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Bolt-on necks.

Posted by David English on April 30, 2011 at 11:02pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Finished the first build. I need to post some picture. It came out pretty good.  It's fun to play and I learned a lot for the next build (which I began messing with this evening). Something I'd like to know more about is bolt-on necks. Who's got the goods on how that goes down on a cigar box?

Thanks,

JD

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Replies

  • HOGS GRUNT May 4, 2011 at 11:41am

    I couldn't agree with you more John.


    Hogs.
    ChickenboneJohn said:

    I always attach my necks with screws, 2 or 4 of them...300+ builds and never glued a neck in. It just seems the obvious, easy way to do it, as it gives plenty of opportunity for tinkering with neck angle and action.
  • rich gallagher May 4, 2011 at 10:51am
    i have gone to bolt-on necks - i use the cross dowel method - very solid, although a little more work - using bolt ons you can take the neck off and use it on another box - case in point:  just yesterday i had a customer report that the box on the guitar i had sent him and come apart at one corner (must have been defective box) i told him to ship it back and i'll put the neck on another guitar - i also thing the solidness of the bolt-on contributes to better overall tone
  • Mark Werner May 2, 2011 at 9:54am

    I've been using bolt-on necks almost exclusively now.    I have used two methods... For the mandola that's my sig, I used a "furniture insert".   That's a piece that has rough, wood-screw threads on the outside and a hole on the inside with fine machine-screw threads.

    You drill a hole in the neck, screw the insert in, and then use a bolt through the body to attach the neck.

     

    Easier is "screw-bolts" or "hanger bolts".  These have half the length threaded like a wood screw, and half like a bolt or machine screw.   You screw the wood-screw part into the neck heel, and then use the bolt part through the body to attach using nuts/washers.

  • ChickenboneJohn May 1, 2011 at 11:43am
    I always attach my necks with screws, 2 or 4 of them...300+ builds and never glued a neck in. It just seems the obvious, easy way to do it, as it gives plenty of opportunity for tinkering with neck angle and action.
  • David English May 1, 2011 at 10:34am

    Thanks Hogs,

    I'll give them a look.

    -JD

    HOGS GRUNT said:

    Most of my builds are bolt/screw on neck as I prefer this way. It gives you more adjustment on your guitar and there are quite a few photos on my page  to glean ideas from.

    Just yell if you need a particular question answered and I will do my best to help.

    Hogs

  • Dan Sleep May 1, 2011 at 9:40am
    I don't usually make bolt on's, but I did one where I used a piece of 2x4 pine and secured it to the inside bottom of the box. I screwed the neck to the pine piece and shaped it so that the neck would lie back a bit and help lower the action near the body.
  • HOGS GRUNT May 1, 2011 at 9:06am

    Most of my builds are bolt/screw on neck as I prefer this way. It gives you more adjustment on your guitar and there are quite a few photos on my page  to glean ideas from.

    Just yell if you need a particular question answered and I will do my best to help.

    Hogs

  • mark "mudcat" quigley May 1, 2011 at 8:51am
    drop a line to wichita sam. here on the nation  he sells a tutorial descrbing it very well.  finishing up my first bolt on and am veryy happy with the results, but i know he goes in for surgery tomorrow.
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