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Permalink Reply by Sumner McLain on September 11, 2012 at 6:52am

btw-all the above mentioned lumber cost me 20 bucks--what a steal! he promises to have some bald cypress, spruce, maple, and more black walnut when i return.

 

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Permalink Reply by wormil on September 11, 2012 at 10:27am

That's a nice haul. What kind of cedar? Red cedar is stronger than white, eastern is stronger than western.

Here is an interesting link comparing various woods.

http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/3_Wood_S...

Probably be fine for a 3 string, maybe 4, if you leave some thickness to the neck.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on September 11, 2012 at 10:27am

I would image a cedar would be fine for a 3-4 string cbg w/o any truss rod or anything.

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Permalink Reply by Low Budget Luthier on September 11, 2012 at 10:52am

any wood will work. if it is soft, cut it on the bias or lam small strips together.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on September 11, 2012 at 3:22pm

ive done a few cedar necks.  although its soft and easy to bruise / mark it is reasonable strong and more resistant to warping/twisting than pine imho.  mind you im in Australia, might be different stuff.  the only cedar ive had in quantities is western red cedar and im comparing it to pinus radiata that we grow around here.  It DOES NOT hold frets too well tho, you are spot on about that id look at a hardwood fingerboard or you'll have to super glue them in.

if i were youI would consider saving that cedar for three solid bodies, one piece cedar bodies would be sweet, its a very musical wood, and it seems a terrible shame to rip a foot wide piece into neck blanks, its the width that costs money in wood, not the length

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on September 11, 2012 at 7:41pm

Cedar? That is going to be one fantastic neck!

If you're worried about strength though, why not just go ahead and laminate with the cedar too? I limit myself to Poplar and oak usually(the 'Home Depot special' , i'm a real cheapskate) and I use one layer of poplar to start( easy to carve and shape) at least one layer of Oak for strength and then my fretboard when the neck is thick enough for personal preference.

I don't see any reason you can't just use solid Cedar if you want as long as the neck is meaty enough to suit-if you're worried though, there's alwatsthe option of routing a channel for a professional or homemade Truss Rod, then hiding the addition with a fretboard.

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Permalink Reply by Sumner McLain on September 12, 2012 at 2:09am

wow all very helpful info. wormil-that link is gonna come in real handy. I've though about laminating cedar/black walnut/cedar side by side, give it that skunk tail look or possibly cedar/oak/cedar with a walnut fretboard. Kid-good idea with the bodies. I'm thinking solidbody electric mandolin. order99-correct me if i'm wrong, it sounds like you are describing lamination from back to front. I've never seen necks made that way, usually the strips are glued side by side that i have seen. am i just misunderstanding? anyways, pictures of that would be awesome if i could see what you mean

 

Thanks again guys

 

Sumner

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on September 12, 2012 at 4:40am

I've only done one side-to-side laminate neck to date as an experiment-sadly the results are still trapped in my cheap phone.. :( Every build I have in my current Photo page however is a front to back lamination build.

My design choice of neck is a matter of finances and skill level rather than a quest for the World's Strongest Neck. Shaping a head/neck from scratch involves access to power tools I can't afford anytime soon and room for a workshop...building a laminated neck is just a matter of Titebond, spring clamps, wood rasp and pocket knife for finishing work on the porch...

Also, Laminating let's me do fun stuff like glue an oak slat and a fretboard to a broken tennis racket I fished out of the dumpster and wind up with a guitar. :D

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Permalink Reply by Mike Gallagher on September 12, 2012 at 9:52pm

I've used quite a lot of cedar in necks but have always laminated the necks. Have a look in the photos section for a look at some I have done.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on September 13, 2012 at 5:06am

Spanish cedar is traditionally used for Spanish/classical guitar necks. It's also used for cigar boxes. The wood is actually a lightweight, fragrant form of mahogany. The Latin name is cedrela odorata. If this is what you have, it would make a great neck. If not, probably best to laminate, or stick with making a body.

Do you have any idea what your species of cedar is?

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