First time build. Three string neck advice....PLEASE!

Hello! This is my first time posting here. I've been lurking for quite a while, and joined the other day. I am a 33 year old guitar player, and have been playing and working on guitars for nearly 20 years. I am pretty well versed in guitars and how they work, so my questions won't be too newbie-ish. LOL!

Ok, I'm getting ready to build me a three stringer. I have a couple of boxes picked out (haven't decided which to use yet), and I've got my hands on a sweet piece of rock solid mahogany to use as a neck. Last night I milled the peice down to 1 x 2 inches. From what I'm reading, that seems to be the standard. However, I think the 2 inches is way too wide. I suppose my opinion may change once I start to shape the back, but I don't know. I'm thinking of shaving another quarter inch off. It just looks so fat compared to a lot of the pictures of CBGs that I've seen.

Is it just the 6 string guitar player in me that's thinks it's too wide, or is 2" actually too wide for a three stringer? I'd hate to take too much off, and render this piece of wood useless. It really has some nice resonant qualities. At the same time, I'd hate to complete the build, and not be happy with the width of the neck. Do you think it will feel better, in my hand, once I start shaping the back?

Any suggestions? I'd like to start cutting the box soon.

Thanks!

Stock bought from big box stores and hardware stores is 3/4" thick and 11/2" wide (1x2). Why not use a piece of poplar from a bb store or even pine, to experiement with. I build a lot of "dummies" before messing with a really good board.

Bluesdog said:

Take your favorite normal guitar and mesure how much space you need for the first three strings. Normal guitars have a little under 2 inch wide neck's so i'd go with about an inch. There realy are no "standard" mesurements with cbg's, its realy all about what YOU like and learning by trial and error.

I do think shaping the back of the neck is going to change the feel of the neck drasticly but 2 inches wide is stil pretty wide for a 3 string.

Cant you find yourself a piece of scrapwood to pracktise shaping and see wich nutwidth you prefer? That way you won't mess up your nice piece of Mahogany and maybe even get a good neck out of it you could use in another build (trust me, there will be another build).

Hope this help's a little and good luck on your build.

Replies

jarret lynch September 16, 2010 at 9:39am

like everyones saying, 1x2 it the "dimensional" lumber size refering to the size a saw mill cuts the wood before finishing and drying the piece and that's why it's really closer to 1 3/4 x 3/4". different materials have different standards for measurment. for example, 1" tube and 1" pipe will be very different in actual size since tube is measured to the outside diameter for structural applications and pipe is measured to the inside diameter for mechanical applications and it's actual overall size would depned on the schedule rating.

that said, i just finished my first cbg and think i would like to go a bit larger next time. so do what "feels right" and sorry for geeking up the post.
Reverend Hellgood September 16, 2010 at 12:51am

Thanks guys! I've decided to go with 1 1/2". 1 3/4 still seemed too wide. I figured, if I go any thinner than 1 1/2", I would just run into difficulties when it comes time to shape the headstock and position the tuners.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll keep you all posted as the build progresses.
MichaelS Country Boy Guitars September 15, 2010 at 5:56pm

Mine are all 1 3/4" wide and the neck is about 1" thick near the box and 3/4 - 7/8" up near the head and shaped nice and round on the back side. I have looked at the 1x2 s but they seem to small to me and I don't add a fingerboard so it would be a bit thin. 2" does seem to wide.
William McCauley September 15, 2010 at 3:38pm

Stock bought from big box stores and hardware stores is 3/4" thick and 11/2" wide (1x2). Why not use a piece of poplar from a bb store or even pine, to experiement with. I build a lot of "dummies" before messing with a really good board.

Bluesdog said:
Take your favorite normal guitar and mesure how much space you need for the first three strings. Normal guitars have a little under 2 inch wide neck's so i'd go with about an inch. There realy are no "standard" mesurements with cbg's, its realy all about what YOU like and learning by trial and error.

I do think shaping the back of the neck is going to change the feel of the neck drasticly but 2 inches wide is stil pretty wide for a 3 string.

Cant you find yourself a piece of scrapwood to pracktise shaping and see wich nutwidth you prefer? That way you won't mess up your nice piece of Mahogany and maybe even get a good neck out of it you could use in another build (trust me, there will be another build).

Hope this help's a little and good luck on your build.
Ben September 15, 2010 at 3:11pm

Hey Rev,
I think one of the things that's throwing you off is that a lot of the measurements you'll find on here are specs for buying stuff from the hardware store. A 1X2 at the store is going to be smaller than if you mill it yourself. Someone chime in since I don't have a guitar near me but I think that from the hardware store, 1X2s are actually, 0.75"X1.5"
Jim Mitchell September 15, 2010 at 7:07am

I agree, this wont be your last build. For what it is worth my 3 string necks are 1 3/8 " and the 4 strings are 1 1/2"
I look forward to seeing your build. Take care - Jim
Bluesdog September 15, 2010 at 6:31am

Take your favorite normal guitar and mesure how much space you need for the first three strings. Normal guitars have a little under 2 inch wide neck's so i'd go with about an inch. There realy are no "standard" mesurements with cbg's, its realy all about what YOU like and learning by trial and error.

I do think shaping the back of the neck is going to change the feel of the neck drasticly but 2 inches wide is stil pretty wide for a 3 string.

Cant you find yourself a piece of scrapwood to pracktise shaping and see wich nutwidth you prefer? That way you won't mess up your nice piece of Mahogany and maybe even get a good neck out of it you could use in another build (trust me, there will be another build).

Hope this help's a little and good luck on your build.
YeahDoIt September 15, 2010 at 5:55am

Much depends on your hands and personal preference. I made a three string CBG with a 1 inch wide neck and it's probably my favorite CBG to play.
Reverend Hellgood September 15, 2010 at 4:18am

That's what I was thinking. I'm making the jump from 6 to 3 strings. 2" (at the nut) is wider than any 6 string I've ever owned. Spreading 3 strings over 2 inches doesn't make much sense to me. Not only that, the 2" neck just doesn't look right with either of the boxes I have.

Joel, when you make your necks 1 1/2" wide, what do you have the depth at, and are you reinforcing it some how (ie; multiple lamiants, add fretboard)? What wood are you using?

I'm gonna rip the board down to 1 3/4", and see what I think. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to narrow it down. I'll leave the depth at 1", and round off the back to a wide "D" shape. I'm not too worried about structural issues. This piece of mahogany is really solid. The 1/4 inch piece that I removed from one side of the plank is nearly unbendable.
Sharecropper September 15, 2010 at 3:29am

My first CBGs I made the neck an 1"3/4 wide . All my 3 stringers now are an 1"1/2 wide. For me it's about string spacing.........with the 1"1/2 neck there is room to play slide on individual strings ......the strings are close enough to make chords easier and less distance when traveling from one string to another.

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