Is It Worth It To Build The Neck?

[zeppelinchld]

im starting my first build soon and wanted a neck through. is it even a good idea to use a neck through for my first build? but i dont know if i should build the neck myself or if it would b easier to buy one because its a neck through?

[j. pierce]

I think building the neck is the most fun part of doing a guitar. I don't think it's really that much more difficult, at least if you buy a pre-slotted board. I suppose it seems like it might take a bit more investment in proper tools, but in reality, you'll want most all of those proper tools to build a body too.

So yeah, I think it's worth it. I don't think building a guitar with a pre-made neck is less of an accomplishment, I'd certainly never think less of a persons craft if they went that route; but to me, building a neck-through guitar with a pre-made neck doesn't "feel" much like I built anything. Starting with a big pile of wood and making a guitar feels like more of an accomplishment to me. Just a silly sense of pride, I guess.

I would recommend a bolt-on neck guitar for a first build, as if you totally botch up the neck but make a decent body, you can always try making another neck (or buying a pre-made one if your neck pocket route works out.) Of course, there's no rule that says you need to do this or that's a better idea; if you botch up a neck-through, there's nothing to say you can't fix the mistake, or worst case scenario, saw off the wings and try again. Of course, good planning will probably prevent any of these scenarios in the first place!

Have you read Hiscocks book, or another similar book on building electric guitars? Done your research here and other places online? In the end, the only person who can tell you if it's worth it is *you* - would you get more pride doing everything possible yourself? Do you feel like you have the skill, or at least the patience to build a decent neck? Do you have the extra time that this will take? Those are the kind of questions no one can answer for you.

[Xanthus]

but to me, building a neck-through guitar with a pre-made neck doesn't "feel" much like I built anything.

*is ashamed*

Anyways, I think I'm going to take the opposite point of view and say that building a neck-through is easier than a bolt-on. Really all you need to do is make sure the wood is perfectly straight, perfectly flat (which you would do anyways) then get down to cutting. There's no neck angle to work out, no pocket to route nice and snug, just gotta add a little extra lip for the fretboard to sit a bit higher off the body. I really think that taking out the neck angle/pocket scenario gets rid of a lot of opportunities to mess up. That, and a neckthrough is infinitely nicer to play on.

[another doug]

There's no neck angle to work out, no pocket to route nice and snug, just gotta add a little extra lip for the fretboard to sit a bit higher off the body. I really think that taking out the neck angle/pocket scenario gets rid of a lot of opportunities to mess up.

That's not necessarily true. You can use a neck angle or you can raise the fretboard, but either way you need to figure out the right angle or height based on your bridge. It's pretty much the same as planning any other guitar in that regard.

On the same note, you don't "need" to angle the neck on a bolt-on or set neck, but you will have to work out how high the fretboard needs to sit.

In some ways, I see a neck-through as less forgiving, since there's no way of putting in a wedge or shim if you miscalculate or goof up a cut, but that's no reason not to make one.

[Logical Frank]

I was going to ask a similar question myself for my first neck build (which will be a while, working on my very first body now but already have a neck for that). So would you all say that building a neck-through is more difficult only in that there is less fudge room in the event that you screw up something in the design or is there anything that is inherently more difficult?

[Xanthus]

Frank, your icon and zeppelinchld's icon look like brothers. Are you two related?

[Logical Frank]

No. We are the same person, like in Fight Club.

[Xanthus]

*mind is blown*

I suppose you could have whole "conversations" on the boards, then, haha. Or maybe you're taking advantage of the ability to ask double the amount of questions.

In answer to your question, Doug (the other doug) has a point. If you cock up a measurement when you're building a neckthrough, you're out a neck AND a body, if you mess up a bolt on neck, you're only out a neck, and if you mess up a pocket route, you can use shims, shave some off, or hell, even stuff it with a wood block and reroute the whole thing.

I personally still think that neckthrough's are easier, and even if you are going to do the same amount of planning with either guitar, why not be double sure you have measured everything good and build a better, fancier product?