Adjustable Neck

Chris Ensor · **Posted:** Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:16 pm

Can someone please explain to me how to achieve an adjustable neck? And I am refering to the one that still utilizes a flush heel to the body- rather than the floating heel style that I have seen Laurent Brondel use.

Bob Garrish · **Posted:** Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:53 pm

The heels all have to move, otherwise it would mess with the intonation. Whether you can tell it moved or not is a different thing, though.

Jeff Highland · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:04 am

I do mine pretty similar to that
I just have a threaded insert set into the neck block, bolt on the neck, with a packer holding the reinforced fretboard extension even and line it up then scribe around it and cut a pocket about 5mm deep.
I only use the one bolt, integrated with a strap button, the other one shown in the above picture at the back of the heel acts as a shim so that the neck can be locked up tight. I dont feel that is needed as string tension locks everthing well enough

Chris Paulick · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:46 am

Do a search here as there is plenty here to explain it. Also AL#86 and MIMF.com and the Australian/ New Zealand and Luthiers community .org forums.

Mike K · **Joined:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:15 am **Posts:** 22

Hey Chris,

I can probably answer any questions you might have since I made that guitar! Are you curious about general technique or specific measurements? Nylon or steel string? All the adjustable necks I made for Sergei were nylon and I've done one steel string on my own. Just let me know what you're curious about.

Attachment:

mahogany_side_front.jpg

Attachment:

mahogany_elevated_neck.jpg

-Mike

lactose · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:25 am

This is very interesting, I am looking for more info.

I wish there was a way on the internet to link to another page with information.

wbergman · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:26 pm

There were some posts recently by Schramm showing how he makes his, which is after Smallman's. The heel and fingerboard extensions are recessed into the body, so that upon movement, you do not see light showing between the parts.

JohnAbercrombie · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:43 pm

Mike K wrote:

Hey Chris,

I can probably answer any questions you might have since I made that guitar! Are you curious about general technique or specific measurements? Nylon or steel string? All the adjustable necks I made for Sergei were nylon and I've done one steel string on my own. Just let me know what you're curious about.

Hi, Mike-
Not Chris here but I do have a question.
(I watched you build one of these at Sergei's but didn't watch closely enough, obviously...)

How far is the 'pivot point' below the plane of the frets? I was wondering if you'd found any problems with intonation, especially with steel strings, when the action is adjusted.

Thanks
John

Mike K · **Joined:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:15 am **Posts:** 22

Hi John! I drilled a 3/8" hole in the neck-block 20.5 mm down from the edge of the mahogany, so I guess the distance to the frets would vary depending on which string you look at. I also didn't notice any issues with intonation -- it's really a pretty small range that the action gets adjusted and I set the intonation somewhere in the middle. I'm no expert on the in's and out's of intonation though, so someone who knows more can probably do a better job explaining why this kind of system does/doesn't work!

Hope that helps,

Mike

JohnAbercrombie · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:22 pm

Hi, Mike-
I thought the 'pivot' (fulcrum) point was near the soundboard- isn't here a curved wood piece there that the neck rests on?
I guess my question was:
How thick is the fingerboard at the neck/body joint and how thick is the 'extension' under the fingerboard at that point?
My guess would be 6-7mm and 10mm or so for those two measurements- is that about right?

I agree that things don't move that much- and if nobody is complaining, the intonation must be just fine!

Cheers
John

Chris Ensor · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:27 pm

Hey Mike,
I am looking for all the information I can get on it (and all the pictures).

What sort of hardware is used?
How thick is the catilever under the fingerboard?
Is the neck heel recessed into the body of the guitar?
Is that a dowel at the top of the neck block that allows the neck to pivot?

Any and all information would help. Heck, if you wouldn't mide posting a tutorial from the very start of how to actually complete an adjustable neck- step by step- that would really clear things up for me. Thanks.

Chris Paulick · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:44 am

If you do the research and "work" that I posted you will have your answers and be able to figure it out and then maybe design a neck joint of your own liking and do a tut on it to show us.You 'll be able to figure out whether on not you want the tongue recessed or floating or if you want yaw adjusting screws and whether or not you want the upper bolt and what hardware you'll want to use. It's all out there.

Chris Ensor · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:27 pm

Chris Paulick,
Maybe it is because I am new here, but I can't seem to find what I am looking for in the archives or in the building forum. For that reason, I like to post my questions. Plus, it stirs up good conversation. So, be helpful and post something that adds to the conversation, rather than detracting from it.

Chris Paulick · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:20 pm

Here's some for starters.
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=22124&hilit=Doolin+adjustable+neck+joint
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=23098&hilit=Doolin+adjustable+neck+joint
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=18007&hilit=Doolin+adjustable+neck+joint
If you register with Luthiers Community you can check out this discussion and there is some stuff on the an adjustable neck joint on the 1st and 2nd. pages. Although it's the Doolin style as with most of the others it all can be adapted or redesigned to your liking.
http://www.luthiercom.org/phpBB3/viewto ... =41&t=1158
Hope this helps you out. I got the discussions here by doing a general search.

JohnAbercrombie · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:24 pm

Chris-
Thanks for those links.

Cheers
John

Mike K · **Joined:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:15 am **Posts:** 22

I attached a drawing that should hopefully clear things up a bit. The pivot is on a 3/8" dowel that has been flattened on one side with a hardwood strip glued to it (the dowel is also hollowed out in the middle so that it just contacts on the edges). The bolt set in the heel combined with string tension is enough, but the other bolt keeps things in place when changing strings or any other time the tension has been reduced.

Attachment:

adjustable neck.jpg

Hope this all makes sense!

Mike

Chris Paulick · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:07 pm

Mike , I like the binding job on the teardrop soundholes.

Chris Ensor · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:30 pm

Thanks Mike. That really helps. One more quick question:

Do you make a template for the heel shape and the recess in the body and route them both, or how is that part done?

JohnAbercrombie · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:39 am

Thanks, Mike-
Now I understand what you meant about that 3/8 hole!

Cheers
John

PS Another +++ vote for the soundhole binding/edging - very subtle; nice!

Jeff Highland · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 1:03 am

Mine is much simpler
The fretboard extension is supported by a 3mmx30mm steel tongue surrounded by an ebony border and filled with black epoxy
The pivot is a 3mm x 1mm strip or carbon fibre CA fixed to the edge of the top.

Chris Paulick · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:07 am

When I route the recess (I have a tenon and mortise )I just put the heel against the body and scribe around it and cut it out like doing a inlay cavity. I make sure the heel to body is a straight edge for about 1/8" so there won't be any gap as the heel adjust in or out. But a template would work too. I'm just not to sure how hard it would be to use if you have a tenon to deal with. I guess you could use a 1" bit to route it.

SteveSmith · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:01 pm

I did the same as Chris. It's not too hard to achieve a good fit.

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