rogerabjet Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi guys - just a quick question I was hoping might generate some interest. I have a deadline on an unfinished guitar for paint in 15 days, and it's a surfboard guitar. It'll show up as an entrant in guitar of the month whenever it's painted, but for now it's under construction. The body is shaped like a surfboard, and the headstock is shaped like a bodyboard. Unfortunately, the artist painting it wants the surfboard shape to be unaltared, so I have to join the neck from the underside, having cut a pointed cavity into the surface of the fretboard. Has anyone here done this before? I'm fairly confident that the join cavity size is large enough to provide strength, but I'll have 2 parts of unplayable frets above the 19th fret (the last uncut fret once the join is made....) Does this sound ridiculous? Any advice would be appreciated! Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi guys - just a quick question I was hoping might generate some interest. I have a deadline on an unfinished guitar for paint in 15 days, and it's a surfboard guitar. It'll show up as an entrant in guitar of the month whenever it's painted, but for now it's under construction. The body is shaped like a surfboard, and the headstock is shaped like a bodyboard. Unfortunately, the artist painting it wants the surfboard shape to be unaltared, so I have to join the neck from the underside, having cut a pointed cavity into the surface of the fretboard. Has anyone here done this before? I'm fairly confident that the join cavity size is large enough to provide strength, but I'll have 2 parts of unplayable frets above the 19th fret (the last uncut fret once the join is made....) Does this sound ridiculous? Any advice would be appreciated! Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Unfortunately, the artist painting it wants the surfboard shape to be unaltared, Hold on a sec...you're letting an artist decide how the guitar should be built? Does he know anything about building guitars? Well, if he's the client, then I guess you have to give him what he wants. On the other hand, if he's just supposed to paint the thing, tell him that what he wants isn't really feasible and that he'll have to come up with another solution. Remind him that part of the job of an artist is to come up with solutions for life's limitations. I'm sure there are all kinds of ways to achieve a full surface board look without sacrificing playability. I like fryovanni's idea --except I'd go with a two-toned fretboard--take a different type of wood (that matches the body wood) for the surfboard tip and inset that into the fretboard itself. That would end up looking really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Had another thought today... I bought a Rickenbacker 350 clone that had an interesting bolt on neck joint --essentially the fretboard ended at the end of the body. The neck has a long extension that gets bolted into the body and is level with the surface. The screws enter from behind as with a normal guitar. (This worked because the guitar has surface mounted pickups). I believe Rickenbacker uses a similar design --that is, the fretboard ends where the neck meets the body, and there's a tenon glued in under the cap into the body. If any of this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerabjet Posted July 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Thanks for the help guys - a little more info, and a pic of progress to follow tomorrow...the piece is being made as a functional guitar (to a point....ba dum tshshshsh), but will be primarily an art piece. I've explained the loss of function to the guy who commissioned it (an art gallery owner, and guitarist), and he's happy with it. Leaving the frets alone as far as the 17th or even 19th fret gives 2 minor and a major pentatonic - I'll admit, I wouldn't want that limit on my guitar (I recently cut a 26 fret fretboard, unused as yet...), but so many 'guitarists' hardly ever go beyond the 17th fret. I'll get a picture in tomorrow - maybe some more ideas. Deadline for this bad boy is th 27th of July, so my hands are raw already... I am starting to like the idea of the extension bolt though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 I am starting to like the idea of the extension bolt though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerabjet Posted July 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Wow - thanks man - it's certainly going to give me a couple of directions to explore over the next couple of days...like i said - i'll post some images tomorrow, or maybe this evening, and see how it all looks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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