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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 26, 2014 at 6:49am

You can do it either way...underside of the top touching the top of the neckstick or floating above it but do not...I repeat DO NOT glue the neck into the body. I do it both ways, but on my neck thru' guitars I generally have the underside of the top hard against the neckstick...counter-intuitively it can result in a better, louder acoustic  sound and more sustain.

I hate to see the neckstick glued to the body, but that's just my opinion. I always prefer guitars to be easily de-mountable so that you can repair and modify them easily..that's why mine are always screwed together. I'm sure other people will have different opinions.

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on February 26, 2014 at 6:55am

You will hear both answers with equal weight and apparent validity.    Build two the with the same box and materials varying only the one factor and decide for yourself which you like better.  

I don't think it makes a monkey's bit of business between the two as there are competing and compensating factors.  The wood you choose for your neck and neck construction being among the chief factor at play.

You are trying to convert vibration energy from the strings into vibration (sound) energy from the soundboard and resonating chamber.  If your neck is such that you can feel it vibrate with the strings and it is not in contact with the soundboard, it is wasted energy that will not significantly contribute to sound in a positive way.  Likely better to have it attached to the soundboard.  

If your neck is heavy and stout and does not vibrate with the strings, then probably better to let the bridge/saddle transmit the energy to the soundboard and resonating chamber with a recessed neck.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 26, 2014 at 6:57am

this    is highly  debated  ,,   some  swear  by  each method  .

  but     i  have  heard testimony    from someone that  built  2  of the  exact   same  guitars  .. one recessed  and  one without  ..  he   says the     non recessed,  just glued to  the   lid  sounded  better   .

another  guy  didn't believe  him , so  he   tried  the  same  thing  and built   2  the same  but  for the recess .  .. and admited  he  couldnt tell  the difference  . 

so  ..  you  could take it  from there  .. 

   or  add to  the debate  ;-)

also  ... if  using a  mag  pickup  ,,    it  would not  make  much of a difference  anyway  . 

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Permalink Reply by Craig Howard on February 26, 2014 at 9:02am

Thanx for asking this question . I am a 1st time builder and was going to ask exactly the same.

In my box I have a stringer running the length of the box in line with where the neck will run thru. (see photo)

I am thinking of using that to screw down the neck and leave a 1/4 inch gap to the sounding board which is 3mm ply.

The answers you have got are very helpful.  (I guess everything is an experiment and thats the fun.)

Looking forward to tracking your progress Marc.

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Permalink Reply by Bernie Mango on February 27, 2014 at 3:24pm

A "stringer"...lol--now you're talkin' like one of us old aircraft mechanics!!! Love it!

Anyway, I love boxes with dividers (stringers).
I suggest measuring that one and making a duplicate. Then, glue it into the box on the other end--same distance from the opposite wall.
This will make the body "chambered" when closed, and give it more favorable sonic flavors.
They also provide great spots to mount things like the neck, onboard preamps, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Brode on February 27, 2014 at 5:52am

Thanks for the replies! it seems there is consensus... The difference isn't worth the extra effort. As for gluing the neck... Im leaning towards Chickenbone's advice... have it touch, but don't glue.
Thanks again, guys!

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Permalink Reply by Craig Howard on February 27, 2014 at 3:52pm

Im leaning towards Chickenbone's advice... have it touch, but don't glue.

I dont think I would allow it to even touch.

I had to trouble shoot a Cajon recently to eliminate buzzes.  Some of these ugly buzzes were wood on wood  due to bad construction technique .  Flat fillets of wood in the corners up against the ply resonating surface.

A simple angle on fillet solved the issues for the corners as well as where the snare strings ran over them.

( A Cajon is a simple wooden box like a CBG)

These buzzes can get ugly.

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on February 27, 2014 at 7:47am

The only reason I've glued boxes closed is to eliminate lid buzzing, though with careful use of felt in some joints, I probably could have eliminated that issue....

To date, all my through-necks are recessed, though I like the idea of doing a little less work and gluing to the lid...

 

Please re-read CBJ's note: I he's saying GLUE the neck to the lid, but don't glue the neck to the body, or glue the box shut!  If you don't glue to the neck, it might buzz really badly...

 

John

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Permalink Reply by Marc Brode on February 27, 2014 at 8:37am

Thanks for the clarification, John.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Howard on February 27, 2014 at 8:56am

I intend to screw down my lid and make the screw heads part of the design feature. Probably hex head screws.

I will be making sure there is a flush fit between lid and base so that I get maximum resonation from the box.

I would have thought using felt would counter the resonance?

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 27, 2014 at 9:47am

NO NO NO!!!..My approach is not under any circumstances to glue the box top to the neckstick!!!

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Permalink Reply by Craig Howard on February 27, 2014 at 10:10am

Dont know it that was advice  for me... but I certainly wont be gluing top of box to the thru fretboard.

There will be a gap about 1/8th inch.

What I am doing is planing the edge of the lid and box so that the maximum  contact is made and it will be screwed together.  The lid and box may have a hinge showing (design feature)  but it wont be operable as such.  I want a very neat and tight finish where the neck enters. A hinged lid wont allow that.

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