Removable neck acoustic instrument ?

[rob bowen]

Hi John....thanks very much for the link...much appreciated ! And a happy holiday to you !

[rob bowen]

Here is the neck block created. I hope I have my terminology correct...neck block? I created the 3 elements, clamped it to the neck, proceeded to sand it flush. Then, I drew lines for lining it up again for glueing. The glueing was a bit tricky as it kept slipping as I tightened my clamp. I backed the assembly out of the neck so it would not glue into the neck.

[rob bowen]

Here are some more pics of the finished neck block. I am pleased to say the joint is a very snug fit.

[rob bowen]

I have started making the top and back of the guitar body. I am aware that this is ridiculous in the eyes of a true luthier, remember I have posted this build in "experimental". I have heat bent the soundboard and back, and I have drawn up a body shape I find pleasing.

[Jason Rodgers]

The cylindrical top and back arching, while they may look a little odd by today's spherical standards, has been done before.

[Bryan Bear]

Keep the updates coming!

[rob bowen]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm looking into making some sort of thickness calipers now. Also, still researching tied frets. And I've realized I need to create the dowel through neck/neck block assembly prior to the neck block glueing into the body. I thought I would be able to pound out the dowel whenever I please, but it looks like the position of the upper part of the body is going to restrict access for that. My goal is to not use any metal whatsoever on this. HMMMMMMM....

[Bryan Bear]

I made a mandolin with a double cutaway similar in shape to your upper bout/heel arrangement (I think it is posted here somewhere). I'm interested in how you are gong to handle the attachment of the sides to the heel block. Mine was done totally differently being a bolt on butt joint but I'm hoping you will give me some ideas on how to improve what I did in case I need to make another.

[rob bowen]

Hi Bryan, I checked out your mandolin...wow. Now I am embarrassed that you're even looking at my project.

[rob bowen]

I have been sort of dreading creating the hardwood dowel and the accompanying hole in the neck/neck block assembly as I believed there was a 50% chance I would foul it up and have to start over. I clamped the joint tight and proceeded. To create the dowel, I carved the walnut to the approximate size, then got an idea to insert one end into my drill....poor man's lathe. It worked surprisingly well. Whew...that part done. Now I can proceed with the body.

[rob bowen]

I came up with an idea for applying pressure around the perimeter of the soundboard and back while I am glueing in supports. After the neck block and end block are glued in place, I will use these clamps / supports with a weight on top.

[Hans Bezemer]

Great project, I'm subscribed.
Looking forward to the outcome.

[rob bowen]

Hello Hans ... great to have you. I see are from the Netherlands.... I spent the summer of 1984 in Amsterdam working as a portrait painter. Thanks for the compliment !

[rob bowen]

Tail block and neck block glued in today. Soundboard cut out. I used a string running from the center of the endblock to the top of the peghead in an attempt to install the neck block true. Time will tell.

[rob bowen]

So, last night I removed the clamps and re=attached the string between the headstock and the endblock. The neck block appears to be installed fairly true ... good Lord ... what a relief!

[Barry Daniels]

I am curious how you are going to insert the sides between the block and neck. Does not seem to be a space provided for it.

[rob bowen]

Hi Barry, I am not planning on inserting the sides between the neck and neck block. Is that process required? I was under the impression that if I wrapped the body in mahogany, sealing all spaces with the exception of the soundhole, that would be sufficient to produce sound. I am not following customary building methods ... I am devising my own. This build thread is in "experimental". I'm not trying to pound square pegs into round holes ... just having fun being creative. I've built the neck as removable, so I may build another body down the road ... or maybe another neck. I am learning as I go .... and having a ball. Thanks very much for your input.

[Jason Rodgers]

What Barry is asking, is how do you plan to attach the sides to the neck/heel block? That has nothing to do with tradition vs experiment: this is a basic requirement of the guitar structure. Without that connection, the entire block will rotate in the direction of string pull and turn the top-back-blocks into a sliding parallelogram. In short, the instrument will fold under string tension.

[rob bowen]

I see. I have glued the back now to the neck and end blocks. The neck is separate. I am planning on inserting trapezoid shaped posts around the guitar body on the inside ... overlapping the drawn edge approximately 1/8 of an inch. I am planning on sanding the outside of the guitar body ... soundboard, back, and posts simultaneously with a spindle sander. I will then proceed with sanding the soundboard and back down to a suitable thickness. Following that, I am wrapping mahogany around the entire outside, sanding it flush with the top and back afterwards. As I understand it, this will be strong enough to withstand any bending or unwanted warping as the strings are tightened.

[Peter Wilcox]

How are you attaching the mahogany to the top, back, and heel block?