fretboard blank depth?

I'm trying to build a guitar neck (could be going better!). I bought a fretboard blank, but it looks a tad deep at the moment, what would be a good starting depth? I'm thinking something like a 9.5 radius. I think I need to reduce it a bit.

Can't measure right now as I'm at work. I keep forgetting to post the thread in the evening though!
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Comments

  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited April 2014
    It depends on many factors but 1/4" or  6mm is fairly standard as a starting point.

    Is it square and flat?
    Are you planing it by hand or did you use a thickness sander?
    Is it glued on yet?
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547

    rougthly 6mm or 1/4" before radiussing.   Go thinner on the fretboard if you are after a super skinny neck but much less than 4mm is not really advisable.   depending where you buy from blanks can often be 10mm, more if rough sawn.   classicals often have thicker boards

     

    of course, because I wouldn't want to lead you down a painting by numbers route, there are other approaches with thinner boards... like fender Veneer boards which Gordon Smith also did a variation on for a while too.   essentially you radius the neck blank and glue on a 2mm veneer to radiused blank.  

     

    What issues are you having with the build?

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Octatonic: square and flat - yes
    Haven't touched it yet!
    Not glued on yet.

    WezV: Not going too skinny. Not sure I'd tackle the veneer option! Keeping things plain and simple for my first neck attempt!
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  • jd0272jd0272 Frets: 3867
    Pics. I'll be having a go when I get some flamin work space so interested.
    "You do all the 'widdly widdly' bits, and just leave the hard stuff to me."
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    WezV said:

    of course, because I wouldn't want to lead you down a painting by numbers route, there are other approaches with thinner boards... like fender Veneer boards which Gordon Smith also did a variation on for a while too.   essentially you radius the neck blank and glue on a 2mm veneer to radiused blank.  

    LOL.
    Didn't know they did that.
    I wonder why?
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  • GuitarMonkeyGuitarMonkey Frets: 1883
    Gordon Smiths veneers are thinner than 2mm. I remember they won an award for wood conservation.

    I think the reason they do it is to have a single construction method for necks, but able to offer a rosewood board to those that want one.
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    edited April 2014
    yeah, the 2mm was a finger in the air number i picked for the technique rather than a statement on what GS actually did

    you can see the old fender method here, which looks to be 2 and a bit mm ish.  I think the GS was probably 0.6mm, standard veneer thickness... wouldn't like to refret one


    obviously with the fender thickness you cant just glue the flat veneer onto a radiused neck blank without a few more complicated steps first, but i am fairly sure that is all GS did with the thinner veneer 
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7672
    I've always used 5mm for fingerboards.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • AndrzejTAndrzejT Frets: 0
    5 - 6 mm is pretty standard. I agree that overall all neck thickness will be guiding factor as well as radius on the fretboard and the type of truss rod used. have a look at the Crimson Guitar web site as Ben Crowe give a some good advice on building. My first three guitars I sanded to a standard 12 inch radius using a block. The last one I built I did a compound radius 10 to 18 inches using a No7 hand plane. It was quite scary at first but I am really pleased with the results and will go this route from now on. if you go this way I found practicing with some cheap wood first before committing to the fretboard properly was worth the effort. Good luck it will be well worth the effort. Andrzej
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Wow, @AndrzejT that was brave tackling a compound radius!
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  • AndrzejTAndrzejT Frets: 0
    edited April 2014

    It was, but Ben Crowe covers this well in one of his videos. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

     

    http://crimsonguitars.com/

     

    I bought an old No7 Plane and gave it a good sharpen and set it for very fine cuts and then just kept checking the radius at the nut and 24 fret regularly. It was my fourth build so I have gaining quite a bit of experience so felt confident to give it a go. But as long as you take it slowly and keep checking with a good straight edge and radius gauges you will get there in the end.  

     

    Getting the fretborad and neck angle right is over half the battle with any guitar build, so why not try a full build. It’s very rewarding and I don’t believe I can now buy a better electric guitar than I can build, regardless of budget.

     

    Accumulating all the right tools plus you can’t buy the materials the prices the big boys can, means it’s not a cheap option, but it is very rewarding.

     

    Andrzej      

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