Jehle Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I think I know the answer to this but I wanted to get your opinions first. I have an Ebony fingerboard and the neck rear ready to glue together. Both are square and are not tapered at all. I'm wondering if I should glue the two halves together first and then taper them both at the same time, or if I should taper the fretboard first and then glue that on to the square back part of the neck. Every neck I've seen being made the fretboard is already tapered before it is glued to the back part of the neck. So, it would seem that I need to do that too. But, is there any problem with glue first then shape both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 glue first...... both ways are possible. you may have seen the other way because many people buy a preslotted fretboard which is already slightly tapered. if you glue them up first while they are still squaer you will have less to do overall... but the again the design of your instrument dictates which way is actually eaasier to do peace, Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 That is how I do it also.... doesn't mean it's the best way.. just works best for me also.. here are the steps I took in a recent Strat project as an example. 1. Get everything ready, clamps, cauls, etc. etc. I actually put tape over the truss rod slot and take a razor knife and cut it so that there is just enough to hold to the wood, but also enough to keep the glue from getting into the slot. I leave it and spread alot of Titebond glue on the neck. Just make sure you spread enough glue to make for a good bond. 2. Then with the fretboard marked with a centerline at front and back align it with the centerlines drawn on the neck also. It's very important that you get it aligned right, no matter what method you use, it's critical to how good the guitar will be in tune up and down the fretboard. Clamp the fretboard with radius cauls if your fretboard is already radiused so it will put equal pressure and glue properly. Make sure you check to see if your fretboard has shifted any. You don't want to have to remove the fretboard when it had dried. 3. After a day or two, you can bandsaw the excess fretboard real close to the neck. It's nice to put some tape around the neck so that if you make a mistake and get too close, you might get lucky and not hurt the actual neck wood. Not necessary, but just something I like to do. 4. At this last stage you could use a router with a template bit on it to finish it off. But I choose to use a Robo-Sander, it's much more forgiving since I've never had any tearout with it, and with the slots already premade, it's a frightening thought to have tearout at this point in the game.. lol.. So I play it safe usually. I have a step by step photo gallery of making a Strat type neck and body. Hopefully I'll have time to compile it all together someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Preslotted fretboards from stew mac or warmoth aren't tapered. Probably LMI is the same. Anyway, I taper the boards first. I'll run them along the jointer to make sure I'm straight and true. If I'm adding binding, I do it before the board is attatched, and then I can just reduce the width of the board overall. You have to be careful planing the binding down from the rear but you can even do a light kiss on the jointer once before you put the board on. I like to taper the board first because then when I'm carving the neck I have a straight and flat reference point. I'll carve up to the board, use that to help be sure I'm straight and true in my overall back of neck carve, and then put the final roundover into the board (or binding) after I fret. Both methods are fine. Everyone has a way in their head that they feel comfortable carving things. However you envision yourself doing it initially or instinctively is probably the way you should do it, because subconsciously your skills and strengths are telling you something. I know that sounds weird and cosmic (which I am not) but it's true. The way you imagine yourself tackling a job is usually the way you'd do it best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Preslotted fretboards from stew mac or warmoth aren't tapered. Probably LMI is the same. Anyway, I taper the boards first. I'll run them along the jointer to make sure I'm straight and true. I can't imaging myself using a jointer on a less than a 1/4" edge with preslotted holes already in it that isn't far from being all the way through it anyway, at least less that 1/8" behind each slot. You are a brave soul. Cause I'd die if I was dragging it across the jointer and it catches and makes a tearout where one of the preslotted holes are. I can picture doing it with a non slotted board though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted July 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I find it interesting that in one case the fretboard is square and the back is already tapered, and in the second case the fretboard is tapered and the back is sqaure. In either case you are using the pretapered section as a reference. That's a really good point that I should do what my instinct tells me I should do. Given my tools it would be easier if I tapered the rear section first, and then cleaned up the fretboard to match it. I think I'm brave enough to continue now. Thanks for the photos GF! That's going to be perfect to guide me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 NP.. sorry if I wasn't clear.. What I did was cut out the guitar neck first taper and all, headstock etc. I don't contour the back of the neck until last, when I use a duplicator machine to cut it out perfectly, this way the neck is still squared so that you can use template bits, or template drum sanders to even up the glued on fretboard. I just glue the fretboard on, bandsaw it close, then bring it home with the robo-sander. Next, inlay the dots on the side, and inlay on top of freboard. If you'll also look real close at the headstock you can see that it's not finished, because you have to wait till you glue the fretboard on to make the smooth curve that Fender uses.. both need to be done at the same time or you will end up in alot of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorecki Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Thanks for sharing GF, I smell a tutorial comin outta that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Cut neck out of band saw. Inlay and taper fretboard. Glue down fretboard. Use flush cutter bit to rout away excess neck, by using pre-tapered fretboard as "guide". Shape back of neck. Fit to guitar. String. Play. Win Grammy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Cut neck out of band saw. Inlay and taper fretboard. Glue down fretboard. Use flush cutter bit to rout away excess neck, by using pre-tapered fretboard as "guide". Shape back of neck. Fit to guitar. String. Play. Win Grammy. Wow.. now I know how to win a Grammy... lol Rhoads makes a very valid point. Yes there are many ways to do it. I'm not saying that that what I did was written in stone as the way to do it. It's just the way I did this particular neck. Some neck designs need different methods to complete the job the right way. So no, I'm not writing a bible on guitar building, just showing a glimps of how I did this Fender style neck. I wanted to build a Fender simply as another challenge, since I'd never built one before. In some ways their necks are easier to make, and in some ways they are harder. You'll only know the answer to that if you've tried to make various types of necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Cut neck out of band saw. Inlay and taper fretboard. Glue down fretboard. Use flush cutter bit to rout away excess neck, by using pre-tapered fretboard as "guide". Shape back of neck. Fit to guitar. String. Play. Win Grammy. Don't you need to fret it at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted July 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Cut neck out of band saw. Inlay and taper fretboard. Glue down fretboard. Use flush cutter bit to rout away excess neck, by using pre-tapered fretboard as "guide". Shape back of neck. Fit to guitar. String. Play. Win Grammy. Don't you need to fret it at some point? Not if it's a Vigier fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Cut neck out of band saw. Inlay and taper fretboard. Glue down fretboard. Use flush cutter bit to rout away excess neck, by using pre-tapered fretboard as "guide". Shape back of neck. Fit to guitar. String. Play. Win Grammy. Don't you need to fret it at some point? When your winning Grammy's you don't have time for that.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Thanks for sharing GF, I smell a tutorial comin outta that. I'm glad someone could actually get something out of it. I had no idea when I was helping someone build a Strat that I would learn alot myself in the process and take so many pictures, which I usually don't take the time to do. I hope to post the whole process of making a Strat type guitar just in case there is someone out there who has wanted to build one also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 You'll also notice you dont need to intonate to win a grammy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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