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Was just wondering, after gluing up 4 neck blanks, about alternatives. Thus far, I've attached the head using a scarf joint and used a stacked heel; this way I get by with a board about 3" wide x 36" long and an inch or less in thickness. Do you prefer a laminated neck, one cut from a single block, or some other method? Just curious if there are advantages or preferences. Thanks!

I've done a couple of each and prefer the one piece. However a neighbor was cleaning out his barn and gave me about 50 pieces of Honduran Mahogany 1-1/2 x 2 between 6 and 8 feet long so I'll be doing quite a few laminated necks.

I like just using a flat sawn blank, stacked heel and a Martin style v joint for the headstock.

The v joint is attractive and I can leave the headstock off while shaping the neck, either by hand or on a router table. The whole thing is easy to do with power or hand tools. American Lutherie had an article describing several different ways. I haven't searched here so don't know if anyone has posted anything on that. But, this joint is somewhat different than the classical v joints I've seen.

For me flat sawn works fine and is more convenient than messing around with laminating. I don't think grain orientation matters so much for stability. Plus I use a double action truss rod in most cases.

But, laminating is cool for aesthetics! I have laminated to get grain patterns to match up or include contrasting woods. But, when I did that I cut out 2or 3 side profiles of the neck shape including headstock from a 1" board then glued up and shaped the neck.

I just don't like doing scarf joints at all. Most people probably do that but for me it's more work.

That was fortunate!

Ray

Me like necks that are gracefully long and slender, no Adams apple and a nice curl at the nape.

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I like the glued up necks..... If for no other reason that it's a whole lot easier to find normal boards than the giant chunks...

I like glued up necks. Cutting the neck from one block seems like a lot of waste wood. I guess you can use the scrap for end blocks

Since I have to order neck blanks and they weight quite a bit, I use stacked heel. 3" stocks are not only expensive, they also cost too much to ship.

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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

Laminated with no stacked heel.
Stronger, more stable, less waste than solid.

I'm happy if I can find 1x3x24" blanks, in both high and low quality but well matched color. Use the perfect ones for the neck shaft and scarfed headstock, and riftsawn curved grain knotty troublemakers for heels (easy to avoid the knots for short heel pieces). You can even use part of a low quality one for the headstock, if the shaft piece is a little too short.

Quartersawn solid block for the heel is best, but hard to come by. Vertical lamination of 1" thick pieces looks much better than stacked at least, and better than riftsawn solid block too.

One-piece necks look the best of all, but I don't like the short grain headstock weakness, and it's a waste of good material, unless there's a knot or something in the blank that would waste part of it anyway. A perfectly clear and straight grained one-piece blank should make 4 shaft blanks instead of 2 whole necks, and use the much more plentiful low quality wood for heels.

The skunk stripe style of laminated neck is great too, but more work, and for my own guitars I usually prefer the solid look anyway. The less straight lines on the instrument, the better

Thanks all for the responses; you've given me several options. Dennis, I do like the chevron look of your vertical laminated heel (simply hadn't thought of that). Do want to try a laminated neck, and can appreciate the use of a solid heel piece, just haven't looked for a 3x3 inch piece. The neck blank material is something I've picked up locally so I'm usually looking at 1 inch thick pieces of either maghogany or spanish cedar.

I laminate a 5 piece neck and stack the heel and put a scarf in the head. Saves wood and I look for lumber a little off quarter and reverse the pieces so I get what I think is a strong, stable neck.

Something like this.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Hi,

usually I make a scarf joint, then a stacked heel.
After everything is dry, I saw the neck in the center, and laminate it, that way the lamination reinforces the scarf joint and the heel.

Combination of lamination and scarf. Center piece is continuous, outside pieces are scarfed at the headstock. I can get a blank from a 2'x5 1/2"x3/4" board. (That's 2' of 1x6 finished lumber, my local HD has maple and I can occasionally find pieces with nice curl.)

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I've always done a laminated neck and scarf joint just becasue that's always the way I've done it. I would argue that band sawing a blank out in full is not really a waste of wood since there are so many other uses for mahogany in guitar building from linings, blocks, bracing etc...

I've done laminated necks in the past but I prefer one piece mahogany.. I'm not a fan of the stacked heel method...I just don't care for the look

I always liked Audrey Hepburns neck!!!

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

For guitar necks I like to glue on a block for the heel and the Martin style modified bridle joint at the peghead. To me it looks nice and saves a little wood. For smaller necks I usually do one piece with glued on ears for the peghead if necessary. I have done laminated necks and one piece, and have no prejudice against them, and would do them again if that is the way things worked out.