12 and saddle actions in regards to the specific guitar...I do agree with everything you wrote of course...nice neck shape, fret feel, and general fit/finish are a must!

Larry

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

Seems like the first thing experienced retailers I've dealt with do is look down the neck from the nut to the sound hole looking for a rising tongue on the extension. If it's dead straight or has some drop off they are happy. If there is any rise at all it goes back to the builder! I also like to see a nice merge at the fretboard-neck transition and a smooth transition between the fret bevels and the fret board edge.
Terry

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.