Official Luthiers Forum!

With the latest uprising of Cumpiano's neck joint, I have a couple of questions for those that use bolts (I'm sort of rethinking my thinking on my process). I've searched the archives, and I didn't find what I was looking for (maybe I just didn't look hard enough). I apologize if this has already been covered (please direct me if it has).

My questions are basically your preference (and why).

Butt, or Mortise and Tenon?
Jigs to 1) drill holes 2) cut/route the mortise/tenon?
Finishing process (where do you, or don't you finish - may go hand in hand with the next one)?
Where do you glue (where don't you glue)?

Any issues you've come across and fixed (like the upgraded CF bars, or hardwood sides on the tenon)?

Thanks in advance.

Aaron

I have several guitars with the butt joint bolt-on that are approaching 10 years old and are solid as a rock. One belongs to a friend and not long ago I checked the bolts and they were still tight. I just used a couple of standard lock washers.

The butt joint is easy and if you scallop the end grain back with a curved chisel up to about 1/8" from the edge all the way around a reset is a piece of cake (meaning you only have to take wood off the outer edge of the heel). You can gain an addition 1/16" of saddle height by only loosening the bolts and "flossing" with 150.

I love them. All I use. BTW, I only glue, lightly, the fingerboard extension.

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"We might not be big but we sure are slow"

Thanks guys. I'm curious about finishing.

When doing an unglued butt joint, does the finish go all the way through the joint for a finish to finish mate, or is the finish taped/scraped off for a wood to wood mate, or other (finish the body, but keep the neck unfinished?

Any different for a Mortise and Tenon, in regards to finishing?

I do a short tenon with two inserts. I don't intentionally finish the heel facing the body or the tenon but some overspray gets on it which I sand down. I do finish the body sides, but not inside the mortise.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

A butt joint is fine structurally and I believe it is the easiest to fit so that's what I use. I finish all the way underneath. I don't use any glue.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

Look at this thread for photos of some jigs:
Cumpino "Hardware based neck joint"? Thread is on page 4 of prior Forum posts.

Glue...only lightly on the fingerboard extension.

Finish...up to the heel edge and on fingerboard edges.

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Hank Mauel

Different roads to get to the same destination. Isn't it always like that.

The reason I started this thread, is admittedly, I haven't made the leap into an unglued joint. With all of the responses (thanks Mike), I see no reason to fear.

Hank, I did see your jigs, and I've already processed implementing and grafting some of them into my process. Thanks for the reminder.

Todd, I've never thought about lacquer being soft as an advantage, but when the glass is half full, you make an issue into a benefit.

I had a headache from overthinking this stuff (or maybe its because work is getting to me?). Now I'm excited.

I think I'll be able to finish faster, literally, and do more art.

Does anybody glue their bolt ons? Prolly a dumb question...

Mike

Why would you want to?

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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreylsuits/he ... -runnin-13

Just asking. Like I said, prolly a dumb question.

Hasn't anyone told you, "There are no dumb questions!", except, maybe, that one.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I can't answer for everyone but I am at present glueing only the FB extention but that is about to change on the next one off the bench. It will have a bolt down extention

I heard that the newer low-end Godin guitars (Art & Lutherie, Simon & Patrick) are glued and bolted from a local repair guy. Apparently makes them impossible to fix, too...

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services