Yet Another Neck Angle Question

[NJD]

I have drawn out a full size neck angle diagram for my current project, with the thickness of the body at the bridge to be the thickness it is now (un-carved). It’s worked out (after taking things in to account) to be 5 degrees, with a pickup plane of 3 degrees.

If the general consensus is that this is too steep an angle I could raise the neck’s depth out of the body slightly and/or remove a little thickness from the top cap, giving a shallower carve but also a a shallower neck angle. what do we think ?

thanks in advance for any advise

Nathan.

Edited November 6, 2006 by NJD

[fryovanni]

I have drawn out a full size neck angle diagram for my current project, with the thickness of the body at the bridge to be the thickness it is now (un-carved). It’s worked out (after taking things in to account) to be 5 degrees, with a pickup plane of 3 degrees.

If the general consensus is that this is too steep an angle I could raise the neck’s depth out of the body slightly and/or remove a little thickness from the top cap, giving a shallower carve but also a a shallower neck angle. what do we think ?

thanks in advance for any advise

Nathan.

5 degrees is most likely too much(2-3degrees is closer to the norm). The only way for anyone to give you advise on this is to show us your diagram. There are a couple of variable that can effect the angle that is needed. Most likely you are getting thrown off by where the fretboard and body meet and how it relates to the carve. Show us your diagram. Also are you drawing this with CAD or just with pencil and paper. That may be a factor in the accuracy of your angles.

Peace,Rich

[NJD]

I’m a pencil and paper kinda guy - being the son of a draftsman I have an arsenal of paper, squares, protractors and compasses etc at my disposal lol.

I’ll give you a quick run through:

First off, I should have mentioned that my guitar is going to be a carved top. Also I have a wrap around bridge so height wise it’s almost as tall as a TOM.

The horn transition is curved (see progress pic) so actually following the body top is a little tricky so I’m planning on raising the neck from the body top somewhat ala David Myka’s double cut guitars as appose to cutting the neck angle into the whole upper section of the body where the fretboard terminates (that would slice most of my upper horn away) as to only have the fingerboards width proud above the body ala Les Paul.

I’ve cut a rebate (that’s English for rabbet BTW ) all along the edge of my body top leaving the foux binding at the desired height right around. Everything above just determines both the height of my carve and angle of my neck, there fore if I reduce the thickness of the body, the bridge height would reduce, diminishing the neck angle. decreasing the depth of the neck pocket would achieve the same thing. a little of both should shave the angle away nicely.

As this is my own shape and not an attempted copy of any one thing in particular, I’m willing to have a shallower carved top to reduce my neck angle if we feel this would be a benefit.

Old progress pic showing transition between bass and treble horns

Edited November 6, 2006 by NJD

[fryovanni]

Can you scan or take a pic of your drawing? I follow what you are saying, but it is hard to evaluate how you are still getting the high angle. Your drawing is the only way to see where the potential issue is. Also you may want to give a couple extra bits of info. What your scale length is. What fret the body and neck meet at upper horn and lower. Also if I understand you correctly you are allowing the end of the fretboard to set proud of the top of the body, and you plan to align the bottom of the fretboard at the upper horn(I am just trying to establish the pivot point for the neck to body angle)? One way or the other you are only compensating for about 1/4" over about 25"(depending on scale), and if you actually raise the neck or go for a thicker fretboard than say 3/16" that 1/4" of compensation will be even less. This is why it is normal to have only 2-3 degrees on TOM loaded electrics.

Peace,Rich

[NJD]

OK, I’ve done the best I can to photo my neck angle workings out, but it’s an awful pic – I’ve left it high definition in case someone can sharpen it or something. basically it's disected along the centreline, the middle two vertical lines are the top end of the guitar and also where the fingerboard will come. the one on the far left is bridge and far right is 12th fret. i hope you can see it half decently

NECK ANGLE

Here you can see where I have routed out my rebate and have the remaining wood to carve above it – it’s quite a lot – in this may very well be where my problem lies (I’d actually forgotten how thick it was)

FROM THE SIDE

FROM A LITTLE MORE TO THE SIDE

In the next pics you can see where the fingerboard will come on my progress so far and also my original template

THE GUITAR AS IT IS

MY ORIGINAL TEMPLATE

And this pic is for added w*** factor lol

I'M A PROUD DADDY

NEXT TO UTTERLY GOD AWFUL PROTOTYPE SISTER FROM SCHOOL DAYS

Edited November 6, 2006 by NJD

[fryovanni]

Ok, I think I follow what you are doing. You are looking at 2 degrees worth of neck angle. That ought to be fine. The point of confusion was the pickup plane. I think of the neck angle as it relates to the pickup plane. As far as the adjustment you are making to the pickup plane so that the fretboard/faux binding meet in the spot you prefer does not really effect your effective 2 degree neck angle. It all sounds very reasonable. Good luck with it.

Peace,Rich

[NJD]

I think I see what you're saying - the neck angle is measured from the pickup plane and not the line of the body? Is that my point of confusion?

Yes, the overall angle of the neck in conjunction to the body (if it were a flat top) is 5 degrees, but the pickup plane on the carve is 3 degrees, meaning the string break over the pickup plane is 2 degrees.

Thanks for the help Rich i'm a lot more content with the idea of breaking out the router on my top cap now

Edited November 6, 2006 by NJD

[fryovanni]

I think I see what you're saying - the neck angle is measured from the pickup plane and not the line of the body? Is that my point of confusion?

Yes, the overall angle of the neck in conjunction to the body (if it were a flat top) is 5 degrees, but the pickup plane on the carve is 3 degrees, meaning the string break over the pickup plane is 2 degrees.

Thanks for the help Rich i'm a lot more content with the idea of breaking out the router on my top cap now

The effective angle of the neck is as it relates to the plane the bridge sets on and the fretboard plane. in this case you derive 2 degrees difference.

Flat top of course would be flat so that would be the bridge plane and you could relate it to the fretboard plane. Carved top we can just call the pickup plane or bridge plane our reference to the fretboard. The pickup plane could be 15 degrees, but you still need about 2 degrees difference between the pickup and fretboard plane.

Your in good shape. I will keep this in the back of my mind next time someone describes the angles they are deriving.

Peace,Rich