noob with questions on neck construction

[firestorm46969]

Hello to everyone, I'm interested in making guitars and have been for a while and right now I'm helping my girlfriend's father cut some trees down and there is a good bit of maple trees. I'm just wondering whats the difference if i make the neck out of the maple tree as i cut on my own, as compared to purchasing the wood? Would it be easier to just use the tree we cut down?

I'm also confused on building the neck itself. I don't understand when it means laminate, and I'm not sure if the headstock is included, and how exactly do i hide the truss rod? Just with another piece of dark wook like the fretboard color of ebony which I'm going for?

I do have some basic wood working skills its just that I'm confused on the neck with putting it together into something i can actually comprehend to understand. If you could please help me out it would be much apreciated and I would be very grateful.

p.s. I'm not sure if I'm in the right forum because I'm a noob

[guitar_ed]

Hi Firestorm,

A couple of things.

1) The wood from the tree will not be usable until it dries. If you leave it to air dry, that could take a couple of years. If you kiln dry it, it will take some $. You also have to cut it, etc.

2) As for the truss rod and laminating the fret board, read the Hiscock book Building Your Electric Guitar. It will answer these questions and many others you don't yet have.

3) You are in the proper forum. You might also try the search function and the tutorials in Project Guitar.

Take care.

Guitar Ed

[SguitarM527]

i prefer martin koch's "building electric guitars" to melvins book... i own both though, which is a good thing...

[MzI]

buying a book would be the best way to go to answering your basic questions and serving as an invaluable reference

MzI