Neck angle way steep?

[pryde]

Hello yet again. I got my bridge location set correct per Johns video (thank you). Now I am at setting the neck angle.

The neck angle is quite steep when bolted up. The straight edge (sitting on top of the frets) rides a solid 1/8" above the bridge (see photo). I know this means I need to remove cheek materal from the top (nearest fretboard) and I determined to remove .033" tapered down to zero using the AxB/C formula in the stewmac instructions.

Here is the issue: The fretboard is lying flat solid against the top right now (see photo) thus not allowing the neck angle to decrease when removing cheek material from the top of the cheeks. How does one deal with this? If I continue to remove cheek material there will be a growing gap at the top of the wings without any neck angle movement because of the neck lying flat and solid on the top.

Of course, the stewmac instructions do not address this. Thanks for the help...again





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[johnnparchem]

You can sand the bottom of the fret board a bit; more toward the sound hole side tapering to nothing at the body joint so that it lies flat when the angle is correct. What happened was the body is sanded at a bit to steep of an angle. Classical guitars are often built with a reverse angle than a SS so tapering the fret board starting at the body joint is a common practice.

[tippie53]

if you are about 1/16 over the bridge you are golden

[pryde]

Thanks for the info,

Tippie, currently it is a very strong 1/8" over the bridge so it is not good. Are you saying per johnnparchems advice to taper-sand the bottom of the fretboard until I get 1/16" clearance?

[tippie53]

It won't take much work on the heel to get you there. Sanding that much off the fretboard will make the dots off center. You can do a combination of both. Work the heel a bit I think you will find it won't take much .
If the fretboard rises on the top , then feel comfortable sanding off the bottom of the extension to make that fretboard as flat as possible.

[pryde]

Thanks everyone

Right now after working the heel (for hours) my straight edge is sitting at .070" above the front of the bridge.

Is this good?
Funny the stewmac directions say it needs to lay flush on the bridge? I just dn/t think I can dec the angle anymore due to the fretboard extension.

[johnnparchem]

You should be just above the bridge with no frets. It seems like in you picture there were frets. So if you are getting .07 with frets without frets you would be about a 32nd off the bridge. I would be happy.

[pryde]

Yes the .070" clearance is with frets installed. Unless there are objections I will run with this!

I am right near the finishing stage!

[tippie53]

you are golden
this should set up well

[Dan Bombliss]

You should be just above the bridge with no frets. It seems like in you picture there were frets. So if you are getting .07 with frets without frets you would be about a 32nd off the bridge. I would be happy.

I'm curious, where did you read you should be just about bridge with no frets? I've always went by with frets on. When strung up, with frets in place, the angle should kiss the bridge, or be a hair over top. Unstrung you factor in the settle-in factor, which is 1/16th or so, still with frets in.

I'd like to read up on the reasoning behind this. What I do has been working just fine, but interested as to why.

-Dan