Cherry parlor guitar, project #2

[MaineGeezer]

For the past few days I've been fitting the neck. I know that if I actually knew what I was doing I could fit a neck in much less time, but this only my second neck installation and I don't know (much) what I'm doing. In my defense, I will point out that the dovetail pocket in the head block was cut much too big and requires a lot of shimming. So I've been figuring out shims. I have a piece of mahogany veneer (thanks John!) that I'm using for shims. I have I think 3 strips of veneer on each side, plus a thicker preliminary shim on each side, plus a couple of paper shims on each side. If I ever get them mixed up I'm doomed. :)
After three days of sand a bit, install, check for gaps, test the neck position up/down, left/right, repeat, I thought I finally had it. Then I noticed that the truss rod extension (it adjusts through the sound hole) that goes through a notch in the head block was binding on one side of the notch. I shaved a bit off the notch to give clearance for the truss rod, and my nice neck joint fit went totally kaflooey.

Another couple of hours, and I think I finally have it. The joint is tight when pressed together, and I think the plane of the top of the frets just clears the top of the bridge, as desired, and the centerline of the fingerboard lines up with the centerline of the tail wedge. I'll let it sit overnight and see how it looks tomorrow morning. If it still looks good, I'll try to work up enough courage to go ahead and glue it.

[Diane Kauffmds]

I'm sure you've got it right. It's much better to take your time to make sure it's correct, than to rush it and find out you've made an error.

[MaineGeezer]

Well, I did a bit more fitting this morning. I'll check it again (paranoid? Who? Me?) but I think I've got it. Now I'm debating whether or not to make new single shims to replace the stacks of veneer and paper shims. A single shim on each side would be a lot less prone to error when glue-up time comes (with hot hide glue, with time of the essence).

[Diane Kauffmds]

I know exactly what you're doing. At first you'll think you messed up by replacing those shims, but in the end, it was the right thing to do. I've done the same thing and it turned out perfect (you'll think otherwise at first).

[MaineGeezer]

After much creative language and conviction that it was messed up beyond salvation, I think I've got it straightened out. I'm getting ready to glue it. I hope it doesn't go kafllooey on me while it sits there as I wait for the glue to heat up.

[MaineGeezer]

Well, it's glued. Now I wait until I can take the clamps off to see if the presence of glue in the joint messed up the alignments.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Hang in there.

[MaineGeezer]

Initially I thought it was in fact incorrect after gluing, but I showed it to Carter and he pronounced the alignments acceptable. Yahoo.

Next step is to do final shaping of the bridge, then locate it on the top, strip the finish in that spot, and glue it. Add the tuners, strings, and see if it sounds like anything.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Glory Hallelujah! Good job.

[MaineGeezer]

After locating the bridge according to StewMac's calculated distance plus fudge factor and checking my measurements at least 30,000,000 times, I drilled 3/16" pilot holes through the top at the first and sixth bridge pin positions. Then I made two 3/16" diameter Delrin pins to go through the bridge and top to locate the bridge properly when I glued it. I heated up the hide glue, slathered it on, set the bridge in place, pushed the pins through, and added clamps. So there it sits. I hope A) the bridge is in the correct place and I wasn't fooling myself on all those 30,000,000 measurements and B) the glue holds.