Please put your pickup/wiring discussions in the Electronics section; and put discussions about repair issues, including "disappearing" errors in new instruments, in the Repairs section.
I have built a bass and am in the process of building a six string. On both instruments I have purchase the necks rather than attempt building my own. But I think for the next project I want to give the neck a whirl. My question is when carving how would you keep the dimensions right, like the thickness front to back. I don't want to get it too thin and carve through the rod channel. What I'm thinking is cut the neck to the proper thickness to start with then carve the sides down properly while not carving anything off the very center of the back of the neck. Maybe draw a centerline down the back of the neck and make sure never to carve into that line??
Also about carving tools.
Can I use round surforms to carve with? I was in the autobody business for over twenty years and I was an artist at carving body plastic with surforms. Will surforms cut wood as well as it cuts cured autobody plastics? I know wood is harder, can they stand up to wood carving or should I learn to use other carving tools?
I'm thinking I should buy a couple of pine 2x4"s and practice on that before I even consider this.
The first neck I ever carved came out great. Don't be afraid to try. Neck carving is one of the most feared parts of any instrument for most newbies, and most are pleasantly surprised how easy and enjoyable it actually is when they finally try it. Surforms are the same as any number of similarly micro-planes out there, and they all work great. Some use a Saf-T-Planer, draw knives, or even horse hoof rasps for rough shaping, and finish with micro-planes and scrapers. If you are worried about the profile, make a set of simple profile gauges, for like the nut, 5th fret, octave, etc. out of small rectangles of whatever material you have lying around. If you want to copy the profile of a favorite neck, get one of those molding gauges from any big box store, the ones with a hundred pins that conform to a shape as you press it. Then just transfer that curve to your profile gauge. If you want to try it on a 2x4, go ahead, but with your experience I don't think it will be necessary. Just try it, and have fun!
I agree with Jim ....necks can be intimidating 'till you do some. There are some steps.
I my case, I establish the centerline thickness I want at the 1st & 10th fret (eg .820"/.910" or whatever) & reduce to that thickness (many ways) at those two points. Then reduce the center between those two in a straight plane. I calculate & mark (from 3/8 plywood templates I use while carving.....like the ones you find at luthiers supply) the extents of the "primary facet" (ie 45 deg.) & go ahead & carve that (spokeshave, rasp etc), Take off "secondary facets" (22.5 & 67.5 deg) each side & you have something that looks a lot like a neck. I work on the 1st & 10th locations by rubbing pencil lead inside the template, which marks where to remove material on the neck, and rasp/file away 'till profiles at those two locations are perfect. Then mask those spots to protect, & bring the rest down 'till everything is straight lines between them. I found a really helpful tool to be an MDS sanding board about 8" x 1st-10th distance with 60 grit one side & a couple of handles (dowel) on the other. It allows you to bridge between the two profiles in straight lines. Shoeshine, keeping an eye on things, & you're there. Now the heel & volute!
The others have given good advice, particularly about "faceting". One other is to make several templates - at least the nut and right in front of the heel and work slowly to get them to fit. You can use a guitar that you like or many plans have them (my Les Paul plans did). It is pretty tricky to make a template off of an existing neck - I've seen a cool little duplicating device but I don't have one.
I'll also add that it is easier to take more wood off than to put it back on. My first carved neck was a big 12 string - it came out like a baseball bat and I hated it. Took it off, took the spokeshave to it, refinished it and now I love it.
Freeman Keller wrote:It is pretty tricky to make a template off of an existing neck ....
I've made patterns of many of my necks, using 1/16"plywood & the epoxy stick (looks like blue & white hard candy...resin & hardener). Cut a rough profile in the ply for the location, about 3/16" too big all 'round. Cut some epoxy from the "stick", mix by hand, roll into a "noodle" & fit into the ply cutout. Press symetrically onto the neck (protected by cello-tape, foodwrap etc) 'till you have full contact, remove & let harden. Wick some CA in where epoxy joins ply. When dry, you can sand off much of the epoxy. Looks like this.
