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Newbie questions

I have been bitten by this CBG bug and have 5 red oak necks glued up with 13 degree scarf joints. Three of the necks are 1 3/4" wide and two are 1 1/2" wide. The wider ones I ripped from larger boards and figured I would use the wider boards for 4 string guitars but 1 3/4" is really huge for 4 strings.

Wondering what is your width at the nut for a 4 string, are you still using 1 1/2" stock? What type of neck reinforcement are you using for 4 string necks if any?

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Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on December 25, 2011 at 6:30pm

I thought about string trees, but on this kind of peg head I don't think I'd like it. I can also leave the neck a little thicker which will result in a shorter post.

It is hard to say what part of the build was the most enjoyable. This was a definite mood elevator and I'm hoping my daughter will be posting a youtube video with hers (photo #2)

Clockwork & His Wolf "Spot" said:

You can also increase the strings down angle with string trees/retainers.

They can be made to look very elegant. Anything from a metal bracket

going all the way across the headstock and parallel to the nut, a simple

screw, to something professionally purposed to the task (as featured in

the dreaded Stew-Mac catalog).

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Rose on December 26, 2011 at 11:44am

Very nice work.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 27, 2011 at 2:06am

Charlotte,

Very nice work! Glad you got 'em done for Christmas. I like the chamfer on the tailpiece for the string ferrules.

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Permalink Reply by Richard G Caudill on December 28, 2011 at 2:00pm

Ms Charlotte ,, U do outstanding work !! I am most impressed !!

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Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on December 28, 2011 at 5:13pm

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I have some ideas about changes in my next instruments. This was so therapeutic for me. I worked very hard on them but the sense of pleasure was worth the effort.

#1. Get my wood from a lumber dealer and not Home Depot. I picked up a REALLY nice piece of perfectly quartersawn red oak this afternoon that is enough to make at least 4 necks from a lumber yard. Much better selection.

#2. Going to reinforce the boxes and put reinforcement in areas where I want to mount strap buttons so the screws will have enough wood to do their job.

#3. Work slower and have more fun.

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Permalink Reply by DeltaglowBoy on February 7, 2012 at 5:45am

Very fine work. May I share an observation which is strictly esthetic.

With all the precision detail work you do ... is it possible to relocate the four neck mounting screws to the back side of the box. Seeing those 4 screw heads seems contrary to all the effort and other aspects of your beautiful design.

With all due respect and no slight intended. I, myself, have always struggled with this issue in my own builds unless the design was rustic ... Yours are just so wonderful and over the top that I see those screws as a distraction ..... just something to ponder for future builds.

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Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on February 7, 2012 at 11:29am

Well, you are so nice and thank you so much for the nice words, but keep in mind that I am a newbie to cbg and I'm learning on every instrument that there is something I don't like.

I put the screws on top because #1 I didn't want to glue the top[ to the neck and #2 I wanted to avoid having a buzz on either contact point. Also my neck does not reach the bottom of the box.

On my current build, which is going to be gorgeous if everything falls into place, the neck inside the box does reach bottom and I will be screwing from the back. I'm really pumped about this one because it is my first time working with magnetic pickups.

I really appreciate and value your input and the lid screws are as you point out a distraction.

Charlotte