Chasson Auditorium, German/Wenge

[Kent Chasson]

Here are some shots of the neck construction.

The floating fingerboard requires the heel to be a lot stiffer than a conventional neck. I wanted to keep a conventional looking heel and not add a lot of weight so I came up with this tapered tenon that goes through the heel and fingerboard.

The fingerboard extension also needs a lot of added stiffness so I added some significant carbon fiber on either side of the truss rod. Without these, the fretted notes on the floating part of the fingerboard would lose some energy.




After seeing a number of old Gibsons with neck relief in the wrong place, I started working on a way to insure that my necks would keep a good relief curve over time. When adjusting the relief on the Gibsons, the truss rod would pull the neck down at the nut only to create a hump at the 3rd or 4th fret. After a few prototypes, I came up with the configuration below. It combines several things that I'm really happy with. First, by shortening the truss rod on the heel end and the carbon fiber on the nut end, it saves quite a bit of weight. Second, it creates a kind of hinge that keeps the apex of the relief curve where it should be, about the 6th fret. And lastly, by extending the carbon fiber farther on the treble side, it induces a slight twist in the neck that ensures a bit more relief in the bass side where more is needed. I've been really happy with the results.

I'll get this ready to finish on Monday and post more pics then....

[gregg]

Very cool Kent,
I've done some things similar to you, I left my CF short at the nut but I didn't leave one shorter than the other, interesting idea. I like what you've done at the heel, you are a very clever man

Cheers,
Greg

[Kent Chasson]

Thanks Greg. We often seem to end up on similar paths.

Here are a couple more shots before finishing. It's finally summer around here (right on schedule) so I could go outside. Back in a month or so with the finished shots.....

[Acoustom]

Very nice looking guitar!! This is my first time seeing a build with Wenge and I'm really liking how it looks. I like your body style also. Very Striking!!

[Todd Rose]

Looking great, Kent!

[kirkham13]

baby's got back!!!

[riorider]

Very nice, Kent. I missed this thread while 'on holiday' but glad I found it. Very nice work on the mitres, and the snakewood binding orientation of the grain looks like it took a lot of work - beautiful result!

And any thread which adds a new word to my vocabulary is special, so thanks for "chatoyance" which is exactly the word I need when veiwing many pieces of koa!!

Thanks for the neck construction "behind the scenes" as well. Fascinating the engineering and brilliant ideas you guys come up with that we buyers would likely never know about.

Best,

Phil

[Kent Chasson]

OK, except for the final setup, this one is ready in time for the owners birthday on Wednesday! Thanks for looking....

Front


Back


Details....

[dlowry]

Beautiful guitar - nothing more to say...!

[Todd Rose]

Very classy looking instrument, Kent. Beautiful. Great rosette. Love it.

[riorider]

Very elegant and classy, Kent!

Happy BD it will be for the new owner!!

Phil

Absolutely beautiful Kent!!

[Ivob]

pure beauty, i wouldn't even mind if it sounds bad

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by Ivob

pure beauty, i wouldn't even mind if it sounds bad

Since I see the little smiley-face, we know you're kidding about this...

...but in case there is any doubt ( ), I recently had a chance to play this guitar...the thread (with review) is here:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=191336

[JohnM]

Beautiful guitar Ken! Wenge is rapidly growing as one of my more preferred woods to build with.