So up until this point, we have the basic shape of the neck, and the fretboard is as good as done. This would be a good time to level, crown and polish the frets, if you wish. I wrote a 'how to' on that here:
This would be an ideal time to take another look at your cigar box, and cut the neck to fit neatly inside. In the below picture, I have marked out the cut on the neck to fit under the lid of the box, and allowed for room below the pickup:
Once I have made several small cuts down to my markings, I flip the neck on its side and pop the material off with a sharp chisel. Don't go right down to the line, though - it's easy to make a mistake and remove too much material. I use a rasp, file and sandpaper to neaten things up. Notice the angle on the line - this is to allow for the 'back angle' on the neck.
Now it's time to get sanding. I start with 80 grit, and work all the way up to 320 for the whole neck and headstock. Once I'm satisfied with it, I give the neck a rub down with white spirit (mineral spirits) to remove the wood dust. This will also highlight any scratches or imperfections. If you see any...yep, more sanding:
At this point, it would normally be time to start applying finish. However, I like to use oak for my necks, so I find it necessary to use grain filler to smooth over the pores of the wood, and get a smooth finish. I wrote a blog post about the process here. This adds a few more hours onto the process, plus you need to sand again, starting from 220 grit up to 600. For the end result, its worth it!
The below picture shows a grain-filled neck, with the first coat of Tru-Oil.
Nowadays I use Tru-Oil on all my necks. It's difficult to work with, compared to Danish etc, as it dries so fast. Here are my Tru-Oil tips:
1. Store the bottle upside down - you do not want the lid to sieze up!
2. There is a foil cover on top of the bottle. Do not take it off - just make a little hole to squeeze the oil out of. This stuff dries very fast when exposed to oxygen.
3. Work on an area at a time. I apply Tru-Oil to the neck and headstock separately.
4. Wipe the oil on with a lint free cloth, give it about a minute and gently wipe off the excess with a clean cloth
5. I wait 12 hours between coats. If you live somewhere warmer than Manchester (not difficult), you might be able to get away with less.
6. Every second coat, I (very) lightly rub the surface with dry 600 grit sandpaper. Give it a wipe down before applying the next coat.
7. I generally do about 8 coats of Tru Oil. Apparently you can get a mirror shine if you do about 40, then polish, but who has time for that?!
8. About a week after the last coat, I wet sand with 1200 grit and Tru-Oil, then quickly buff it out for a silky smooth feel.
This is what you come out with:
So there you have it - a finished neck. Here are some completed pictures of the guitars these necks were made for.
I hope this has been of some use.
-Richey Kay
Comment
This is a very nice tutorial! Thank you Sir!
Great guide for making necks, thank you!
Wow, great job on the necks and on the guide! Thank you for sharing all that!!!
Thank you Richey, very useful guide..
Your instructions are jst what I needed to make the transition away from simple stick guitar necks. Thanks!
Not a problem Joe and Jerry, happy building!
Richey, thanks so much for posting these helpful pics. I just started my love affair with CBGs and your instructions have answered a boat load of questions I had. Can't wait to get started on my next try.
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