If anyone could help I'd really appreciate it. this is my CBG nightmare sort of speak. That crazy looking neck had to be built up that high because I needed an extra piece of 1/4" wood to reach the lid box. The very top piece is only to hold the glue joint for the time being. I'm trying to think of a way to make a string break using a bolt as a nut. The neck/ fretboard is too high to reach the tuners/headstock. I don't mind going shorter scale. The current scale supposed to be 25.5 inches..I don't know what to do it all ..Some kind of gradual decline down to the headstock was my thought but I'm not sure and I don't want to make it too short of a scale. That 1/4" inch piece of wood is just hold the glue joints for now... Boy I really messed this one up. Any help please! It's a neck through design...oh man.
I've put off this bulid in the past because I didn't think drilling screws into/from the bottom of the box was a good idea and could cause splits in the sometimes delicate wood...I guess that depends on the box and care taken...great design ..I've gotta do this someday
It's really easier than it looks. I just picture the box as if it's the body of a solid body electric guitar, like a Stratocaster, etc. I carefully measure and mark where the box will be cut, and use a sharp Exacto blade to make as much of the cut as possible. Especially on the box top, for a clean seam. A good box dimension for this style of build is where the depth of the box from the inside surface of the bottom of box to the top of the lid outside measures close to 1.5".
This means that the slat of wood (the longer orange one in the drawing) which is 3/4" thick, paired with the 3/4" thick neck without the fretboard attached, brings the surface of the bare neck flush with the box top. So then when you attach the fretboard, the finished neck rests 1/4" above the surface plane of the body. This results in a string height over the body of approximately 5/15" to 3/8", depending on scale and action you create by the type of bridge you use. This string height allows for a good playable string height over the body. One bonus to this design, is that magnetic pickups have plenty of space inside the box, without the need to cut into a "neck-thru" designed neck, which later requires extra bracing and headache.
So here is a basic drawing to depict a bolt on style neck. I switched to this style because of all the challenges to get a "neck-thru" to work. Especially if one plans to include magnetic pickups...in which case, the neck thru needs a chuck cut out of it to get the mag pup installed...which makes the neck weak. That's just one reason for me, since I primarily use mag pups.
So in the drawing, the box profile is the black line (this varies depending on box). The tan is the neck blank, the dark brown is the fretboard. Notice the FB is a little higher than the top of the box.
The orange section are two pieces of wood. The longer one runs from tail to front, inside the box. This provides a solid foundation for the bolt on neck, and when paired with the smaller orange piece, a place for a tailpiece for strings, and a foundation for the bridge are created. Plus it gives all the structural strength needed to deal with the pressure of strings pressing down on bridge/box top...i.e. no more crushed box lids.
There is still enough box lid left to "resonate". The only cut needed on the box will be a slot 3/4 inch deep, and as wide as your neck (likely 1.5"). * (note: the long "orange piece" that the neck bolts to will need to be tall enough to reach the bottom of the cut out on the box that you make for the neck.)
I can't currently get my my box cut like the drawing.. height wise. It's a pretty delicate box and I was lucky enough to get the cuts I did. Your drawing makes total sense and I will use it on my next build for sure!! Thank you
Replies
image.jpg
that does look nice.
if you have problems not just you any body,it is always best to leave it and rest your grey matter.
come back to it later if that doesn't work ,start again on a new one.
alternatively buy off Ben Gitty for a cheap one at $17.50 to get you by or copy for your own use.
image.jpg
It's really easier than it looks. I just picture the box as if it's the body of a solid body electric guitar, like a Stratocaster, etc. I carefully measure and mark where the box will be cut, and use a sharp Exacto blade to make as much of the cut as possible. Especially on the box top, for a clean seam. A good box dimension for this style of build is where the depth of the box from the inside surface of the bottom of box to the top of the lid outside measures close to 1.5".
This means that the slat of wood (the longer orange one in the drawing) which is 3/4" thick, paired with the 3/4" thick neck without the fretboard attached, brings the surface of the bare neck flush with the box top. So then when you attach the fretboard, the finished neck rests 1/4" above the surface plane of the body. This results in a string height over the body of approximately 5/15" to 3/8", depending on scale and action you create by the type of bridge you use. This string height allows for a good playable string height over the body. One bonus to this design, is that magnetic pickups have plenty of space inside the box, without the need to cut into a "neck-thru" designed neck, which later requires extra bracing and headache.
So here is a basic drawing to depict a bolt on style neck. I switched to this style because of all the challenges to get a "neck-thru" to work. Especially if one plans to include magnetic pickups...in which case, the neck thru needs a chuck cut out of it to get the mag pup installed...which makes the neck weak. That's just one reason for me, since I primarily use mag pups.
So in the drawing, the box profile is the black line (this varies depending on box). The tan is the neck blank, the dark brown is the fretboard. Notice the FB is a little higher than the top of the box.
The orange section are two pieces of wood. The longer one runs from tail to front, inside the box. This provides a solid foundation for the bolt on neck, and when paired with the smaller orange piece, a place for a tailpiece for strings, and a foundation for the bridge are created. Plus it gives all the structural strength needed to deal with the pressure of strings pressing down on bridge/box top...i.e. no more crushed box lids.
There is still enough box lid left to "resonate". The only cut needed on the box will be a slot 3/4 inch deep, and as wide as your neck (likely 1.5"). * (note: the long "orange piece" that the neck bolts to will need to be tall enough to reach the bottom of the cut out on the box that you make for the neck.)
Use Classic Guitar tuners.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next