Official Luthiers Forum!

A flat neck area looks like a less-than-desirable short-cut to me, versus shaping the block to fit the natural curve through the neck area and gluing up with appropriate clamps. Much of the appearance difference between Martin's shapely square and slope-shouldered dreadnaughts and those from Taylor and some custom makers is retention of that deliciously subtle curve through the neck and tail block areas. Flattening the areas for ease of gluing seems to me to be both unnecessary and ruins what is a lovely shape in the neck and tail block area. We generally just picked up the curve from the mold and shaped with a block plane or 12" disc sander/spindle sander for cutaways.

I am not sure I've seen any compelling argument for removing the rim from mold before the neck and tail block set. Given that gluing up the rim inside the mold and on a flat surface top-down indexes both the sides and blocks and guarantees a true glue-up, the only issue remaining is clamping the portion of the sides above and below the mold.

While some builders opt for near-full depth molds, we simply employed the flexible, tape-covered strips of spruce shown below to clamp up after the main Bessey F-clamps went on. Even with hot hide glue, there's plenty of time for the job if the neck and tail blocks are gently warmed before glue-up. Process order is get the big clamps on with the rim flat on the bench, add the flexible cauls to the accessible side of the rim at remaining side of the rim.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

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Fair enough. I'll make a template and scribe and shape it.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I doubt the block alone would do much to help, especially if it’s not tied into the UTB and other bracing as part of coherent design. On its own I can’t see a benefit over a standard neck block.

In any case the stakes are much lower in general in terms of neck resets with a bolt-on joint. The whole process is quick, cheap for the owner and with low chance of complications or collateral damage.

A "neck block extension" ... some classical luthiers extend the block under the fretboard as they like to have the fretboard supported along its complete path. Some believe that it helps with upper register trebles, which are some of the hardest things to produce on a classical. What's that saying ... oh ... YMMV.

I spent the last 2 mornings working on my neck block, probably an hour total, and this is the simple non-extended I decided to go with. What's a little glue under the fretboard. I was using a sanding block and I just couldn't get the vertical portion flat. I even tried a rasp. I finally gave up and plugged in my bench sander and got it done in a few seconds.

I'm trying to pay attention to every minute detail on this one since I suffered so bad on the first because of wobbly sides and sanding after the binding was installed. I'll never make that mistake again. What new mistakes do I have to look forward to? Probably a lot less.

I still have to cut the mortise, I think that should go fairly easy. My plan is to scribe it and hand chisel it after sawing short of the lines. I did the dovetail this way on the last guitar with no problems and I did that after the guitar was assembled. I want this one pre-cut so I don't have to deal with holding the guitar while I'm cutting it. I'll use a drill bit for the bottom portion although, sense I'm doing it by hand, I'm not sure I need to make it round as if it was cut with a router.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

One more thing before I glue it in. I think I'll make a sanding block to make sure the mold is as accurate as my block. Maybe I can stick a piece of .08" piece of the cut off from the sides to it. It should be close but I just want to verify it before moving ahead.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

It's all perfect.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Looking good!