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Just curious if it is safe to string up a bolt-on neck prior to gluing. This would be just temporary to check intonation and playability prior to finishing. I use Martin precut necks with a single bolt on M/T joint

thanks
Richard

Yes! I use these from StewMac to attach the bridge.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Prior to gluing which part? Fretboard extension? Bridge?

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Hi Pat sorry i was not clear. I am referring to the actual gluing of the neck and FB extension not the bridge.

thanks
Richard

Howdy Richard,
I suspected that's what you meant. That's why I suggested the bridge bolts. That way you can disassemble everything easily to apply the finish after initial setup and intonation. Then once everything is finished and the final assembly /glueup is done, you can do the final setup and intonation. This is the way I do it and it works well. I use bolton necks exclusively.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Hi Richard

If you're using a bolt on neck then there's no need to glue it in at all.

Also, you don't have to glue down the FB extension either. the pull of the strings will keep it nice and snug.

I recently strung up a guitar (a few months ago) without gluing the FB and I have had no problems at all.

Cheers

Mat

I agree with Mat. One of the main advantages to bolt-on neck, IMO, is to eliminate the need for gluing the joint. The fretboard extension should be glued, though my main player, my first guitar that I built in
'05 still has the fb extension not glued. Anything that goes to a customer should, of course, have the extension glued, if it's designed for that.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Gee Mat, no problems without gluing the fretboard?! That's great!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Thanks for the info, WOW I had no idea you did not need to supplement then bolt-on joint with glue

Thanks again
Richard

Point taken

Since it is a Martin neck, it has only one bolt. Martin does glue the mortise into the neck block with these kind of necks, so I am not sure I would just leave it without glue. All of the bolted necks of which I am aware use two bolts and don't need glue. I would be careful.

I think the single threaded insert in a Martin dovetail neck is to attach the holding device for finishing not for attaching the neck. John at Blues Creek would know.
TJK

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

Like others have said, that particular joint is designed to be glued. Again, like others have said, I'd ask John Hall. (Bluescreek)

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

Oh, I missed the single-bolt part. I figured it was two bolts. With only one, it would be pretty fragile with the strings slack.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Yep, I missed the "single bolt" part too. I thought it was a bolton M&T neck.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

It is, but not a bolted dovetail.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Did I say dovetail? I guess I missed that part too. I was imagining a two bolt M&T joint. A single bolt as was mentioned by others is typically used with the added support of glue, or at least this is what I've been told I've never used that type. I can't say one way or another that a single bolt will offer enough support for the need expressed in the original question. I'm not qualified to answer that one since I make my own 2 bolt butt mount and M&T necks, but it looks like others have.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

just curious if I can just add another bolt to the martin necks, so that there are two bolts?

Richard

Make sure you support the side of the tenon, or else the wood will crack.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

That works. The FB extension should still be glued if it's a customer's instrument. One bolt is OK if you're only going to check intonation, so long as the rest of the joint, the face of the heel in particular, is good.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com