rhoads56 Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 This was an old project I was helping a friend with. There are a few pictures that may help. link I had these pics posted from an old project also- Link Mind you both of those necks were adjusted for tops. you don't need to adjust for that if you are not using a figured top. Peace,Rich I am curious....after viewing your pictures. Did you recess the neck behind the fretboard (that is between fretboard and bridge)? It then looks like you then angled the neck from the top. I really can't tell but it looks like a better option for me at this point. Based on my drawing, my neck blank is not going to be thick enough using the method that has been discussed here. I am making an explorish neck through. My neck blank is 2" thick by 3" wide and 46" long. When I use the diagram used above, my measurements for the body portion of the explorer wings falls below the end of the blank. If what I'm seeing in the pictures you have posted is what I think; this may be a better way to go for me. Draw your neck/body angle, THEN draw in the 2" thickness to match the body line. EG: you'll be cutting the NECK at an angle, not the body. See my other pinned thread on how to cut the angle, for an example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwood999 Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Boy oh boy i dont think its a good idea for that guy to build a guitar(the flamer)it will end up tossed thru a wall or something lol only trying to help and ZZZZZZZINNNNGER coo coo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancesworld Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 This was an old project I was helping a friend with. There are a few pictures that may help. link I had these pics posted from an old project also- Link Mind you both of those necks were adjusted for tops. you don't need to adjust for that if you are not using a figured top. Peace,Rich I am curious....after viewing your pictures. Did you recess the neck behind the fretboard (that is between fretboard and bridge)? It then looks like you then angled the neck from the top. I really can't tell but it looks like a better option for me at this point. Based on my drawing, my neck blank is not going to be thick enough using the method that has been discussed here. I am making an explorish neck through. My neck blank is 2" thick by 3" wide and 46" long. When I use the diagram used above, my measurements for the body portion of the explorer wings falls below the end of the blank. If what I'm seeing in the pictures you have posted is what I think; this may be a better way to go for me. Draw your neck/body angle, THEN draw in the 2" thickness to match the body line. EG: you'll be cutting the NECK at an angle, not the body. See my other pinned thread on how to cut the angle, for an example. I need to make sure that we are on the same page. I used the drawing you had posted in your thread. After drawing the fretboard, frets, nut, bridge location/height and desired string clearance; The bottom of the bridge height is where the body is supposed to be. I drew and angle from the bottom of the fretboard to the bottom of the bridge. I then took a ruler and extended the line back and down another 12" inches behind the bridge location. After that, I measured a 1/4" down from the angling line and drew in my top. Then I measured down another 1 1/2" to where the bottom of the back will be. Cut out the paper pattern and putting it against my blank's side. The angled portion fits but falls off the bottom portion of the blank; about six inches from the end of the blank. Another words, my blanks thickness would have to be closer to 4" instead of 2". My understanding of what you are suggesting is that I reverse the direction of what I have drawing; because the thickness of the neck portion will be later be made narrower? Or are you saying use my existing drawing and twist it on the wood so that the neck/fretboard portion of the drawing is angling toward what would be the headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Are you using a scarf joint style headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancesworld Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Are you using a scarf joint style headstock? Yes I plan to use a 12 degree joint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Consider a few extra points regarding neck angle / bridge placement. Exactly how high should bridge saddles (or TOM) be set as the static point for making your measurements? For bridge height I usually set it at the half way point so when I'm fine tuning the action I have ample room to travel in either direction. Its a real drag to have already cut your neck angle, set the fb, installed frets and then find that you either have to recess the bridge or run out of adjustment room. Same goes for setting your bridge to get proper intonation and reasonable adjustment room for all saddles. 1st string with saddle set about 1/4 forward of halfway should be where your scale length is measured at. This ensures that the 6th string saddle, which ends up being much farther back, has enough room. When I measured my first neck thru neck angle I actually dragged out my "Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry" text book from high school! Yes, still have it and I'm 47 years old, (damn 48 in one week). Just dig out all that info about sines, cosines and tangents and their "co" counterparts (hit a nerve?) and you can figure out exactly what you need with a calculator. Then draw it on paper. Its all common sense, if you don't understand it then you'll just have to try harder. Don't raise your hand right away when you hit your first obstacle. Look at it from different angles over a period of time and you can figure it out. If you can't then you'd best get someone to build the guitar with / for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancesworld Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Consider a few extra points regarding neck angle / bridge placement. Exactly how high should bridge saddles (or TOM) be set as the static point for making your measurements? For bridge height I usually set it at the half way point so when I'm fine tuning the action I have ample room to travel in either direction. Its a real drag to have already cut your neck angle, set the fb, installed frets and then find that you either have to recess the bridge or run out of adjustment room. Same goes for setting your bridge to get proper intonation and reasonable adjustment room for all saddles. 1st string with saddle set about 1/4 forward of halfway should be where your scale length is measured at. This ensures that the 6th string saddle, which ends up being much farther back, has enough room. When I measured my first neck thru neck angle I actually dragged out my "Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry" text book from high school! Yes, still have it and I'm 47 years old, (damn 48 in one week). Just dig out all that info about sines, cosines and tangents and their "co" counterparts (hit a nerve?) and you can figure out exactly what you need with a calculator. Then draw it on paper. Its all common sense, if you don't understand it then you'll just have to try harder. Don't raise your hand right away when you hit your first obstacle. Look at it from different angles over a period of time and you can figure it out. If you can't then you'd best get someone to build the guitar with / for you. I understand the concept and the math involved but I need to be completely clear on the application. I don't believe asking a lot of questions is a bad thing. In my line of work, you may ask the same question ten ways to clarify. Also in my line of work, I wish my clients would have asked me the questions first before they got into too deep. One client comes to mind in particular. Had he asked for my help early instead of working from a mistaken belief, he would not be sitting in a Federal prison for the next 33 