Building Laminated Neck Through.

[Firefox2551]

Hey guys,

In my upcoming build I was planning on using a warmoth Bolt on neck, But as I go over the building in my mind the words "neck" and "through" keep coming up, I love the way neck through guitars feel and sound, but as I read more on building necks I wonder if I could do it.

What Kinds of things need to be done to make a neck? I know the basics and have been studying it for a while now, this would be my first ever scratch build and I'd really like to go neck through.

I'm thinking mahogany wings and either mahogany/maple or mahogany/wenge neck material, maple board, stainless frets, Floyd nut, undecided on the radius depends, on what floyd system I use, Stainless frets, tilt back headstock, 24 frets.

Thoughts?

[erikbojerik]

In some ways (like not having to worry about the neck pocket), I find a neck-thru to be easier. In other ways it is more difficult.....like the finish, you have to finish the entire guitar all at once. It can also be pretty tricky if your choice of hardware requires a neck angle.

The key with a neck-thru is that you have to be able to make sure your neck lams are square and true, uniform thickness all the way down (unless you taper them like Russ does). It is easiest if you have access to both a jointer and a thickness planer (or thickness sander). Otherwise it can look like crap when you start carving the back of the neck.

You also need plenty of clamps and two good stiff cauls when you glue up the neck blank. I use two lengths of aluminum angle from Home Depot as my "glue press".

[thegarehanman]

I honestly don't enjoy making neck thru's all that much. I just can't justify the means with the end(although sometimes it can really complete the look of a bass, I must admit). That's asside from the point though. Making a neck thru is just a bit more of a hastle than a bolt on or set neck, but I wouldn't say it requires more accuracy, less perhaps. Anyhow, if you're interested in my method of making a laminated neck thru blank(as eric mentioned), see my signature.

peace,

russ

[Firefox2551]

Thanks!

I also do really like the look of the striped laminates running through the wood,

Ooh BTW, I have a nice maple log in my backyard with some good figuring in it, I was thinking mabye I could use it for a to, laminates and a fretboard, I'm going to go analyze it today and see if its really any good but if it is, I'm sure it would need to go through a kiln, is there any special process? Can I just bring it to some local guys or something and have them do it? How Long should it be done for?

Thanks guys!

Edited May 11, 2006 by Firefox2551

[Firefox2551]

Ok I just went out and looked at it, Its not big enough to make one-piece guitar bodies or anything but two piece would be easy, Its Figured all the way through, VERY curly, mabye not quite AAAA or anything but I never really liked the look of the really stripey maple tops.

There is definitely enough there to make bass and guitar neck through laminates and everything,

Its about 12 Feet long and around a foot wide. I think at the bass there should be plenty of wood to do a nice bookmated top, if I do that kind of top I would want the laminates to show through so I don't need huge pieces of maple for that either.

Should I post a new topic about this?

[Firefox2551]

Here's some pic's of the log, in one of them I put my shoe on the end of it so you can see how long it is.

Its a Newly cut log (last year or so)

We got a bunch of similar ones too, but those are all gone, we bought this wood as firewood and I'd kinda like to save this one as its pretty nice,

I don't know how well you can see in the pictures but in a couple places the bark has been scraped off and you can see the figuring on the surface. I'm going to try and get a little cut off the end to see what it would look like in board style pieces.

I figure I might not save any money at all by using this log but the experience of making the neck and fretboard and everything myself from a log will be quite rewarding, besides having saved this nice log from the fire.

[Mattia]

Get the bark off there NOW, cut it, sticker it. I know little, but I do know that maple has a rep for staining/greying/going moldy very quickly, and any bugs that live in the wood are likely in the bark. The grey bit in the middle indicates not-so-goodness, to me, and also: the center of the tree is waste. If you want quartered wood, you'll be lucky to get boards about 4" wide out of that one, maybe a few flatsawn boards 5", 6" at the outside. Google for processing lumber and read up some.

