Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Comrade Paul on February 16, 2015 at 1:58pm

Not sure I was clear in my explanation.  Basically i trim away 1/8" of the top of the neck away from the top so that only a strip of neck contacts the top where it enters, under the bridge, and at the end of the neck.  Does this help the sound volume or quality?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Comrade Paul on February 16, 2015 at 2:24pm

thanks, couldn't be clearer.  don't even need a support under the bridge.  cool.  

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on February 16, 2015 at 6:33pm

yes you should have a support under the bridge as otherwise the build will be unstable and sound too boxy, a block of wood will help support it, and the whole length of the neck pieceshould be braced within the length of the box...

the diagram above is for an  acoustic build,  a mixture of versions  1 and 3 is  roughly

about right with the fretboard much higher,  bridge at the supported end of the box with a keener break angle  and a through neck supported with a brace glued along the length of the box

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on February 16, 2015 at 6:55pm

well anybody can try all  different ways but a lot of energy is lost through an unsupported lid ,  if you sacrifice a muffled boxy sound for stability there will be a better compromise, and will sound better through the amp :-) 

it is the neck that takes all the stress, not the box which should only act as a resonator..

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by gary sheldon on February 23, 2015 at 2:18pm

I agree with you Wayfinder.  I am more into acoustic sound and have never even considered having the neck touch the top at the bridge.  That is exactly where you want the vibration going on.   I respect Slowpaw's work and opinion, but disagree on that one.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by gary sheldon on February 23, 2015 at 7:03pm

Interesting.   I was thinking if one has neck to top contact under the bridge, you might as well have total neck/bridge contact.  In your dowel scenario, I am assuming that there is a hole drilled through the neck for the dowell to pass through without contacting the neck.  This is an interesting discussion.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 16, 2015 at 6:50pm

this  topic  comes  up alot  ,, and  you  will  have      some  folks  say  a    space   between  the  lid and   neck  is  better  ..   others  say    glued   right  to  the  top  is  better  and the   whole  guitar    is solid  and vibrates  .  . 

and    in  another  thread   ,( almost  as  in  a  perfect  world ) ,   someone that  actually  built  2  guitars  the  same  ,  same  box, scale  ,  and all ,    except  one  with a space,  and  one  without  ,    said  ..  he  really  couldn't  tell  the  difference    but  leaned  on  the     solid  glued  right  to  the    lid   sounding, and feeling  better  .

so  there's   your    "hummmm"  answer   for the  day   .  ;-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on February 16, 2015 at 7:04pm

well there 's the big compromise that keeps our threads going, honestly I've tried every way there is and an acoustic  build  is completely different from an electric, two different animals but the neck should still bear all the stress, otherwise it will be very difficult to keep in tune :-)

as in most things there are a lot of variables ;-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on February 16, 2015 at 7:06pm

I bet somebody posts "WTF it's only a home made box guitar".....well if a thing's worth doing... ;-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 16, 2015 at 7:11pm

it would  seem    i  ,  and  my    post  agree  .  

;-)

not to  mention   quality  control  issues  .   how  long  before the    lid  spoons  ?   etc etc  .. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on February 16, 2015 at 8:56pm

there are many different ways to skin a cat as they say - the quick messy way, the safe way, the sensible way, the informed way and the common sense way....poor pussy! ;-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Comrade Paul on February 17, 2015 at 5:40am

Hmm I think I will hedge my bet and hollow out but leave a brace under the bridge for stability. I'm also going to sand/plane the top part of the end of the neck for a little back arch on the neck. I have a fretboard so my bridge is higher but I do like to try to get the strings closer to the frets at the 12th. I was thinking my past problems fret leveling but maybe a little back angle will help also. Thanks for all the replies, I think a light is going on finally in my head. The only other thing that I ponder on is the impact on the straightness of the big box store 1 x 3s I use. I try to use straight ones but how do curves and twists to small for eye to detect impact the build? Does planing and fret leveling take these out of the equation?

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page