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Greetings and salutations...
I have some questions regarding this joint. If some of you who use it could provide a little insight I'd appreciate it.
1)How long do you make your tenon, top to bottom?
2)How far from the top of the neck blank do you make the holes for the inserts/barrel nuts?
3)How deep to you make the tenon?
4)Can anyone link to a good tutorial? I rumaged in the archives but didn't really see what I need to know.
Thanks!

Here's a link to a tutorial that Colin S did. http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=15954&hilit=

I add a 3/4" thick paddle to the top of a standard neck block. The paddle is as wide as the neck block (2.75" from memory) and long enough to butt against the main brace on the top of the guitar. I then continue as if it was a standard single mortise build. Cut the mortise and tenon, install the hardware and set the neck. With the neck mounted to the body I attach rectangular template which I use to route the second mortise. Be sure that the mortise is narrower than the fretboard (I leave ~1/4" overhang on each side). As far as length, I mount the template so that the pocket stops ~ 1/4 - 3/8" from the end of the paddle and extends back to ~ the 12th fret on a 14 fret neck. I make the mortise ~1/2" deep to keep the truss rod slot buried (that's why I switched to a 3/4" paddle). Glue the tenon to the neck and plane it flush. You'll either have to cut the entire truss rod slot now or just recut the tenon portion. Hardware location depends on what size paddle you use. Give yourself ~3/16" clearance between the paddle and the o.d. of the bolt head and you should be fine. On my first attempts I installed mounting hardware into the second tenon as well. It doesn't seem to need it and no longer do. But if you want to, it's easier to drill pilot holes through the neck and paddle before you add a fretboard.

Bob

Thanks! Keep 'em coming!

Sylvan Wells had a good tutorial but there is a reasonable charge to access his articles. Well worth it. John Mayes also has a tutorial on his building DVDs

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