You're also gonna need to wait a year or two post-sawing it up before building anything with it. In log form, that wood is nowhere near being dry enough. Cut into 1" thick boards, stickered properly, and left to dry, I'd still give it AT LEAST one year, and then evaluate the pieces, probably invest in a humidity meter.

Honestly, I don't know if it's worth the effort. Might get some interesting spalt in there, might all be rotten, might be discoloured, might be OK, but I wouldn't bet on it.

On the neck-through topic: I think it's actually a pretty easy way to build. No neck joint to worry about, stick on the wings, and as long as you can joint and glue stuff up properly (that's the only 'tricky' bit, and a good cabinetmaker can help with that), there's not all that much to it. Setting the neck angle is simple, too. At least, from my perspective. I don't much care for the neck-through look on most guitars, but I love it on basses. Laminated necks, though, yes.

[Firefox2551]

Ok, I plan on slicing an end off with my chainsaw then cutting it into small board profil chuncks just to see what I'm working with, if I like what I have I know some people in the hardwoods industry up here that might saw it up and kiln it for me. Would that shorten up the whole drying thing?

Personally I think anything spalted or burled or anything that looks really "raw" like that is pretty nice looking, I like my guitars to feel like they just came out of the tree, I suppose you could analyze that pshcologially some how but it might not make much sense.

Please keep replying people I need all the help I can get with this whole Neck through thing and the log.

[Mattia]

Well, it might be pretty cool for that. Slice it up, see what you get, and what quality wood's left (rotten or not, etc...) Talk to your lumber dudes, and yes, kilning will shorten dry time considerably.

[Firefox2551]

I'll make sure to talk to him when i see him this weekend.

I've actually been looking up a bunch of pics on spalted maple and its really really growing on me. Dare I say I hope my maple is nice and spalted..... I also hear some people pay alot for spalt, so I'd be getting some for free, which I don't mind too much.

Oh here's an update on my current project!

http://www.freewebs.com/messingupaperfectl...icturepage2.htm

Its very rough I know, but hey what can you do with limited tools? I had to use a Drill with a drum sander on it for the shaping of the horns. For the rear ones I used a Drill press to cut 4 guide hols then used a plain old wood saw to cut between them, after that it was alot of sanding.

I want to pick up mabye an Epi Les Paul Special 2 to work on next. Those are less than $100 used these days.

[toddler68]

Judging by that first log pic, there's likely more figure in it than you realize. Definitely get it debarked and milled ASAP if you want to salvage it. Looks like spalt starting in the heartwood in pic 2...could be interesting

I have always wanted to build something with wood from a tree I actually chopped down myself. Something fascinating and primitive about the whole process...

[RGGR]

What Kinds of things need to be done to make a neck? I know the basics and have been studying it for a while now, this would be my first ever scratch build and I'd really like to go neck through.

For a first build I would be hesitant starting with neck through. Surely it can be done.....but it takes little more planning ahead. Lessons learned on normal neck, I applied on neck through. Carving neck was much easier job (with experience of first neck under my belt)...but all in all I considered it a more tricky process.

I'm thinking mahogany wings and either mahogany/maple or mahogany/wenge neck material, maple board, stainless frets, Floyd nut, undecided on the radius depends, on what floyd system I use, Stainless frets, tilt back headstock, 24 frets.

Mostly mahogany in neck is not left unfinished.......(read: LP et al)....so with e.g. a wenge laminate.....this would create neck with open pores. That make me to decide maple. This finishes up so darn nice....and gives nice contrast with wenge.

[Mattia]

I don't pore fill my necks, because the feel doesn't bother me, and I really don't mind the look of un-porefilled clear finished laminates or solid wood necks. Bit of a non-issue. Then again, I either oil or french polish necks; only time I pore fill and gloss 'em is if someone insists on a gloss finish all-round.

