Flat Top Neck Angle - How To Cut It?

[guitar2005]

I'm building a Flying V with a Gotoh TOM bridge, which I measured in at 0.5" high. My neck angle ends up at 1.92 degrees.

I went through my drawing a couple of times and I'm confident I've got everything laid down like I want it.

The neck will feature a Les Paul style tenon, meaning it will not be a full width tenon. This means I have to route the mortise at a 1.92 degree angle and match that perfectly on the neck's tenon shoudlers.

My question is this: How do I make sure that the neck mortise and tenon shoulder is at the proper angle and that they will match up perfectly.

I figure for the neck tenon, I can draw a line on the side of the neck and chisel away but on the mortise... not sure what to do.

Any tips on how to proceed? Is there an easy way to do this?

[six_stringer]

I think this is covered in Melvyn Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book however I loaned my book to a friend so I can't double check.

On my flat top T.O.M. bridge guitar I put the angle on my neck tenon instead of in the body mortise. I set my neck in dry and marked the sides with masking tape where the tenon's shoulder (fretboard) contacted the body. Then I removed the neck and used a chisel to remove small amounts of wood from the body until the neck and fretboard fit was correct.

Good Luck,

Jeff

Edited March 8, 2008 by six_stringer

[guitar2005]

I think this is covered in Melvyn Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book however I loaned my book to a friend so I can't double check.

On my flat top T.O.M. bridge guitar I put the angle on my neck tenon instead of in the body mortise. I set my neck in dry and marked the sides with masking tape where the tenon's shoulder (fretboard) contacted the body. Then I removed the neck and used a chisel to remove small amounts of wood from the body until the neck and fretboard fit was correct.

Good Luck,

Jeff

I checked the book. It says how to calculate the angle, not not to cut it in the body at the desired angled.

Is it just a matter of putting the template in place, shim it, measure, secure it and route?

[SwedishLuthier]

You can do it in one of two different ways. Angle the tennon (on the neck) or angle the rout. I prefer to angle the rout or angle and carve the top.

You have the main idea right. For a flat top with neck angle I make the template a bit longer than necessary. This way you can shim it to the correct angel. Then you just rout away. Just be careful so that the bearing (if you use a bit with bearings that is) doesn’t slip into the void between the template and the body. You will have to go free hand for bit there until you reach down into the part that you have routed in the first couple of passes (were the bit were still in contact with the template). Another alternative (more work but none of the risk described above) is an wedge shaped template.