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I'm thinking that my next guitar will be a classical so I've been perusing the three books I have on the topic. The first book I'll mention is by McLeod and Welford and they show joining the neck to the body with a dove-tail joint and they allow for the neck rise much the same way that's done with steel string guitars, i.e. by putting an angle on the face of the heel so the nut end of the neck rises up about 3 mm from the neck/body joint. This is easy for me to understand and is probably the way I'll go (except that I will use a bolt on neck).

The other two books, one by Sloane and one by Bogdanovich join the neck to the body in the more traditional method, i.e. the sides are let into slots cut into the heel/foot block. What I don't get is that there doesn't seem to be any allowance for the rise of the neck when cutting these slots in either book. It appears to me that Sloane doesn't allow for a neck rise and glues the sides into the neck with both sitting in a mold which is flat. When gluing the sides into the slots on his guitar, Bogdanovich uses the words (bottom of page 136): "Apply the glue, fit the sides in the slots, and clamp into place on a flat surface". These words, again don't seem to allow for neck rise. In his accompanying picture however, he appears to have everything clamped down into his solara which does, in fact, have a ramped neck area so he wasn't himself using a flat surface and I can see the introduction of a neck rise. But even if this is how it's working, it still seems strange to me because it means that the neck rise is created by forcing a slight twist in the sides while gluing them in the slots. So I think I must be out to lunch on this.

If anybody can clarify for me how neck rise is accounted for when using the traditional neck/body joint of sides into slots on a classical guitar I'd appreciate it. As I mentioned, I doubt I'll use this method but I'd like to understand it just the same.

Thanks,
Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Nope, the slots are cut square to the plane of the neck. The slight angle, which is only about 1*, is inconsequential when using Spanish foot construction.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=20399&p=284370&hilit=+CLASSICAL+NECK+ANGLE+HOW+SET#p284370

If I understand your question correctly, I asked the same question about a year ago and got some good responses. The link is above but I'm not sure if I did it correctly. If not search for "Classical neck angle: how to set" posted jan 8, 2009.

Hope that helps.

I think you are referring to the positive neck angle. I'm fairly certain that Sloane builds flat (in line) to the body and achieves the angle by tapering the fretboard. In other words the fretboard is thicker at the nut end in comparison to the soundhole end.
Usually the 'lift' at the nut end is around 2 mm's but this is dependent on the amount of doming that has been given to the soundboard. That's how Mcleod/Welford (and others) achieve it. It normally means planing the underside of the fretboard so that it fits the upper surface of the soundboard ie. after fret 12.
The traditional method of building on a Solera (with the heel slots) does indeed introduce distortion into the sides. That distortion is so small that it is of no real consequence, it;s minimal.
If you are going for a bolt on neck you may be well advised to shoot for the 2 mm lift. Then dry fit a fretboard. false nut and bridge (including final saddle height) and with a straightedge check the clearance or 'action' above the 12 th fret position, also taking into account fret height. With a bolt on you should be able to make adjustments if your action isn't what it should be.
Just make sure that the fretboard thickness, nut, bridge and saddle height are at their final dimensions when taking the readings.

The rise of the neck will depend on the dome of the lower bout, if you have a domed lower bout. Every plan varies some. I use both a neck rise and a tapered fingerboard.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Waddys method works great !
I would PM him for some more specifics.
Mc

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Mike Collins