Tapered thickness fretboards

Posted by Robert Killen on November 22, 2015 at 9:50pm

In my last build I decided to tackle getting a decent height/break angle at the bridge. All my prior builds have been neck-straight-through-with-1/4"-bolt-for-a-bridge. But I am reluctant to cut my necks. Don't ask me why. I don't know.

Instead, I got 1-1/2 degrees by offsetting the neck entry and exit holes. And I got another 1-1/2 degrees by building a tapered thickness fretboard. Now I have 5/8" of string height at the bridge, which is wonderful.

I was worried the neck might end up too thick, but I like the feel of it.

I'd be interested to hear thoughts, particularly of more experienced builders. I couldn't find prior discussions, though I'm sure this isn't the first.

::I added more photos in a blog post here: http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/building-jaime

Cheers!

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Replies

  • darryl kernaghan November 26, 2015 at 9:52am

    Worked out well Rob,but i'd suggest tapering your fret board is over complicating it,raising the tail/lowering the haunch would be simpler.Phrygian kid has a simple graphic where his tapered off cut from the top ,added to the bottom of the neck inside the body simplifies it

  • Paul Craig November 24, 2015 at 2:21pm

    Wow, I haven't seen a tapered fretboard before. Looks great.

    • Anthony Collins > Paul Craig November 25, 2015 at 3:10am

      Yes neat solution. I'm just planning my first build and hadn't given enough thought to string geometry. I've an adjustable hard tail bridge in the post but will I be able to get acceptable string heights by setting the fretboard above the level of the top of the box? Tapering is outside my available skillset/toolset.

    • Robert Killen > Anthony Collins November 25, 2015 at 4:18am

      I'm new at this as well. And I'm probably over-thinking it. But from what I've picked up, the critical geometry is the break angle over the bridge. It's this element that puts downward pressure on the soundboard.

      Supposedly there's a sweet spot. Too little and strings move around on the bridge and volume is light. (I've experienced this one.) Or too much and the soundboard isn't free to resonate, or worse it just implodes.

      I would think that you'll be good to go, so long as you have enough height to get a nice angle over the bridge. Mine is about 15 degrees. This falls right in line with some of the classical instrument discussions I've come across.

      Have fun!

    • Anthony Collins > Robert Killen November 25, 2015 at 6:19am

      O God, more to agonise over :-).  I was thinking more about string height over frets. My first will have a hard tail bridge so no break angle to worry about and mainly electric so any natural acoustics will be an accident/bonus. But thinking about a resonator down the line...

    • Paul Craig > Anthony Collins November 26, 2015 at 2:45am

      Using a long straight edge(yard stick will work) can help with determining string height at the nut and bridge.

    • QGolden > Paul Craig November 26, 2015 at 7:43am
      We used to call that a "Witness Stick". A physical tool used to lay out anything that requires Geometry. A common use in days of old was to use a witness stick to lay out stairs. Someone who did not know the math would take a stick of wood, cut to the total height required, to someone who did know the math and they would do the geometry and put marks on the stick for the rise and run of the steps.

      I suppose theoretically, a template to lay out the frets is a witness stick. I seldom heard the term used in this manner outside of my own family.
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