Fingerboard too narrow--oops

[Zen]

I bought new a 1966 Gibson B-25 (small parlor size) as my first guitar - didn't know much about such things. It had a 1-5/8" nut and I wondered for 2 years why I had so much trouble with it. Turns out I really like a 1-11/16" and do OK with a 1-3/4" nut.

I might suggest finding one the size yours is ending up and play it.

You can always do some binding, either the same color or a different color as has been suggested, and then glue some long strips onto the sides of the neck to widen them too. Might be easier than making a new neck.

Good luck

Ed

So, glue some mahogony strips along each side of the neck and blend it in afterwards by carefully sanding it--its a mahogony neck.That sounds like it might work --well everything sounds like it might work to me right now as i'm in a bit of a quandary over it all.ha ha. I will check that out in the morning as its 130 am here now
Thanks for the input and it would be so good if that did work..

Rusty

[tippie53]

can you post some pictures.
sometimes the best discoveries are when things go wrong.
A mistake is only a mistake if you don't learn from it.

[Zen]

can you post some pictures.
sometimes the best discoveries are when things go wrong.
A mistake is only a mistake if you don't learn from it.

Thanks John , It would be a weight off my shoulders if someone can come up with a solution. There were a few good tips mentioned here but I've not had the courage to try any of them as I'm afraid of creating a bigger problem.

[Zen]

Last one

[ruby@magpage.com]

What is the width at the nut and the width at the 12th fret

Ed

[Zen]

What is the width at the nut and the width at the 12th fret

Ed

42mm at 1st fret and 48-49 at 12th


I have all of the other measurements on the first page of the thread here



Many Thanks
Rusty

[Zen]

Last pic of the neck from the side

Thanks

[tippie53]

you can make a new neck and re taper the fretboard and use binding.
you are about 3/32 short at the 12th fret.

taper the fret board 1 5/8 41.275 at nut
2 in or about 51 mm at the 12th
then inlay something under the fretboard on the neck and sand and feather in.

this will allow you 1/16 binding

[phavriluk]

Preface: I have not done any neck salvaging of any kind. I am asking questions, not offering solutions. So... John has offered dimensions to widen the fingerboard. I suspect that is more helpful than we know, once the work commences. It seems as if we will be left with a too-narrow neck. No one has suggested this, so I'll stand up and offer to indicate my ignorance. Once the fingerboard is removed, would it not be possible to cut the neck straight down the middle and laminate in a plank of wood, like maple, to widen the neck and salvage all the shaping work done so far? A whole lot of work would need to be done, but a lot of the work already done would be reusable going forward. And time and effort will be spent, but not much cash, if that's a consideration. But it would require a fair bit of redneck engineering. The neck wouldn't look like it was repaired, just laminated, and there's lots of that going around.

[tippie53]

lots of good ideas .