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Hello,

First, thanks to all the folks who have helped in along the way with this first build. The lessons have been great.

I thought I was completed with the final neck set. I had done all the flossing, the heel was sitting down with a nice tight joint, no seam. So I pore-filled the neck and headstock. I mistakenly got a bit of the epoxy on the base of the neck which I didn't realize at the time and so the drop hardened and when I went to put the neck back on I panicked.

First I scraped the majority off with a scraper and then I started flossing again to try and get the epoxy cleared away. In the process of flossing, the fit got out of whack and I started chasing it. I'm back to the pictures you see below. Should I just leave well enough alone at this point or keep trying with the flossing? What I noticed was that the flossing was causing the heel cap to be shaped more like a U instead of being flat so I took the neck off and used a block to flatten it back out.

Should I just move on to the next step?

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Set it down for a day or two. You're probably just frustrated. Best to walk away, cool off and come back to it fresh. Then try to tweak it a bit until you are satisfied. You'll be able to answer your own question better then.
BTW, my first didn't look that good.

You'll probably be getting a lot of answers like, "Well, I would do this--", or "I would do that--", but basically, Brad, only you can answer that question for yourself. If the neck is essentially seated against the body, except for the gap at the heel block and the top binding, therefore just an visual flaw you just need to ask yourself if you can live with it. If you can, there's no problem. If you feel that it's going to bother you every time you look at it, then you'll probably want to fix it.

By the way, congratulations on your first guitar.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

Brad, I think Glen and Michael offer great advise. Step back and come back to it when you've cooled off. For what it's worth, you could almost fit plectrums at that joint on my first, so yours is looking fine as it is.

If your neck bolt inserts will permit you, you can always keep flossing away and try to get the fit back to perfect, however, keep in mind that your 12th fret to body joint might move a bit, but from what I see, it doesn't need much to be back to perfect, so the offset will be negligeable. Your bridge isn't glued on so you're okay for placement. Just make sure the geometry from neck to bridge stays true and you'll be fine.

I guess it all comes down to how tightly you are wound up. If nothing but perfection is what you strive for (a bit of a severe stance, especially on number one) then get flossing. I notice your binding is nice and perfect, so I suspect I know what you'll be doing.

How does Purpleheart bend?

Now string her up already!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Thank you for the feedback. I'll take a day and then floss some more to see if I can get it to settle back in. The biggest challenge I've had so far with the build in general is proper expectation setting. Just like anything in life I guess, if you know what to expect you can handle it in stride. I started with trying to build three at the same time, trying differing techniques on each. Then I went down to two. Now that I'm getting closer on one it's getting all the focus.

Great info, as always. I'll send some pics of the final fit!

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What grit paper are you using? I like to start off with 100 but finish up with 220. The finer grit will help ween down the process.

Good point. I was using 120. I'll try some with 220. Thanks for the tip!


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I bent it at 0.85 and it bent pretty easily. I did have more spring back with the purple heart than with other woods I've bent. I bent at 150c. I sprayed it fairly well before making the sandwich for the bender. I used parchment in the sandwich. I have since started using foil. I'm not sure it matters but I can reuse the foil so less waste.



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+1 for the 220. (I normally start with 120)
BTW, Don't know if you are doing this, but,
When flossing, if you pull the sandpaper strips all the way through and out, you actually sand more at the top of the neck joint than the bottom, because
1) some 3 1/2" inches more length of abrasive is actually passing that part.
2) there will tend to be more pressure (it's on a shorter/smaller area) as the abrasive passes through
I used to get similar results as I see in your pics until I figured it out.
BTW, I would stand back for a while too.

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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.

I did not read every post -- but seems you could get it better with a little flossing -- the trick is to pull the abrasive out toward the sides "not down." Pulling down takes more material off as you progress toward the heel cap ultimately changing the set angle -- not good.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

If you haven't applied the finish yet it would probably be worth getting it close now, which you already seem to be, and then get it perfect after the finish is complete and buffed. Sometimes the finish can add slight discrepancies to the perfect fit so you have to re floss it anyway. No use spending time, and wood, getting it absolutely perfect now only to have to get it perfect again later.

Otoh if the finish is applied already a little more careful work will help.

Good point, the finish is not on yet, it is only pore filled with z-poxy. I'll go ahead and spray it and refit later. Thanks for the tip!


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It's always a good idea to fit the angle and the joint in the white and then after finish recheck the angle and refine the joint for the final fit. Usually IME after finish 220 paper and some touching up of the joint is all that's necessary.

There are a couple of toots in the toot section on neck angle and fitting the neck if you're interested.