Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bob Harrison on December 13, 2010 at 2:09pm

Wow, David that was good thinking. I like it. If theres a will theres a way.

 

Cheers

Bob

David Lloyd said:

Even if you buy a pre made neck you can still customise it

 

 

6 a side

saw plus sander plus drill

Tung oil plus machine heads (you have to check size as there is less room than on a "proper" 3x3 neck)

Scotty C. said:

Shawn pointed me toward guitarfetish.com, where you can get blemished necks on closeout. The one I used was purchased for $27, actually. It's a fantastic deal, but that being said, they only offer Strat and Tele-style necks. If you want a 3 X 3, you'll have to go elsewhere.

MichaelS said:

I'm all for making my own neck, but where do you get a decent $35 dollar neck? Unless its a secret I'd like to store that away till I need a fretted 6 string neck.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Harrison on December 13, 2010 at 2:23pm

HB,

I like your thinking. If you build a duplicarver maybe I can give a little advice if asked, love to share .

Cheers

Bob

Hip Bone Bellaire said:

Well to make every one happy I'll just get a duplicarver and do it myself, ok copy myself... frets and all... Now I'm happy.

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Permalink Reply by David L. on December 14, 2010 at 6:03am

Hi Shawn,

 

By all means use it - like anything I post if someone finds it of use then I am pleased.  Even better is when the idea is improved upon and in turn we get to see the results :O)

 

Regards,

David

Shawn said:

David that's sweet work with what you have that's the way to do it. Never thought about using a 6 on one side to make a 3x3 mind if I use it? I will modifie it some like plugging the holes not used with dowel's and then cutting head stock shape and laminating with thin wood from cigar box to hide plugs.

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Permalink Reply by carverman on December 14, 2010 at 9:22am

I've never used a pre-made neck..it's like buying pre-cooked bacon in those packages

 at the grocery store..LOL!

However, for those that haven't tackled the machining and carving as well as wood selection

that goes into a stable neck.."rolling yer own" is doesn't always yield the best results,

over buying a pre-made one, even if it's more expensive to buy it.

 

I presume you are talking a 4 string here?  My experience is with 6 string necks, and I like to

carve my own.

I'm a woodworker/carver and have all the necessary handtools..some of which are rather

expensive, so I might as well put them to use occasionally.

A premade 6 string neck...from Stew-Mac can run ya $112 to $125 depending on the FB. 

A neck through (like I prefer to use),  can run $250 + shipping etc...for that price,

I prefer to go to my local exotic hardwoods shop and lust over all the neat woods from around

the  world and get the correct stable woods for a laminated neck.

 

So far, I haven't been disappointed with my efforts. I like to laminate my adjustable necks,

that is another involved operation.    However, not everyone has access or the skills to a shop

of woodwork tools and just taking a chunk of 2 x 2 wood and going to it, without calipers,

measurements,  contour guage(s) and a fret board (or similar,temporarily attached)

is a very brave undertaking.

My best wishes to those less experienced that are willing to try.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn on December 14, 2010 at 9:40am

I buy premade for one main reason as I do all my building in a bedroom in a condo in downtown Chicago. Having limited space and only small power tools making a 6 string neck can take weeks to make. I have done about 8 not including the neck on El Fuego ( my flame guitar) and each turned out nice but have solid truss rod. Most customers what an ajustable truss rod. So it all comes down to time + money = happy customers = more money to build more CBG. I'm an addict I need cbgaa

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Permalink Reply by Bob Harrison on December 14, 2010 at 10:45am

Shawn,

When I owned a music store in Flagstaff AZ. from 1967 -2000, I bet we sold 300 pre- made necks to woodworkers. I had one young customer buy a neck for a high school project only to return 5 years later with an engineering degree from ASU. He said he had just got a job at Fender guitar and thanked us for our help and encouragement. You just never know what these things could inspire.

Shawn said:

I buy premade for one main reason as I do all my building in a bedroom in a condo in downtown Chicago. Having limited space and only small power tools making a 6 string neck can take weeks to make. I have done about 8 not including the neck on El Fuego ( my flame guitar) and each turned out nice but have solid truss rod. Most customers what an ajustable truss rod. So it all comes down to time + money = happy customers = more money to build more CBG. I'm an addict I need cbgaa

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Permalink Reply by carverman on December 14, 2010 at 4:27pm

Reminds me of an old song done by the Byrds...(from the Bible)

To everything..turn, turn, turn

There is a season..turn, turn, turn

And a  time for ev'ry purpose..under Cigar Box "Guitar Heaven"

