Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Fri Aug 01, 2025 10:06 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Be nice, no cussin and enjoy!




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:07 am 
Offline
Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:59 am
Posts: 78
Location: Wigan England
My neck angle is too low by about 1/8 inch at the bridge.
Has anyone got a faster way than sandpaper on the body and keep rubbing the neck against it (the method on my Mayes DVD's) It feels like it will take forever!!

Charles.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:19 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:02 am
Posts: 3272
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
First name: Barry
Last Name: Daniels
What grit sandpaper are you using? Try something like 60 grit and you should be able to get there pretty quick. You will probably only need to remove approximately 1/16" on the heel to get the action up 1/8".


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:20 am 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 13641
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
Charles here is a tutorial for fitting a neck: http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=15022%22

If you have to aggressively remove material from the neck heel to close that 1/8" misfit the toot show the use of a sanding block with 120 paper. A sharp chisel will work too however it's easier with a chisel, at least for me...., to take off more then you wish to.

If you use this method or parts of it pay attention to Colin's excellent suggestion later in the thread to back the sandpaper strips with tape - this works great and is very much part of my SOP these days.

I hope this helps.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:56 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:10 pm
Posts: 2764
First name: Tom
Last Name: West
State: Nova Scotia
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Charles: Don't get too excited and start hogging material off too fast. I think .030 to .040 will get the job done for you. Also once material is removed you can't put it back on.Trying to get the angle right when you have to remove wood from the heel at the fingerboard end is much harder then the bottom end.Try what the guys have suggested but proceed cautiously.

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:51 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 3:37 am
Posts: 2670
Location: United States
First name: John
Last Name: Mayes
City: Norman
State: OK
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
in guitar making 99% of the time going slow is better..... it may feel like it's taking forever, but it will take longer if you have to do it again

it is, however, better the go really fast when you want to play awesome and impress chicks... not that I would know anything about either of those two.

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:00 pm 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian
Old Growth Brazilian

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:56 am
Posts: 10707
Location: United States
I always floss and test fit as soon as the body is preped but still in the white and before I glue the FB to the neck. This allows me to floss in both directions to preliminary fit. of corce I tape the FB in place to check clearance but remove the FB to do the preliminary fit flossing. Once the guitar is finished and rubbed out andit is time to final fit the neck I have only small correctios to make to account for the small changes cased by the finish.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:09 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:56 am
Posts: 1825
Location: Grover NC
First name: Woodrow
Last Name: Brackett
City: Grover
State: NC
Zip/Postal Code: 28073
Country: USA
Focus: Build
John Mayes wrote:
in guitar making 99% of the time going slow is better..... it may feel like it's taking forever, but it will take longer if you have to do it again

it is, however, better the go really fast when you want to play awesome and impress chicks... not that I would know anything about either of those two.



Slow is usually better, and I'll add, alot of times things aren't as slow as they seem. 5 minutes sanding on a neck joint seems like.......years. If it seems like something is taking a long time, look at the clock. You'll usually find it isn't taking as long as it seems.

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


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Fitting a neck
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:24 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:16 pm
Posts: 718
You can put material back on the neck if you have to. Keep the scraps for that so it matches.

_________________
Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com