The length I have is 1x4 and is cut with the grain running parallel with the side view of the neck. I believe I can cut it so that I can use the same piece for the sides with a strip of r. oak in the middle. It is only going to be a 4 stringer though. And I have not thought of an angle for the headstock yet.
nice! My eye for wood strains is not good. I have a blank sp. cedar neck. Let me know what you think about it. I am coming up with ideas on how to use it.
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You can use any kind of hardwood for the middle strip, Colin. If you set up the width of the centre strip,
it will form a channel for any stiffner, but I expect that for a 4 stringer, the tension is 33% less than for a
6 string (225lbs.depending on tuning and string guage)...and you should be ok without having to add a
stiffner or truss rod.
Now as far as the the 1 x 4..that is an odd size. The starting dimensions for my necks is 2.25 wide x 39-40 inches
long. The fingerboard I glue on is another 1/4 inch thick, so that makes the neck thickness (before scupting)
about 1.25 inches thick. This is much too thick for a normal guitar neck..at least for me..so I plane, carve
and contour the neck to approximate 22 mm (7/8") at the 1st fret..with FB in place and measured with a thickness
guage or vernier caliper, to the center of the "skunk strip". The 12th fret is approximate 25mm (1 inch)
Now, before you start carving the neck/heel you need to take a portion of the 1 x 2 and set aside 5 to 6 inches
for your tuners (headstock). So from say..5 inches from the end, you make a line through the thickness of the
neck and then around 2.5 inches make another line and draw a angle across adjacent corners of the box.
If things are correct, you have the 16-17 degree angle for a scarf joint (flip the wood over) and reglue to
the neck) to make the headstock. The angle at the nut (string tension) should be similar to the angle at
the bridge, for better intonation. If the angle on the headstock is too shallow, you will need a string
tree (or two) like Fender uses on their necks to provide and artificial angle and tension.
The length I have is 1x4 and is cut with the grain running parallel with the side view of the neck. I believe I can cut it so that I can use the same piece for the sides with a strip of r. oak in the middle. It is only going to be a 4 stringer though. And I have not thought of an angle for the headstock yet.
Spanish cedar is fairly stable for necks. It depends on how the board was sawn though. Quartersawn 2x2 boards are
the most stable as tree's growth rings run in the same direction as the carved profile of the neck, rather than across
it. I like to laminate mine because, if you do it properly with a strip of maple in the middle, the maple strip helps
to prevent bowing from the tension of the strings over time..especially a 6 string.
My next one will have a spanish cedar CB (thickness planed) and a laminated sp.cedar neck. I just love this
wood to work with as it is pretty close to good Honduras mahogany as far as machining and carving, but
a lot cheaper.
What I found out was that 2x2 is actually too thick for the scarfe joint angle (which needs to have the headstock)
bent back at a 16 to 17 degree angle to provide correct string tension on the nut. With a separate 1/4 inch
FB, the actual neck thickness is closer to 1.25 inches thick. Using this thickness and draing a 2.5" long "box" just
at the point where you are going to make a diagnol cut for the scarf joint, you will end up pretty close to
a 16 degree headstock angle.
nice! My eye for wood strains is not good. I have a blank sp. cedar neck. Let me know what you think about it. I am coming up with ideas on how to use it.
The neck is spanish cedar (cuban mahogany) /maple/spanish cedar. The heel is black walnut.
The box part is a laminated mix of spanish cedar/mahogany and a couple of dowels to fasten
the end block which is black walnut. The reason the dowels are showing is because I glued
the end block first and then discovered that the end block has to be cut down to allow the
CB to fit better so that the action (with my homemade maple bridge) is closer to where
I want it to be.
Tomorrow, I will glue the rib underneath the bridge at 24.75 scale so that the top doesn't
concave due to pressure of the strings.
is that r.oak surrounding pop?