Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:31 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Be nice, no cussin and enjoy!




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Non-quarter-sawn neck?
PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:31 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:08 am
Posts: 1905
Location: Raleigh, NC
First name: Steve
Last Name: Sollod
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I have always used quarter-sawn necks on my builds. I'm working on a maple OOO 12fret and I was thinking of possibly using a maple neck and I have a non-quarter-sawn and highly figured maple neck blank that I could do a scarf joint and stacked heel. Would that be a mistake? Fender does non-quarter-sawn maple neck all the time with no issues... Also, I was going to use a non-quarter-sawn cocobolo fingerboard. Am I asking for trouble?

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:59 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:34 am
Posts: 3081
Gilson used to do it on F5's because the flame was better flatsawn than quartersawn.
.You may be asking for trouble with heel glue joints on a maple neck. Dyed or sunburst is a different story


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:17 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 5924
"You may be asking for trouble with heel glue joints on a maple neck."

+1
You might do a block heel - probably still be noticeable, but less distracting than a bunch of small pieces.
My gut feeling is that quartersawn or flatsawn would both be o.k. but I would avoid tangential grain lumber. Again this is a "gut" feeling and others with more experience may know better.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:30 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6232
Location: Virginia
Trouble becasue you will see the glue line in a stacked maple heal?

I've been using flat sawn mahogany more and more lately. I have a lot of it in stock and while I could make 3 piece necks that are vertical grain I don't really find it necessary. Mahogany is very stable in any direction. There are pluses and minuses to anything we do in this craft it seems. QS wood is less expansive between the annular rings but a neck is only about 2in wide too so there won't be a huge amount of movement. On the other hand an FS scarf joint might be better since it's not end to end grain joint. It's still generally the case that most people, guitar makers too, believe QS is stiffer and stronger than FS but it's simply not true. Some will argue that QS is better for tone, I find that dubious.

Like you said, Fender has been doing it for... How many years?


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:43 am 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:08 am
Posts: 1905
Location: Raleigh, NC
First name: Steve
Last Name: Sollod
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
That is a good point about visible glue joints on a maple stacked heel... I have looked all over for a piece of figured maple in 3"x4"x30" dimension and I just can't find it. gaah Anyone know where I can get one?

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:55 am 
Offline
Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:07 pm
Posts: 47
First name: Stephen
Last Name: Williams
City: Leesburg
State: Virginia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Dunlap Woodcrafts here in northern VA probably has what you are looking for. They supply flamed maple neck billets to some banjo makers. I purchased one from them some years ago that's 32.25" x 4+" x 3.75". I don't know about shipping because I'm local. Their website leaves a bit to be desired, but it does supply their phone number.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:38 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:49 pm
Posts: 403
First name: Fred
City: Winnipeg
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I am using a flat sawn maple for a ukulele that I am building. I stacked the heel and you have to be looking for it to see the joints. Might be more apparent when it gets finish on it though but with it being flat sawn the grain lines are on the same plane as the joint it doesn't look too bad.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 11:21 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:50 pm
Posts: 2246
Location: Seattle WA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
printer2 wrote:
with it being flat sawn the grain lines are on the same plane as the joint it doesn't look too bad.

Makes sense!

Side billets are usually around 2in thick but sometimes you can find them 2 1/2 - 3. Usually quarter-sawn, but the ones that are quilted are typically Flat sawn from what I've seen.

Rockler had some of those curly 2x2's for $5. I just cut 2 one piece soprano NEX from one of them.

_________________
Pat


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:42 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 pm
Posts: 3290
First name: Bryan
Last Name: Bear
City: St. Louis
State: Mo
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I think laminating the heel or a heel block will be really noticeable in any neck made with figured woods. I have avoided this by laminating two halves long way with a contrasting strip in the middle, if the board is wide enough to provide the heel depth. I’m doing something a little different on the neck i’m working on now. It is maple but not figured. I have three center strip lines in the middle but didn’t have enough depth for the heel so I glued in a piece to match the outer layers of the lamination between the shaft and the heel block. Hopefully when it is carved that piece will make a nice “U” shape as well as servings as a termination for the center stripes that don’t go all the way down the heel.

_________________
Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.



These users thanked the author Bryan Bear for the post (total 2): Pmaj7 (Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:11 am) • jfmckenna (Sun Oct 22, 2017 8:35 am)
Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:52 pm 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:12 pm
Posts: 466
Location: Plainfield, IL (chicago)
From a players standpoint, I enjoy a flat sawn or rift sawn neck much better that quarter sawn. Quarter sawn necks are very stiff and I personally feel reduce the amount of vibrations they transfer to the body. I have made around 700 guitar necks of all wood grains. The necks I get the most customer compliments from a musical standpoint are rift sawn closely followed by flat sawn. While the necks with the most compliments for looks is quarter sawn.

_________________
Joe


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:28 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:46 pm
Posts: 501
First name: Mark
Last Name: McLean
City: Sydney
State: New South Wales
Zip/Postal Code: 2145
Country: Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Regarding the problem of a stacked heel - the visible joins - one of the contributors to ANZLF recently posted a nice little parlor guitar with the lines in the heel deliberately accentuated by adding thin black layers. You can see it here: http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=7912. It suits his instrument which has lots of fancy ornamentation, but wouldn't be your choice for every job.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 8:30 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:49 pm
Posts: 951
First name: peter
Last Name: havriluk
City: granby
State: ct
Zip/Postal Code: 06035
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
My personal opinion is that I'd ignore trying to disguise the layers of a stacked heel and make the best of the wood I had and do the tightest gluing job I could between the layers. Nice work needn't be hidden, says me.

_________________
Peter Havriluk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 10:42 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:46 pm
Posts: 501
First name: Mark
Last Name: McLean
City: Sydney
State: New South Wales
Zip/Postal Code: 2145
Country: Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
"Nice needn't be hidden, says me."

And so say all of us!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:47 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:59 pm
Posts: 3552
First name: Dennis
Last Name: Kincheloe
City: Kansas City
State: MO
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
As always, I recommend vertical heel lamination instead of stacking to make the glue lines look nicer.
Attachment:
HeelGrain.jpg

Not sure it would look good enough with highly figured maple, though. How about a completely different figured wood like mahogany for the heel, with a layer of black-white-black inbetween to give some contrast? Especially if you give the headstock a matching backplate.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.



These users thanked the author DennisK for the post (total 2): Pmaj7 (Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:29 am) • Bryan Bear (Mon Oct 23, 2017 12:21 am)
Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: J De Rocher, rbuddy and 47 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