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#1
12-09-2011, 11:44 AM
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Heel Shapes ??
My build question is on heel shapes. Is there any problem with making a custom non-traditional shape? If not, are there any specific guidelines I need to keep in mind?
I'm playing with a couple of prototypes now but if doing so is in vain, i'll direct my efforts towards customizing in a different way. Thanks for any imput. JR 
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#2
12-09-2011, 12:05 PM
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Make any shape you like.
A few things to keep in mind is that unless you are making a butt joint or using "Spanish" construction, you'll need the heel to conceal the joint between neck and body, if there is one. Also, the heel shape shouldn't (overly) impede access to the fingerboard or higher frets. Unless you are obtaining custom guitar cases, it should fit in a standard case for the size of the body you are making. In more recent years, I've tended to avoid very sharp edges or corners - whacking your hand against them isn't too pleasant. That's all that comes to mind off the top of my head. In non-traditional neck joining methods, you may not even need a heel.
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#3
12-09-2011, 01:09 PM
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I'd be interested in hearing your ideas if you're willing to share.
As Charles mentioned, most of the considerations are practical and/or ergonomic. I believe there are structural considerations as well since the heel is taking some of the load from string tension and "whiplash" trauma. The heel gets weaker as the grain gets shorter. 
__________________
gits: good and plenty chops: snickers
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#4
12-10-2011, 11:07 PM
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What I would recommend is get a book or take a look online at a whole bunch of tried and true heel shapes. Then, from there, you will be able to see the similarities as well as the lower size limits (which are more important than upper size limits).
Main concepts are: 1) use good wood cut properly, and 2) make sure it is robust (big) enough to hold the tension of the strings. I recently designed my own custom "foot" (Spanish construction - the inside of the heel) which blended concepts from my teacher, "Sir" Bruce West, and Romanillos, Hauser, Torres, and others. The main thing was that I kept all my dimensions at LEAST as large as the minimum dimensions used by any of several famous builders designs shown in the book "Making Master Guitars". This way, I knew I would not run into any issues of structural weakness.
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