Fretboard extension

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

If you are making a flattop electric, and your tenon on the neck is not as long or as wide as the fretboard, and you put in a bit of neck angle, what do you do to fill in the fretboard extension? By way of explanation, I understand that on most Fenders the neck blank is the same size and shape as the fretboard, so this is not an issue. But, if your fretboard overhangs the tenon on the neck blank (say the tenon is 1 inch wide and 2 inches long), and you put in a few degrees of neck set angle, then the bottom edge of the fretboard, from the neck joint forward is going to not meet the top of the body. Is this why electrics have necks that are the same size as the fretboard, or do you do something to fill this in? Thanks.

[Chris Richards]

Don't cut the joint the depth of the neck blank, I make a box around the neck blank and then wedge the neck to the correct angle and route the joint as in the picture. Otherwise if you cut the joint the full depth of the neck blank you'll have to put a kind of "horse shoe" wedge in place, I'd doubt whether you'd notice it but it's kinda a "get around to doing it properly.

[Leonardo Silva]

what I have understand, the body surface that "joints" the neck to the body is actually angled just as the neck pocket, so when you glue, you shouldn't have any extra space need for filling.

so in a way, it isn't an exactly flat top body.

other option is to make what´s done in some acoustic guitars I have seen, to have a little wedge glued that fills that space.

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

Thanks guys. Chris, your neck tenon looks like what I have. I don't really understand what you are saying, because when I do it the way I think you are explaining it, I have to wedge a filler under the part of the fretboard over the body. I am probably not understanding you correctly. What am I missing?

[Gordon Bellerose]

Chris,

Can you post a picture of what you have?
It makes giving advice a lot easier.

[Chris Richards]

Sorry to be a couple of days in replying...... I made a crude jig a kind of box around the end of the neck blank at one end of a flat piece of wood...I set the neck angle by placing a scrap piece of wood under the headstock end of the neck and clamp the neck, the top of the box I run a bearing guided router around the box, pressing the cutter to the sides of the box, and cut the tenon. I stop the cut before reaching the full neck depth and hence leave a square wedge shaped horse shoe around the top of the neck... I certainly don't think that it's the best way if anyone has any better ideas for jigs please post!