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So, I'm trying my new(ish) 35' radius set-up for bracing the top of a SS guitar.

Can someone who's using this radius on their tops tell me how close this will put you toward getting an optimum neck angle?

TIA,

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

That is a huge radius!

Todd,

That's what I remember reading/hearing. I'm thinking that I'll need to add just a little more angle into the upper bout to be where I want. This is a 00-size guitar (if that makes any difference).

Thanks for the input.

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Hey Ken,

Unless I am missing something, the "ideal" neck angle is a product of the top radius and desired bridge height. Although 1.5 degrees appears as an "industry standard" one must remember that there are a bunch of different top radii (from 15' or tighter, to the 60' that is used on R-Taylor's and others to the flat tops used by Olsen, Ryan and others). So the neck angle is just part of the geometry required to establish clean string movement, torque to the bridge and playing action you desire. There are many guitars that are using a reverse neck set, the neck is set forward (Fox, Greenfield and others). I am highly inexperienced at making guitars but have researched a lot so I can stand corrected on any of this but I have made hundreds of radius dishes of every radius for many different builders.

Anyway, I post this as food for thought (and discussion!)

Shane

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Canada

What Shane said.....

and-
the difference in 'dome height' between a 28' radius top and a 35' radius top is not a heck of a lot....on the order of .040"...so can probably be dealt with at the 'fine tuning' stage of setting neck angle/bridge height/saddle height

Bookmark this link; very useful calculator for sagitta of an arc !
http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/sag.htm

Cheers
John

Thanks for all of the thoughts and information, guys. I guess what I'm really concerned about is the fretboard extension area, and how much extra angle to work into that area when using a 35' dome, in order to match the neck angle as best as I can. I like to flatten this part of the guitar (and have a nice jig designed for that purpose - thanks to my builder friend Paul H!). Then I make the transverse brace flat instead of domed (radiused), so as to allow the fretboard extension to lay flat on the guitar top. I like to see a pretty much straight extension area, when looking down the fretboard (with just a 'slight' amount of 'drop off') and am trying to avoid an 'excessive' amount of drop there.

I know that there are multiple ways of going about this, and I'm just trying to come up with a system that works for me. I appreciate everyone's input. And I like your motto/tag/quote (or whatever those are called), Shane, about learning, teaching, etc. This forum is certainly a good place for that to happen.

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

I use 32' for my tops and the height at bridge is nearly perfect. Like was said before, the difference between 28' and 35' are very minute.