Thread: Neck Joints
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Old 07-02-2016, 06:54 PM
dekutree64 dekutree64 is offline
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To me, dovetails seem like the worst of both worlds... a pain to craft, and a pain to reset. Their only advantage over bolts is the lighter weight. But of course there are also emotional aspects that can make them worth the trouble.

I like integral necks (aka Spanish heel), though they're certainly not for everyone. Just depends on how you like to construct the body. The neck gets in the way if using an outside mold, but in freeform construction, having the neck attached is a good thing. And since the outside heel takes up much of the structural role of the headblock, they can be even lighter weight than dovetails Plus you can carve interesting cutaway transitions that can't/shouldn't be done on removable necks.

Sound-wise, I don't think the neck joint makes much difference. And if it does, then integral necks are the worst, because the more sound is conducted through the neck to the body, the more you hear the after-length of the string (the part between your finger and the nut). Not good when tapping

As for neck resets being inevitable, here's a post I wrote a while back about how the guitar is naturally suited to minimizing the action rise from long term deformation, on the condition that you don't leave any weak points in the upper bout structure http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/v...=10101&t=47103 (DennisK is me)

And aside from that, I use hide glue, ultra-thin French polish, and usually no back binding. All of which make it easier to do a heel slip neck reset if necessary.
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