A New Neck-thru Quilt Top Dc

[Metalhead28]

I mixed it up a bit this time. Decided to carve the top before attaching it.

A couple of people have asked me to elaborate about how I carve tops in the past:

I start with a relief cut around the perimeter to determine the depth:

A few passes with the angle grinder:

I sort of do it in three sections, the back, and then either side:

Same thing in the cutaways:

Then I go after it with a RO sander & 60 grit paper:

Here the shape is just about there (haven't hit the lower cutaway yet)

[killemall8]

That quilt is going to look great. Love the carve too.

But carving before gluing it to the body always scares the crap out of me. I mean, when you go to glue it, there is no way to apply pressure to the sides, since that is the carved part.

[Metalhead28]

Sure there is.

First of all, I screw it down with those holes in the pickup areas, so it won't go anywhere if the clamping pressure is a little skewed. Then I'll just use some rubber cauls or something similar when I clamp it.

[killemall8]

Well, i guess its just me then. I woudl never want to attempt that. I cant even glue a perfectly flat top to a body wood right. Cant wait to see more work on this one.

[avengers63]

I cant even glue a perfectly flat top to a body wood right.

I feel ya, brutha!

[Prostheta]

I love the action shots, but they look somewhat artificial....where are the rest of the shavings in the one with the plane?!? Just kidding.

Fantastic work - I've never found it an easy or quick process to create the neck pocket within the top wood before glueup. An achievement milestone for most, that is.</yoda>

[Metalhead28]

I kept that shaving from an earlier guitar, it's the only one I have for staging shots.

I made a body template with a pocket fit to the neck, then I transfered that to the top slightly undersized so a little fitting was required.

[Metalhead28]

[Cali-Blues]

the dots were a good choice. its lookin really good.

[DC Ross]

Beautiful chunk 'o wood.

[WezV]

and this pic illustrates exactly how you deal with putting a neck pocket onto a top before joining it to the body.

its not a problem at all if you have a neck pickup.

Even if you dont have a neck pickup its no more difficult then having a template for the neck shape that matches the body.... just a different process with a through neck with a top across all off it

[Prostheta]

Indeed. My current two bass builds require the end of the neck the be sculpted to match the body's top including a small riser for the end of the fretboard so will be completely visible in the finished instrument. Complete PITA!

VM&P? Vodka Martini & Petrol? I'm sure the Martini will make the top greasy :-\

[verhoevenc]

Gaw dang that's sexy as all hell!!

Chris

[LesAndLeo]

Nothing too terribly original, but I think this one is going to be pretty sweet.

5 piece neck - maple/mahogany/wenge/mahogany/maple

Mahogany body

Quilted maple carve top & headstock cap

Ebony fretboard

24 Stainless steel frets

Hipshot Hardtail bridge - chrome

Seymour Duncan P-Rail pickup set - cream

Sperzel locking tuners - chrome

Maple pickup rings

The reason I'm excited is the bright orange dye planned for the top / headstock. It's also getting a nitro finish.

I've snapped a few pics here and there over the last few weeks.

I'm actually building a pair of very similar ones at the moment:

Pausing for another action shot:

I'm thinking of building a neck-through myself, so just after a dimensional check. I presume you made the neck into a full-size rectangle, then you have cut away from under the neck, then cut away the section above where the body will be. Is this correct?

And roughly what were the dimensions of the laminated board you constructed, before cutting away these sections, (length x width x depth)? {excluding the wings for the peghead}

Thanks

[Metalhead28]

I'm thinking of building a neck-through myself, so just after a dimensional check. I presume you made the neck into a full-size rectangle, then you have cut away from under the neck, then cut away the section above where the body will be. Is this correct?

And roughly what were the dimensions of the laminated board you constructed, before cutting away these sections, (length x width x depth)? {excluding the wings for the peghead}

Thanks

Yes, I started with a rectangle about 2 1/4" x 3" x 41", but that was dictated by my design. Different designs may require much different sizes.

The body end is cut away because there was a top to glue on which covered the neck.

[Metalhead28]

Mixing up some colors, I'm currently leaning toward the combo on the right side of this scrap:

[Johnny Foreigner]

Mixing up some colors, I'm currently leaning toward the combo on the right side of this scrap:

+1

[Reinhold]

=1 on the right side.

[Metalhead28]

I've talked to the future owner, and I'm going to be going just a touch lighter than that color. Just sanding back the first stage a little further so the orange comes out brighter.

[Our Souls inc.]

That color + that board =

I feel comfortable making this prediction based on views of your previous work.

Looking sweet.

[Metalhead28]

Contouring on the rear:

I literally can hardly contain my excitement over dying this top! This is sanded to 100 grit.

[solomon684]

Love the top on this one, but I've always wondered... why do you leave the heel like that on all your builds? There's nothing wrong with it now and it looks comfortable, but its a neck-thru so you shouldn't have any problems removing more from the heel and making it more comfortable, right?

[Metalhead28]

A few people have asked me that.

I like easy access, but I just don't want to overkill it. I think some neck-thru guitars go way overboard with scooping out the heel area, removing a lot of wood that isn't necessary to remove, and then you start to affect the tone. (My opinion) I think of a single cut guitar versus a double cut, the single usually sounds fatter. I think that extra material has a lot to do with it, so while I'm not going to get the tone of a single cut, I still don't want to remove any more wood than I have to in order to get the heel out of the way and comfortable.

And my personal feeling is that it's more comfortable with something there. If it was my personal guitar I might even leave that heel larger.

[ae3]

Yeah I find the Jacksons with massively scooped out heels really uncomfortable. There is nothing for my hand to rest against when I have to rotate my wrist to hit the high frets, which tires my hand out really fast.

It's just like how thin necks don't nessecarily play better than fat necks, it's all about fitting an individual hand and playing style.

[Metalhead28]

Made some curly maple pickup rings. Those will not be stained, just cleared.

Should be doing the dye job tomorrow.