neck carving by drawing and creating facets on the wood

[twocup]

Glad this thread has been resurrected and thanks again Marty! I have been carving 'seat of the pants', so every neck is a crap shoot how it will come out. I am going to use this method on my next (and probably thereafter).
Tim

 

[bradhofrichter]

I've gotta say I've gotten so much help from this forum even though I'm trying to build an Archtop jazz guitar, that I had to subscribe. Thank you guys so much for this forum. Carving the neck. Ahhhh yes..... I've already destroyed one neck so far. None of my information indicated how to shape the neck with facets. Now I have a "system" or a course of action on HOW. How to get that neck the way I want it. Thanks again. This is the second time I found information helpful here that I could not find elsewhere (easily)


Thanks
Brad

 

[netgear69]

This tuturial by Flech shows how to shape a neck it is a simple technique but works every time
Stratocaster Guitar Build - Part 3 - Building A Stratocaster Guitar Neck

 

[guitarbuilder]

Yep just remember... if you use his measurements.... you get his carve shape. You may want your own shape for a neck...so draw and measure your own measurements. It's not hard at all

 

[nmssis]

when starting with a raw lumber, what is a good size (dimension) to start with?

 

[guitarbuilder]

I use rough hard maple that is about 1.25" thick. It is called 5/4" at the lumber yard. IF I am doing a rosewood fretboard, I'll prep the neck wood down to 3/4" and use a 1/4" fretboard thickness. I try to keep it at 1" total after sanding, which is within spec. If you come up short you can always make the neck cavity less than 5/8" to compensate, but the beauty of staying within spec means the parts are interchangeable and you can mix and match.

 

[built4speed]

This is a great thread, and a great technique for first time builders. I followed this for my first neck build and it turned out perfect. I'll be using it again shortly for my second neck. Thanks so much for an excellent and informative thread.

 

[nmssis]

I use rough hard maple that is about 1.25" thick. It is called 5/4" at the lumber yard. IF I am doing a rosewood fretboard, I'll prep the neck wood down to 3/4" and use a 1/4" fretboard thickness. I try to keep it at 1" total after sanding, which is within spec. If you come up short you can always make the neck cavity less than 5/8" to compensate, but the beauty of staying within spec means the parts are interchangeable and you can mix and match.

cool, thanks!

how about the width...for gibson type and tele type?

 

[guitarbuilder]

cool, thanks!

how about the width...for gibson type and tele type?

I don't usually purchase Maple boards wider than 6" for necks. Maple is cheap around here, so I just look for something clear and flatsawn in most cases. For mahogany necks like on a Gibson, I get 12/4 ( 3" thick) stock which will yield quarter sawn necks. The peghead ears are extra pieces glued on to the sides to provide the extra width.

 

[nmssis]

I don't usually purchase Maple boards wider than 6" for necks. Maple is cheap around here, so I just look for something clear and flatsawn in most cases. For mahogany necks like on a Gibson, I get 12/4 ( 3" thick) stock which will yield quarter sawn necks. The peghead ears are extra pieces glued on to the sides to provide the extra width.

Thanks...finally found a local dealer and will be going there tomorrow.

 

[jvin248]

Good thread to see. I cribbed off your build thread where you showed the faceting when I did my build challenge this summer.

I wanted to add to a minor note you made about where the carve starts. I've found this start point dramatically changes the feel of a neck for similar thick x width sized necks. Many of the Squiers start carving from the front edge of the fingerboard while the MIM/MIA start from the region where this tutorial indicates. Maybe these notes help some.

Here's a diagram I used during my build after benchmarking a bunch of necks. The "D" sketch shows the difference between the carve start lines "A" (typical MIA) and "C" (typical Squier) indicated by the calipers on the neck picture.

The initial rough carve I now do with an angle grinder and a carbide coated wheel (HF). And scrape instead of sand (the stainless computer stamping in the picture), with just a final cleanup sand at 320. The wheel really removes a lot of wood fast so you have to pay attention! I carved four necks in under an hour and can see doing them faster with more practice. I ended up with a soft-V neck on the laminated neck pictured because the softer pine on the sides and the hard maple center strip.

.

 

[guitarbuilder]

I'm doing a neck through carve in this thread:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-hom...chanix-illustrated-electric-guitar-build.html


and had to redo some cross sections so thought I would post them here, as the graphics aren't bad.

 

[guitarbuilder]

I drew in my cross section drawings based on the measurements of the wood at the 1st fret and tenth fret:

 

[guitarbuilder]

The red line represents the fretboard cross section if it were on top of the neck wood. The blue arc is the shape of the neck I like. The dimensions are shown for this particular neck wood measurements. I'll reiterate that you need to draw your own cross sectional drawings for your specific neck wood dimensions. These numbers will yield what I like...not what you may like.

 

[guitarbuilder]

Next comes a light blue 45 degree angle touching the arc.

 

[guitarbuilder]

These are the dimensions of the edge of the wood down to where the 45 degree angle touchs the neck wood rectangle. Also the other dimension shows the measurement from the centerline to the other point where the 45 degree angle touchs the neck wood rectangle.

 

[guitarbuilder]

What the cross section would look like after the primary facets are cut into the neck wood.

 

[guitarbuilder]

and without the colors .

 

[guitarbuilder]

lines on wood

 

[guitarbuilder]

The rasps and one side done



and the other