[rsguitar]

I think your idea of doing a neck through is great and I wish you luck on you first build from scratch. It's a little scary but if you take you time and don't rush it you will reap the benifit of your first custom from scratch guitar. Which is something you can be proud of. Doing a neck through is great and i also love the look of the laminated neck. this is where you are in control of the look of your guitar, because there are endless choices of wood you can use. The strength of a laminated neck is much greater than if it was just a solid piece of wood. A much more stable neck it will be.

I am curently building two neck through guitars. One has curly maple with purple heart stripes, and the other has and in this order { curly mpl. 3/4", rosewood 1/16", cherry 1/8",rosewood 1/16," curly mpl. 1/2", rosewood 1/16", cherry 1/8",rosewood 1/16,curly mpl.3/4" .} . It took some time to glue up but it was worth all the trouble it looks awsome. And if i knew how to post picks in this thread I could show you. If you send me your e-mail I will send you some pics if you like. I guess the key to any build is planning and preporation really think through all of the step you need to do to get to the goal you have set for yourself. You can do it and everyone here is in your corner so good luck..

[Firefox2551]

Oops! Sorry RGGR!

I meant to say, Mahogany/maple or WENGE/MAPLE. lol, little mix up.

I actually have a Peavey Grind 4 BXP NTB bass with Maple/Mahog Thats what really made me decide I want a neck through guitars, the neck just feels so nice and thin and the neck heel is just heavenly, its a 24 fretter and I can soooo easy get up to Mr. 24 (not Jack Mr. 24)

Just so anyone knows, I will not be rushing this, I want to take as much time as it will need, I want it to be just right the first time around, I plan on taking a year or more on this guitar, for two reasons, money, and perfection.

And if anyone thinks It'd be a good idea to to some bolt on necks first, I have that guitar I just finished that a new neck wouldn't be a bad idea on, I also want to pick up an epiphone LP special 2 that could use a new neck, its a little like an LP jr, so I'm thinking mabye I can throw a pickguard over the neck pup's cavity and have myself a nice little LP jr.

Also, I have an idea about the maple top, I was thinking how on some neck thrus (Carvin) they can cover the neck thru striped with the top, well, I don't want that, I want a piece of maple on either side, with the laminates showing through in the middle, I was also thinking that somewhere I saw a bass or guitar, that had a thin layer of wenge between the mahogany (or whatever it was) body and its top, it looked a little likt binding but better it really pulled the look together for me, so is there someplace that deals with very thin layers of wenge? Mabye 1/8th thick or so? smaller could work to.

Hey rs guitar thanks! The stability thing made a big difference for me, I also plan to have at least two graphite rods running down it with the truss ro for greater stability, I live in The Northeast (NH) and the climate here is just murder on guitars, we go from really hot to really cold to rainy to damp, and I need a guitar I can depend on for gigs. (church gigs)

my e-mail is easy just take my SN (firefox2551) and add @yahoo.com to the end of it I can't wait to see what you are building!

Thanks everyone! All the help is much appreciated! Keep talking to me! Need all the help I can get!

Edited May 12, 2006 by Firefox2551

[SoundAt11]

My first guitar build was a neck-thru, using the Carvin NT6 maple/ebony 24 fret neck (I cut off the last 2 frets to make it a 22 fret neck).

I wasn't too hard for a first-timer.

Get your measurements made for placement of everything, cut out your body halves, plane your body wood to the thickness of the neck section, square up the edges, round all your cutaways (a lot easier before gluing them onto the neck). I used dowel rods to help with the gluing process and hopefully add sustain (more wood to transfer vibrations), though you could omit this step. Then clamp and glue, sand off the excess glue, route all the holes, finish, wire, set up.

I recessed my TOM bridge, due to the lack of neck angle and direct mounted my pickups (so I had to get those cavities perfectly deep), but that was the only tricky thing, you could omit those if you went with a Strat-bridge and pickup rings.

This guy's site is a step-by-step for building a neck thru:

http://www.reesley.com/guitar.html