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Do you cut back the finish on the body for the FB extension before glueing down? I normally do but rarely do they come out 100% unnoticeable (nitro). It's not a critical joint and is one I use very little Elmers School glue on because I want it to be easily taken apart. I'm looking at one right now and it seems to me that not cutting back the finish should still hold fine and will look flawless. Whatchthink.

I usually tape off most of that area leaving a margin of lacquer under the edges of the fingerboard extension. Although I want the extension to be "unglueable" I don't want it to spontaneously come loose.

I also usually tape off the area where the FB extension goes.
Despite only 5 guitars under my belt, I've been fairly successful at getting at least this area to look pretty seamless.
I'll try to describe what I do, if you want to try it.
I use a bolt-on neck, FB fitted to the neck before fitting to the body.
I bolt on the neck dry, run a scalpel lightly around the outline of the extension at about a 45 degree angle under where the extension wil be, then remove the finish inside the scalpel line with a chisel.
Before fitting the neck/FB, I bevel sand the bottom edges of the FB extension (at 45 degrees) lightly to make sure it fits down inside the thickness of the finish.
I refit the neck, and place masking tape around it to help with the glue clean-up.
Neck back off, then the glue goes on, applied very lightly in the middle, but make sure the edges of the joint have glue all the way round (going for squeeze-out all the way round the extension)
Clamp/bolt neck on, remove excess glue, remove masking tape, then final clean-up.
Hope that's understandable.
Or, of course, you could start doing bolt-on extentions.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Leave the finish intact 2-3 mm under the edges of the extension. I only run a very thin bead around the perimeter of the extension.

This is what I do.

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George :-)

Good idea, I may try that. Sounds sufficient, and easier that what I have been doing.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Ya, this is better. I just used my usual 6 spots of glue. It won't be going anywhere unless I want it to.

BTW Ed. I had it stung up for a bit before gluing the neck on. The sweetest sounding guitar I've made by quite a bit right out of the blocks. You have one of those Redwood tops.

Sweet!

Can't wait to give it a try. It's hard to find time for spec guitars these days though...