Tenon And Mortise?

[vicarious484]

Hi,

I'm building my first guitar here and have a neck with a fairly large but contoured heel. My question is, can I simply route the neck pocket to fit the neck as is or do I need to use some sort of mortise and tenon? I want to make this a set neck.The heel is just a flat surface at this point. It's squared up on all sides of the heel. Also, do I need at least a ledge for added support? Thanks!

Glen

[Mattia]

A tightly fitting neck pocket/heel combo is a mortise and tenon joint. Just bolted, not glued. The tolerances for a glued joint are much, much tighter than those for a set neck, and you might need/want to put in an angle, which you can apply to the neck pocket or the neck itself (I personally usually angle the neck pocket). What do you mean by 'a ledge', exactly? Ledge where? What for?

[brian d]

A tightly fitting neck pocket/heel combo is a mortise and tenon joint. Just bolted, not glued. The tolerances for a glued joint are much, much tighter than those for a set neck, and you might need/want to put in an angle, which you can apply to the neck pocket or the neck itself (I personally usually angle the neck pocket). What do you mean by 'a ledge', exactly? Ledge where? What for?

I think by ledge he means the heel, like on a LP, that gets in your way when you're trying to get to the high frets.

Brian.

Edited April 4, 2006 by brian d

[Mattia]

If that's the case...no. Look at David Myka's neck joint, f'r instance.

[vicarious484]

I'm confused by what you said:

The tolerances for a glued joint are much, much tighter than those for a set neck

Isn't a set neck a glued joint? Did you mean a glued joint is much tighter than of a bolt on? Also. If I am using a Fender style bridge and a flat topped body, why do I need a neck angle?

About the ledge, I mean the area that butts up to the body that extends down further than the rest of the neck. Here's a link to Melvyn Hiscock calls it:

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/bc/6ca094c9/bc/My...fqBrMEBoKcjhf1v

So here's my neck:

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/bc/6ca094c9/bc/My...fqBrMEBpfhIvRC0

If I simply make a pocket to fit the heel as is, will this be sufficient? Or do I need to route out a tenon area to create a ledge to add support? Or route on 3 sides of the heel to make a smaller tenon like on a Les Paul? Yes that is a pickup embedded in there but I can work around that.

Glen

[Mattia]

Uh, yes, I meant tighter than a bolt on. I'm clearly an idiot who should proof-read better.

And if you do a tenon that's smaller than the width of your neck, you'll want a 'lip' to hide that and give you some space for carving. If you make the neck full-width, you HAVE TO nail the pocket SPOT ON (no hiding it behind the lip or under the fingerboard, see?), but you don't need the lip.

[vicarious484]

Thanks for your replies..My neck thick as you can see...what's the minimum thickness for the pocket? It is currently at 3/8". I should have thought this deal out before! I figured it would be ok but I guess tenons can be made after a neck is pretty much shaped. Glen

[brian d]

Also. If I am using a Fender style bridge and a flat topped body, why do I need a neck angle?

You shouldn't need a neck angle with a Fender style bridge and flat topped body, but you need to watch the height your fretboard comes over the body.

Usual suggestion on this forum....draw it out full scale to check all your measurements and angles.

Brian.

PS, your web links didn't work for me

[AlGeeEater]

As an alternative to angle'ing a neck, you can recess the bridge. I recess most of my T.O.M. bridges as it's easier and less precise than doing a neck angle. You'd still have to draw everything out full size and to scale to find how deep to recess the bridge.

With a neck angle jig and all i'm sure it's WAY easier, but I really like the look of recessed bridges anyways.

Edited April 8, 2006 by AlGeeEater

[Mickguard]

As an alternative to angle'ing a neck, you can recess the bridge. I recess most of my T.O.M. bridges as it's easier and less precise than doing a neck angle. You'd still have to draw everything out full size and to scale to find how deep to recess the bridge.

With a neck angle jig and all i'm sure it's WAY easier, but I really like the look of recessed bridges anyways.

I like the combination of a slightly recesseed TOM with a neck that stands a bit proud of the body. I like the look of it too.

That said, I don't think adding an angle is all that much more complicated. It's just a matter of putting together the jig.