Thread: Just starting a through neck guitrar

As a matter of curiosity, my bone nut turned up today, I made my fretboard yesterday, slotted it today, gotoh bridge had already arrived. So I got a length of fine string and tied it into one of the holes in my headstock. Held it tight and run it along parallel to my clamped on fretboard, down to the bridge. Seems perfect. I would even say that had I put in some sort of a neck/body angle, either the string would have rubbed on the end of the fretboard, or,..........the saddles in the bridge would have had to be very very high.

Getting there slowly,

Paul

After 8 you must be getting a real feel for it now, watching with interest. The neck and head stock look pretty nice, I like there colour contrasts. I have one build under my belt (about a year ago) will be a while before I can spend the time to make another, by then it'll be like starting from scratch.....def will though, it's kind of addictive.

Hi and thanks Kiwi, I'll do a couple more pics as time moves on. What I am tossing around in my head, is the wings (body). The neck is obviously vertically laminated, but I am thinking of doing the body horizontally laminated ,.....dark/light/dark. Just not sure how it would end up. It would give me about 120mm or very nice BlackBean grain on top and bottom on each side, as opposed to say 25 or 30mm. I seen a bloke make one on youtube, he must have used about half a dozen or more timbers in the neck, and then the body looked like a zebra. He also used a 3 degree neck/body angle, and looking at it, looked way to large an angle. It was a flat body also, so I don't know how his bridge/saddle would have reached the strings.

I'll make 3 body templates, one for the full shape, and one for each side. I'll also have to run a routered groove along the body edge of the neck, in order to thread my wiring through.

Still thinking, like I said, no plans, all in my head.

Paul

An update here. The wings (body) are now glued on. I made a body template shape from 12mm MDF, and was going great guns following it around, using a monster flush trim router bit with a 2 1/2 inch cutting blade (62mm), then it grabbed some end grain and ripped the timber right out. What a pain. So I slightly modified the shape. Still to do a lot of contouring etc, so fingers crossed it still looks ok at the end.

Oh yes I changed my mind with the laminating of the body, back to vertical laminates.

Fretboard is not glued on yet

Lots more to go

Paul

Just been looking at this body again. Seems to be toooo large, have to rethink this and vary it somehow.

Paul

Me again. That shape just didn't look right. So this morning I changed it somewhat, just at the tail end of the body. Much happier with the body shape now.

Paul

Looks very nice! Great build.


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Thanks Cal, still a lot of contouring and sanding to go yet, but at least I am now happy with the shape. Like I said, no plans, all in my head. I routered out the electronics cavity this arvo also.

Paul

Hi all,

My through neck build is coming along nicely. Tomorrow I should be ready for the final sand, sanding up to 2000 grit. And then start to apply my finish. I am going to use Gun Oil, True Oil, after looking at a few youtube videos on it used on guitar finishes. I bought a bottle whilst down in Tassie earlier this year from a gun shop.

This arvo I put the side fret markers on, and will give them a good clean up tomorrow before the final sand. Still have to make a lid for the electronics cavity yet, might try and match my laminates.

Paul

Bit of further progress. Yesterday arvo I put my first coat of Tru Oil on. Left it on overnight, lightly rubbed back this morning with 1200 w&d, then another 3 coats a few hours apart. Tomorrow I'll rub back lightly again, maybe with 0000 steel wool, or maybe the w&d again. I've always preferred that to the sw, but see what seems the best. Then I'll do a few more coats again. This is looking good.

When I had this idea of this through neck running through my brain I was always thinking, how am I going to get the body/neck angle right. As I said above I ended up not having an angle. Yesterday morning after I had glued the nut on the previous evening, I run a fine piece of string tensioned tight from the nut to the bridge. It appears at this stage it is perfect, nice height above the frets etc. Had I attempted to come up with some sort of an angle I think I would have been in all sorts of trouble with bridge/saddle height.

Prior to the final sanding I worked on the frets with the rocker etc, and very happy with them.

Also for the fretboard I used boiled linseed oil thinned down with mineral turps 50/50, which I noticed was spoken about on another thread on here. Two coats only, that's it for the fretboard.

Paul

Wow! That looks fantastic, great work! Love the timber combo.

Absolutely Gorgeous, brilliant build. Hat's off to you sir.

Thanks Cal and Kiwi.

I'll do more pics when it is finally finished. Just did a light rub with 0000 steel well and another coat of Tru Oil. Only one for today as I been playing bowls most of the day.

Paul

Looks good Paul....and that's coming from an acoustic maker. I particularly like the body woods and you seem to have a good eye for the asthetic side of the shape (and size) of the body.