Guitarfrenzy Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 I heard that there is a plan on how to make a Dan Erlewine Neck Jig... I looked on Stewmac.com but couldn't really find it.. does anyone know if they still sell the plans or only sell the product nowdays. I'm thinking that I'll need a neck jig since I really want my guitars to play good, but not quite sure I will learn how to build or use one unless I get alot more instruction.. lol So does anyone know of a place to get the plans or is it best to just buy it? Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 21, 2003 Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 Seems to me if you applied basic engineering skills you could make your own even better. I don't know of any plans unless he has them in one of the older books. Thinking about it your basic concept is to simulate the tension of the strings from behind and not mar the neck so the post's creating the tension need to be some sort of hard rubber or cradle. You also need the ability to rotate it into players position so gravity can do it's thing, and adding one of the newer line levels (laser types available) to it you would end up with a dead accurate jig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 21, 2003 Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 lol sounds good.... but how do u make it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 21, 2003 Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 The stewmac site has a detailed view of the construction of it - just click under the items description and there are something like 3 pages of information on it. I would think that any guitar builder should be able to take those drawings and come up with a decent replica. I guess the only snag would be finding the parts (maybe stewmac sells replacement parts?). Do you think it would be worth the effort? To find it, just do a search with the words neck jig, or go to the fretting supplies section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 I think it would be well worth the effort.. they are charging 350 dollars for one.. and they are good to have. You can set up your neck to play much better with one, but the thing that made me wonder about neck jig plans is because I was reading about Jaros guitars and somewhere he suggested that he built one from Dan's plans.. I guess they took the plans off the market, and decided to make some major cash!! Maybe I can find the link and post it. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 Found it on the Jaros web page. www.jaroscustomguitars.com click on the About Jaros and then How we build them to get to this whole article... this is just part of it that has to do with the neck jig.. and I'm still not finding any plans.. Quote: "Like you Dan, my small shop's in the basement, says Jim Jaros, "It's the perfect size though, for fretting, inlaying, wiring, and doing set-ups away from the hustle, bustle, and sawdust of Dad's shop. Also like you, I'm a big believer in the neck jig. Dad built a workbench neck jig from the Stew-Mac plans, and I think the fact that we jig and level every neck blank before we fret it sets our guitars apart from many others in the playability department. [the Jaros' guitars play exceptionally well.--Editor] I've got neck-jigging down to a science now, and know just how much tension to put on our necks to get perfect; low-action fret jobs every time. It's really easy to jig an unfinished neck blank-as opposed to you repair guys who have to be careful of the body and the finish. We're not doing repair work at this time, although we have in the past. I think I'll call StewMac and ask about the plans. I'll let you guys know what I find out.. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 21, 2003 Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 Did you try the stewmac site as I mentioned eariler? The site shows pretty much everything but the dimensions. There are three pages of information on how the thing is used and put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 21, 2003 Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 Here's the link I was talking about in my first reply (and second). The jig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2003 Yeah I had read that but I just thought someone sold an actually step by step plan of what to buy and how to install each parts... but I called StewMac and they said they don't have the plans anymore.. just the i5252 free information sheet... If anyone has the actual plans or knows of where to get them let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 The plans they sold (and I still have mine, but I'm at my vacation house now, so they are far away ) were for the big , heavy "luthiers workstation" model, which includes a "neck-jig". That neck-jig does not have the dial calipers, but I'm soon adding them to mine. I see some advantages of the current model and I'm tempted to build one ( I can do fret-work on 2 guitars at a time then !), but I could never do without my "luthiers workstation" for all types of guitar repair, not just fretting. You'd be much better to build one out of older wood, so it won't go changing shape on you with age, even if the wood isn't real pretty. If you want to see one heavily abused "luthiers workstation" go to the Driskill guitars website (I might have spelled the name wrong) and click on one of his link, I think the one where he cuts a rosewood log. I have to laugh when I see what he's done to that workbench . That guy is a mad man ! Says he works 14-18 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don't want to accuse him of doing coke, but damn ! Here's a pic of mine: http://onlinerock.com/services/soapbarstra.../neck-jig2b.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 I've been in contact with him lately as a matter of fact, ironic you'd say him. So, what your saying is, the plans that they had wasn't for the newer type and that there isn't any plans for the newer model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 guys, i don't want to go insulting people.... but ah.... that stewmac info sheet shows u exactly what u need.... and has one of those pictures where everything is connected with dotty lines, what more do u want? like a fisher price guide to making ur own neck jig? We're not dealing with lego's anymore guys (unfortunetly ) i just don't understand exactly what more u could need? Is some of the hardware hard to get? I'm just taking a breif look at it, and there aren't to many measurements there, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that u'r going to need a "beam" about 4 feet long, and a board wide enought to hold an accoustic. As for the threaded holes, u can buy those things at canadian tire (home depot, kent, or what ever in the states) drill ur wholes and i beleive they can be pressed in with a hammer, or with an allen key oposite the way the screws would go into them. Maybe i'm missing something really obvious here ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 That was pretty much my impression after looking at the stewmac site. I haven't really put much thought into it though - maybe there's something that needs further detail? From a very quick glance, I thought it would be enough to give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 Yes, they only had plans for the older version, and the plans were actually needed, because a big workbench like that is hard to guess the dimensions, etc. The current version is very simple to figure out, although I still see it being "experimental" since Dan Erlewine is making new tweaks and changes to it about ever 6 months. I see some things about the new one that I don't like, like using a band clamp across the middle of a guitar body. I just don't think I would trust that on a customers guitar. If you are mechanically inclined and/or have woodworking experience, you can make a neck-jig, and with that same experience, be able to USE it. It's not as fool-proof as advertised. You have to know how to do fret-work before the neck-jig is a workable tool for you. And, unfortunately, all the books and videos on fretting leave a few important things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 lol that's a good point soap.... i could see myself (only 20 and i kinda rush into things) just making one really quick then strapping my strat on it and flipping it sideways, and my guitar just flying right off the thing cause 90% of the jig just fell apart what kind of wood would (a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood) do you guys pan on using? If we want something presice.... hmm.... i'm guesssing everyone's just going to use a big ol slab of 3x6? 3x4? 2x4? 2x6? hard maple? weight isn't really an factor i'm guessing.. I just can't decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 The first time they came out with the current version, with the 1 strap, I though " oh, ****, somebody's gonna **** something up with that" . Next catalog I got, they showed 2 straps being used, so I suspect I might have been right. If I make one, I'm putting a "t-slot" table top on it like my big one, with little "hold downs" that can be used anywhere on the table. As for wood, if I make another, since it's a tool, I'm gonna search hard through my stock of old wood, maybe Oak, maybe even an old pine 2x4 ripped out of a house, since it's probably 30 years old and not likely to warp because of that. I guess I'd rather use old softer wood, than new hard wood. Big beams like that almost always warp. I have an idea for a mini version of the current model also, but I'm keeping that idea to myself for now. I also don't trust a 4-6" wide vise holding a big Jig deal on it, with a customers guitar on top of that. I just don't have that much trust in vises (if it's a Chinese vise, I'll even spy on it from around the corner to watch it trying to mess with me). You know the current neck-jig is being held with a little vise. I have to surpass that, or I'll have a nervous break-down while I have someone's guitar on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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