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hman32123 Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 wow that really helped me out ive got a question though how do i make the angle on a through neck guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hman32123 Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 wow that really helped me out ive got a question though how do i make the angle on a through neck guitar o ha nevermind theres a thread about that a little bit lower than this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar101 Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 I am officially done with this forum. You guys are the biggest bunch of condesending a-holes I've ever met. I've tried to be nice. Just wanting to understand a couple of things BEFORE I actually build a guitar. You know, before I buy parts. I can't draw anything out to scale without having the parts in front of me. But no, I'm just another idiot right? I wonder... Is it just a certain type of personality that gravitates towards building guitars? Maybe it's the same disease that you find in guitar shops. Anyway... I don't need the negativity. So, congradualations... I'm gone. No need to reply, I won't be reading it. You folks can go back to building yer 9 string cocobolo basses and I'll leave you alone. By the way... Man what is your problem? No one has to answer you at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb_hendrix Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Ye thats really great help m8 Awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutball Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 first of all... after reading through this whole forum i just wanted to say that you guys were being a bit condescending to the guy who freaked out... around page 1 or so?... and i agree that one does need to figure it out by them selves, but one needs 2 things to figure it out... 1. instructions, which this guy got, but didn't necessarally understand... and 2. the answer, nothing but nothing is more frustrating to me than doing a whole bunch of work and then in the end once you're all done finding you've messed up at the begining... ive been there and done that! lol... now that being said... i just want to clarify... First i draw my fretboard to scale, including fret height, then i draw the bridge.. but this drawing looks to be for a tuneomatic bridge, would it be at all different for a floyd rose? also someone mentioned that i should adjust the bridge to about half height... then i draw the desired action... now for someone doing their first guitar what's a good action height? on http://projectguitar.com/tut/action.htm brian mentions a few actions, should i set my neck angle for those actions or for some slightly higher (leaway for error)... then i guess i connect the dots nut to action height at twelfth fret and twelfth fret to bridge saddle... and then its basically draw the body, and then cut my neck angle using a jointer... Also in something sligtly unrelated i want to put a top on my guitar, also i want it to be a neck thru... do i install the neck then put the top on?.. also i believe the top will be about 1/4" thick.... so will that require any adjusting on the neck angle? also i'm finding alot of the pictures in the forums aren't working... is it just my computer? thanks for any help gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I am completely with you guys on being able to work out how to find the neck angle. Over on the UK Builders forum one of the guys had a link on his website to neck angle calculater Which is a great tool if you want to double check your calculations ( and who doesn't ) It has the same illustrations as Perry' on there as well. So I checked mine and was less than a pencil line thickness difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 (edited) Thanks for the chart. I wish I had it before I started my first project. I didn't provide enough neck angle, so I had to do something with the bridge that I wasn't too happy about. It works just fine but looks a bit "unique" It has really low action and is very playable. For the next project, I will follow your plan for neck angle. Thanks agains ... Edited November 21, 2008 by Mark E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asherman Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Sorry if i sound stupid, i've only started planning to make my own guitar. the style of guitar i'm making is a fender style... a guitar with a low bridge, does a guitar with a low bridge really need the neck angled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Fender style guitars (strat, tele, etc.) with Fender style bridges do not need a neck angle. Keep reading and studying up on those basics. It helps to REALLY LOOK at other guitars and see the differences in that context while in the planning stage. Some things are not as readily noticeable until you slap a straight edge down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asherman Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Fender style guitars (strat, tele, etc.) with Fender style bridges do not need a neck angle. Keep reading and studying up on those basics. It helps to REALLY LOOK at other guitars and see the differences in that context while in the planning stage. Some things are not as readily noticeable until you slap a straight edge down. Thought so, cool Cheers for that, dw, i've been reading up on stuff for a couple of years, but due to a lucky increase in finance, i may actually be able to make it so i'm really reading everything and going through stuff with a fine tooth comb now. Won't be starting anything until the summer anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theodoropoulos Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 i simply saw this calculator http://www.tundraman.com/Guitars/NeckAngle/Index.CFM is this correct?i think its good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moth Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 i simply saw this calculator http://www.tundraman.com/Guitars/NeckAngle/Index.CFM is this correct?i think its good I think this is a pretty neat tool! I don't quite know how accurate it is, as I haven't had a chance to test it, but it does give a pretty thorough and user friendly explination for what the neck angle should be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Hi, I'm new here and am having trouble viewing the diagram shown in the original post. I've tried google chrome, Firefox and IExplorer but I can't seem to see it. I'm very unafraid to do a drawing, I do drawings all the time at work anyways, but don't know where to start not being able to see it. Any ideas why I can't view it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Nvmd, will make a donation when I can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Nothing to do with donations,the image is just outdated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_B Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Nothing to do with donations,the image is just outdated That's a recent development. I was looking at it just a week or two ago. Update: Found another copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Thanks Dave B.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn.LaSanche Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I want to ask one question to this topic if I may. In step 4 of Perry's drawing, the body angle is drawn in relation to the height of the bridge, but the picture shows a body meeting the neck at the end of the fretboard. If the guitar design has the body meeting the neck at say 16th fret, you would draw your body angle line, from the 16th fret(at glue side of fretboard) to the base of the bridge point, or does that matter and follow the diagram as posted? Also if someone could repost the neck/string taper image again it would be an appreciated visual reference to base my drawing against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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