Bolt On Neck Angle

[paulhinton]

Hi all, I am setting out into the wonderful world of guitar building this year, I feel uninspired my playing the damn things anymore but I really want to learn how to make a descent instrument. For my first build I am trying to keep it as simple as possible, I have taken a template of my girlfriends RG7321 and added a few tweaks to the shape as there is no point in not being unique. Having settled on timber, hardware etc it has now come to my attention that neck angles are quite important. I mainly play RG style guitars with hipshot bridges and have never noticed an angle on the neck. Am I right in thinking that if the top nut and bridge sit level it means there is no need to create an angle? I maybe barking up the completely wrong tree with that statement and if so can anyone advice me neck construction mainly the angles of the headstock and the actual neck specifically bolt ons?

Many thanks,

Paul

P.S I will start an actual build thread this weekend when I have got to work on getting the template through the band saw the neck laminates glued together. But it will feature Swamp ash, walnut, birdseye maple and Dimarzio's

[RestorationAD]

Hi all, I am setting out into the wonderful world of guitar building this year, I feel uninspired my playing the damn things anymore but I really want to learn how to make a descent instrument. For my first build I am trying to keep it as simple as possible, I have taken a template of my girlfriends RG7321 and added a few tweaks to the shape as there is no point in not being unique. Having settled on timber, hardware etc it has now come to my attention that neck angles are quite important. I mainly play RG style guitars with hipshot bridges and have never noticed an angle on the neck. Am I right in thinking that if the top nut and bridge sit level it means there is no need to create an angle? I maybe barking up the completely wrong tree with that statement and if so can anyone advice me neck construction mainly the angles of the headstock and the actual neck specifically bolt ons?

Many thanks,

Paul

P.S I will start an actual build thread this weekend when I have got to work on getting the template through the band saw the neck laminates glued together. But it will feature Swamp ash, walnut, birdseye maple and Dimarzio's

Neck angle and headstock angle refer to 2 different things.

Neck angle is the relation of the fretboard plane to the top of the body. 50s LP have a 4 degree neck angles.

Headstock angle is the relation of the face of the headstock to the fretboard plane. 50s LP have 17 degree headstock angle.

A quick example of straight is a Stratocaster. No neck angle and no headstock angle.

The RG traditionally has a 14 degree headstock angle and no neck angle.

[paulhinton]

That is the most helpful answer anyone could have given, do you think a hipshot bridge will create to much of any issue providing it sits evenly with the nut or am I wrong?

[RestorationAD]

That is the most helpful answer anyone could have given, do you think a hipshot bridge will create to much of any issue providing it sits evenly with the nut or am I wrong?

I am not sure what you mean by "evenly with the nut". But since the hipshot sits close to the top of the body it is a much better choice for a guitar with no neck angle. For example when I build using a taller bridge like a TOM or a Kahler I use a neck angle. I do not use neck angles with hipshot bridges.

You can use a neck angle but you have to plan ahead.

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14036

[paulhinton]

When I say evenly mean that the bridge and top nut are perfectly level with one other so the action would even across the neck. But seen as I cannot stand any other bridges other than Hipshot/Gotoh I am hoping that it will remove any potential issues with this aspect of the build. Good to see another member of SS.org on here, I go by the-emerson on there

[ihocky2]

My suggestion would be to get Melvyn Hiscock's book on building and electric guitar. He does an excellent job of walking you through 3 different style builds and explains all of the important details of a guitar design. The major ones are scale length and neck angle, and he shows how to determine both. This book falls just short of being required reading. After your read it a lot of your questions will be answered, and the ones you have left will be a lot more specific.