Through neck DC junior build

WezV

Time for another build with the reclaimed mahogany.

I have some blanks big enough for 2 through necks.   Normally I laminate the neck blanks for through necks, gonna try a one piece through neck on this as the wood seems like itwill be good enough

Here is the old stock mahogany all marked up for 2 neck blanks

The plank is pretty nicely quartered and straight grained for most of its length.   It has a little kink in the grain you can see as the circular grain on the body section of A.   That's the premium  through neck blank and will be used as is.   Obviously the knk will appear in the neck shaft of the other blank - which means it will need additional work, either CF bars or splitting down the middle and laminating with another wood

This pic shows how straight the grain is between nut and bridge line on Blank A.  The kink will appear behind the bridge.  nice ribboning showing on the quarter

here is the end grain - the bottom half is Blank A 

and all cut out with the relevant angles planed

WezV

Still undecided on exact spec but I will probably go vintage inspired for everything except the construction style

WezV

Its not my first through neck DC - the last one was a fretless bass

longjaw

Will enjoy watching how this progresses!

usedtobe

WezV

I just realised I have no rosewood fretboards left - just ordered a few pre-slotted ones out of laziness

The body is going to be made out of a similar piece of wood to the neck as I want to use the same wood for the whole lot... it does mean the wings will be 2-piece, but I am not worried about that.... the other option would be newer mahogany for the wings, but I really like this old stock stuff.

A through neck with angles like this can seem daunting if you have never done one before - I actually find it to be the easiest way to build a guitar, but takes a bit more thought and I follow a very specific order

1) neck blank must be squared and true - the fretboard face becomes the reference for everything else

2) roughly cut out the side profile on crappy old bandsaw.*

3) Cut the headstock face at 15 degrees - plane smooth

4) Set the router thicknesser jig to the neck angle (3.2 degrees here)

5) Attach the neck blank fretboard side down and route the back of the body

6) Set the router thickness to 0 degrees

7) flip the body over and route the front of the body parallel with the back

That's where we are now, but because its a through neck you need to think of every step - it will go as follows

8) thickness back of headstock and neck shaft

9) route truss rod slot

10) route wiring slot in side of body section**

10) cut headstock

11) attach fretboard

12) Trim sides of neck

13) carve neck

14) Inlay & fret

15) Cut body wings to shape & roundover

16) glue wings to neck shaft

17) trim excess neck shaft to length and complete roundover

18) mount bridge

19) route cavities

20) finish

21) set-up

22) play

*it used to cut 4" maple/wenge/bubinga neck blanks quite close to the line.  Despite giving a good service its now struggling to do 3" thick mahogany

** not needed here, but I always add one just in case you want to add a neck pickup later - as this is a throughneck, it would make a good 59 style special as well

paulnb57

Good stuff @Wez, definately one to follow.....

PhilKing

Hi Wez,  You also did a neck through SG - the John Birch style.  What pickups are you thinking of putting into it?  

Danielsguitars

Where's the pics it's easier for me to see what you're doing

WezV

PhilKing;1088889" said:

Hi Wez,  You also did a neck through SG - the John Birch style.  What pickups are you thinking of putting into it?  

Hi Phil, welcome to the forum

It will be a P-90 of some description but still not sure what.

WezV

customkits;1089062" said:

Where's the pics it's easier for me to see what you're doing

More pics when I do more work

Danielsguitars

Sorry thought you'd done steps 1-7 get cracking

WezV

I have, but too quickly to take lots of pictures I'm afraid.

WezV

had a busy morning on this.   Clearly I am not getting enough sleep at the moment (new baby) as I had routed a 3.2 degree neck angle...but for the bridge I am using it needs to be closer to 2 degrees.   I would have gotten away with it by changing some other dimensions, but instead decided to redo the neck angle and make the body a bit thinner.

Since I am going off piste I think I will also add a contour or two to the body

fretboard is just being glued to the neck shaft,  so pics soon, but its remarkably close to looking like a guitar 

WezV

paulnb57

There something just right about a JR.....nice work Wez....

PhilKing

Hi Wez, are you making it like a firebird with a raised centre section, or is it the pictures and you still need to thin off the neck?

WezV

Just the pictures - the body wings are still unglued at this stage. in the first pic the centre section is raised due to the headstock angle, whilst the wings are resting on the floor. Its all about the right thickness now - its SG thin

the cream cover won't be used, just the only dog ear cover I have here at the moment.

I have ordered a mojoaxe torty guard for it but am still undecided on final colour.   Probably cherry or TV, but I am also considering alternatives like a vintage white, desert tan or black  - maybe even a sparklier colour

Danielsguitars

WezV;1089932" said:

had a busy morning on this.   Clearly I am not getting enough sleep at the moment (new baby) as I had routed a 3.2 degree neck angle...but for the bridge I am using it needs to be closer to 2 degrees.

I had something similar in lack of sleep not thinking straight etc, we had a tragedy my son died but I was keeping busy and put a 59 replica together and I didn't like the bridge height or how it played so I took the fretboard off took the neck back out and adjusted the tenon slightly then stuck a braz board, refretted it and it now sounds and plays fantastic, probably my best replica so far, that's what I like about a set neck and hot hide glue.

Good luck with the baby, lack of sleep is really difficult.

darcym

I love these threads, I wish more builders would post like this as it's interesting and inspiring for those less skilled to see things like this in action.

WezV

@customkits sorry to hear that man, cant be easy to do anything after something like that.

I will stop moaning about a lack of sleep, although might still leave it a few weeks before I go back yo my more complex builds.

@darcym I think the thing that puts a lot of people off is the fear of the fuck up. I don't have that.

Tbh my mistake was painting by numbers. Gibson site states 3.5 degrees. My 2015 junior measures 3.5 degrees.... But uses a thinner fretboard, taller bridge and low profile frets.

Anyway, its fixed and I like the idea of having a thinner junior, my last one was also thinner, but for different reasons. Only downside here may be some neck heaviness, we will see, its going to be a very light guitar. But the strap button will definitely go on the horn to help with that