Build Thread: Todd Rose Allegheny with adjustable neck

[Todd Rose]

Sorry, had to set this project aside for a little while. Will have more photos to post soon. I appreciate your interest!

[Todd Rose]

A bit of work on the neck to show here.

Using a tapering jig on the bandsaw to cut the angled fretboard extension section of the neck shaft --






Then smoothing and refining that cut on the belt sander --

[Todd Rose]

Here, I've roughed out the heel block, too, and am now checking the angles against my drawing before gluing the block to the shaft.



This is a new neck design, so the details of construction are very much a work in progress. Some may notice the direction of the grain of the heel block and think that's odd. Yes, it's out of the ordinary, but you will later see how it all comes together and makes sense.

[Solariego]

Todd,

really liking the way you are building this. A couple questions if you don't mind:

1) what material did you use to reinforce the side sound port? Is it carbon fibre?

2) how do you secure the carbon fibre tube? Is it just epoxied in place? You let the epoxy fill any gaps on the end?

Thanks.

[Island Mfg.]

What a read! This has been a wonderful and informative thread. I've been thinking TONS about adjustable necks lately, and this has got the gears turning even faster.

Also, that bandsaw angled fence is awesome! I'd love one. Where does it come from?

[Todd Rose]

Originally Posted by Solariego

Todd,

really liking the way you are building this. A couple questions if you don't mind:

1) what material did you use to reinforce the side sound port? Is it carbon fibre?

2) how do you secure the carbon fibre tube? Is it just epoxied in place? You let the epoxy fill any gaps on the end?

Thanks.

Thanks!

1) Just black fiber veneer.

2) Yes, epoxy. The rod fits pretty snugly in the holes, and it is carefully trimmed to exact length so that it butts tightly against the ends of the holes, so there aren't significant gaps. Any little gaps are filled by the epoxy, to which I added a thickener, as I always do when using epoxy as an adhesive.

[Todd Rose]

Originally Posted by Island Mfg.

What a read! This has been a wonderful and informative thread. I've been thinking TONS about adjustable necks lately, and this has got the gears turning even faster.

Also, that bandsaw angled fence is awesome! I'd love one. Where does it come from?

Thanks!

Pretty sure I got that tapering jig from Rockler years ago. It slides along the bandsaw's fence. It can be used on the table saw, too, of course.

[Todd Rose]

I got a pm from a builder concerned about my plan to glue the end grain of the heel block to the neck shaft. Before any of you lose any more sleep over this rest assured that there is a method to my madness. The design/engineering of the heel is a bit more complicated than it now appears. When it all comes together, you will see how it will be plenty strong. It has to be very strong, not just so the heel doesn't come unglued from the shaft, but so that the whole structure doesn't flex under string tension (this is largely why the grain of the heel is oriented the way it is), which would happen with a design like this if it wasn't properly engineered. A floating/elevated fretboard extension and a floating/adjustable neck-to-body joint makes for a very different beast than a conventional neck, so it has to be engineered accordingly. You'll see as the construction unfolds...

[Todd Rose]

A black veneer is epoxied to the top of the heel block. This is wood, not black fiber.

I've always liked the "ice cream cone" heels on many old guitars. Inspired by those, this heel will have a "crease" where it meets the neck shaft, and that crease will be accented with a black line. This black veneeer will create that line.

[Todd Rose]

Sanding the curve into the face of the heel block to match the curve of the guitar body.

Although this heel will "float" -- there will be a gap between the heel and the body -- I still want the face of the heel to reflect the curve of the body.

[Todd Rose]

Next, the curve is refined by sticking sandpaper to the body and sanding the block on that. This final sanding step ensures that the curve of the heel face accurately reflects the curve of the body.

[Todd Rose]

Short plugs of brass are cut off a brass rod.

[Todd Rose]

The brass plugs and threaded insert are installed in the heel block.

The three set screws that will be the contact points between the body and the neck heel, and which will be used to set the neck angle, will bear against these three brass plugs. The bolt that holds the neck on will thread into this threaded insert. If you look back at the photos of the neck block (which is installed in the body and is not to be confused with the heel block, from which the heel will be carved) and the neck joint area of the outside of the body, you can see how these parts will come together. If you can't quite visualize it yet, don't worry, later photos will make it all clear.

[Todd Rose]

Here are those photos again. The 3 set screws will thread into the threaded inserts in the neck block and bear against the brass plugs in the heel. These 3 set screws form a tripod on which the neck stands, allowing adjustment of the neck angle in any direction, as well as adjustment of intonation (not that they will be used for that latter purpose on any kind of regular basis; that will be set when the guitar is assembled and will likely never need readjustment). The bolt that holds the neck on goes through the second hole up from the bottom and threads into the threaded insert in the heel.





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[Steven Bollman]

I'm really enjoying this fine thread. Thank you, Todd. Really beautiful work.