A time to dream and a time to create

A time to discuss and a time to work

A time to decide and a time to buy..pre-made necks

A time to laugh and a time to weep...at your mistakes

A time to build up and a time to break down

A time to show and a time to play...your creation

and a time to cast away (ruined necks) and a time for more parts to gather

Shawn said:

There is a time to build and a time to buy what is your time worth.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Harrison on December 14, 2010 at 5:01pm

I like that.

carverman said:

Reminds me of an old song done by the Byrds...(from the Bible)

To everything..turn, turn, turn

There is a season..turn, turn, turn

And a  time for ev'ry purpose..under Cigar Box "Guitar Heaven"

A time to dream and a time to create

A time to discuss and a time to work

A time to decide and a time to buy..pre-made necks

A time to laugh and a time to weep...at your mistakes

A time to build up and a time to break down

A time to show and a time to play...your creation

and a time to cast away (ruined necks) and a time for more parts to gather

Shawn said:

There is a time to build and a time to buy what is your time worth.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on December 15, 2010 at 4:41am

OK, I'll bite.... whatever happened to the idea that a CBG was "a box, a stick and some strings"?  It was/is supposed to be simple and therefore accessible to almost anyone to make and play.  I respect the builders who go way beyond this concept to build a Pro/Performance quality instrument.  They fill a need and deserve more $$$ than the market will give them.  But, it can be argued that in "refining" the instrument, they lose the open rawness that endears the instrument to so many of us.

 

For the most of us, CBGs are about playing what we make and having it look and sound contrary to the high ideals of "how it ought to be."  CBGs are counter-cultural.  I build a lot, give away a lot, sell some a just enough to cover my costs and enjoy the heck out of being into CBGs.  CBGs are not my "business"  My CBGs are set up well and make good music.  I have pro players that have given them great reviews and have installed them in their acts.  And, I play them in front of people for pay.   But, for me...the moment doing the CBG thing becomes "work" and some obsessive pursuit of perfection, then the fun would be gone...and so would I.

 

I've said it before, but not recently.  CBGs are like a Rhorschach Test; we discover in "doing the CBG thing" who we are.  Who am I?  I'm just a guy who wants to have fun. 

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on December 15, 2010 at 4:49am

after thought...

 

for all you beginners...just remember this.  All the "master builders" who go on and on about "excellence" started somewhere.  When I was starting out, I traded CBGs with other builders who have gone on to made a business of CBGs.  I once bot and then donated to the CBG museum an early Daddy Mojo CBG that was...errrr...well "naive" in its construction.   Some of the same people who are making great instruments today, traded some stuff with me in the early days that I never take off the wall because they are practically unplayable.

 

Don't let all the talk about high standards keep you from building and enjoying CBGs.  "If you do it enough, you'll get better." (hehehehehehe ;-)  That saying applies to many things in life.  It definitely applies to building and playing CBGs.  Enjoy trying stuff that people say you shouldn't do... that is what "No Rules" means to me....

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on December 15, 2010 at 6:46am

Uh oh, he said "no rules"...... LOL!

Hey, what it means to me is: "There are very few rules to keep you from making major mistakes, while there are so many ways to skin this cat that you basically cant hardly build two exactly alike if you tried." Or something like that.

Theres so many good ideas and good people eager to help here, but it still amazes me how focused people (experienced and not so experienced) can become on the littlest details. But it keeps it interesting!

 

One things for sure. If you want to get an active discussion thread going here, ask for an opinion! I think Scotty might deserve an award or something, I have never seen a thread develop so many pages and rise to the top of the "popular discussions" list so fast!

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Permalink Reply by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on December 15, 2010 at 6:57am

This is probably some of the best advice I've ever read on the forum.  Everybody could do themselves some good by just taking a second to contemplate this, whether they're green or salty.

Wichita Sam said:

after thought...

 

for all you beginners...just remember this.  All the "master builders" who go on and on about "excellence" started somewhere.  When I was starting out, I traded CBGs with other builders who have gone on to made a business of CBGs.  I once bot and then donated to the CBG museum an early Daddy Mojo CBG that was...errrr...well "naive" in its construction.   Some of the same people who are making great instruments today, traded some stuff with me in the early days that I never take off the wall because they are practically unplayable.

 

Don't let all the talk about high standards keep you from building and enjoying CBGs.  "If you do it enough, you'll get better." (hehehehehehe ;-)  That saying applies to many things in life.  It definitely applies to building and playing CBGs.  Enjoy trying stuff that people say you shouldn't do... that is what "No Rules" means to me....

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

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