Official Luthiers Forum!

Fo those of you who subscribe to the idea of fretting and finishing the guitar with the neck and fretboard attached, do you find it easier to set the neck angle and attach the neck to the body before gluing on the fretboard or after?

Thanks
Richard

I glue the FB on first (the heel has been cut close to the ideal angle), the shape the heel and set the neck to the correct angel via flossing, all the while getting the heel to conform to the curve of the sides at the neck block (mine are not flat in that area)

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

My process is similar to Tony's. I determine the required neck angle by using a sliding bevel guage on the body and actually duplicating the exact angle. I then transfer this angle to the heel before gluing the FB onto the neck. I finish the neck and body separately, but do not fret until after finishing.

Chuck

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"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

For myself. I fit the neck before the fretboard is glued to it, and while the neck is just roughly carved, with still some meat to remove from it. Than I glue the fretboard to the neck and finalize carving. I pore fill with the neck and body unattached, but finish with the neck screwed to the body (with FB extension glued to top).

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Same here, but I finish the neck and body separate, then install the neck.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

By the way, I install frets before I glue the fretboard.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

After joining the neck to the body--making certain, of course, that the neck angle is not only correct for bridge height, but also that the neck is in line with the upper bout, I glue on the radiused but unfretted board. (NOTE: Although is shape the heel to finished form, I leave the neck-between peghead & heel--uncarved.) After 24 hours, I check that the board is still straight, then do my fret installation. Finally, I shape the neck.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

I get the cheeks pretty close with the jig I use to cut the tenon, then undercut them and using the actual fretboard as well as a centerline finder that keys in the truss rod slot I get things right where I want them The neck is partially shaped with the heel profile done at this stage. Then I glue the fretboard and do the final carving. If you are going to error on the neck set, error on undersetting it a little as that is a lot easier to correct than an overset once the fretboard is on.

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