Working the dovetail joint

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Hi guys
I need to bring my neck on the archtop guitar on to the centerline of the top. It's off by about 1/8" right at the end of the fretboard extension.

I need to know where I make the adjustment.
Do I just sand the cheek on the high side like we do on a M&T joint?
Or is there some adjustment to the dovetail that will accomplish this?

If you have the answer I'd sure appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks

[tippie53]

we need pics of the top so we can compare the line of the neck to the top It may be as simple as flossing off the heel on the one side to turn the neck you may have to work the dovetail
what is the center line at the tail end of the guitar?

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I'll get a pic from the top. I think it was off center at the tail about 3/16". It won't take much to bring it in.

So if I floss the the heel to swing it and the dovetail is too tight, I'll have to take a skosh off the dovetail on the opposite side? If so should I just do that on the tenon

Thanks John.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

My actual centerline at the tail is about 1/16" off from where I drilled my end pin hole. Those seem to be hard to get right on when drilling a 1/2" hole. So I need to be centered on that hole since this set up will be using a tail gut to hold the tail piece....Benedetto design.
So it looks to be about 1/4" off at the tail.

Sorry the pics aren't better. What do you think?

Thanks John.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Also John when the dovetail is about a 1/4" from going down all it can right now it seems the fretboard is square to the top but when I push it in further from there it starts to twist a touch the low side to the cutaway.

Should I remove my material from the underside of the extension so the neck can seat all the way down BEFORE I make anymore adjustments to the dovetail or heel?

[Kevin Sjostrand]

This is my first dovetail so it's all new to me. Always done bolt on M & T necks

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I think these pics show the twist. At the first pic the neck in at that point its still square. Distance from bottom of heel to the bottom edge is the same at both sides of the heel. Pushed more in bottomed out at this point due to the extension, you can see its no longer in line with the purfling, what I'm calling a twist.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

It looks like I've got it.
I put a .020" wood shim one the cutaway side dovetail tenon and then slowly worked the other side until the neck started in and I had flossed the same side cheek too to swing the neck a bit.
I've got it in. It's straight and center falls right on my line and the joint is tight. Yah!

I still need to make the underside of the extension fit on the top over the neck block, about 1.75" in from the edge. Then it has to be above and clear the arch....and look good.
The next challenge.