# Neck pocket routed



## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

After days of work, building the jig, modding it, and about a dozen test cuts into scrap, I finally got the neck route done. I am still shaking, I was soooo nervous.

Anyway, here it is, the end gap is a little out.










The back of the joint










No glue, no screws, I think it is tight










A shot of it with it's siblings, not a bad grouping for someone who can't play! If you look in the lower right, you can see a pick up mounting ring I am experimenting with


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

A bit of sanding that gap might disappear but if it's that tight... I go directly to beer... 

nice ..


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> A bit of sanding that gap might disappear but if it's that tight... I go directly to beer...
> 
> nice ..



MMMMMM, beer! That was my thought! I really don't want to mess it up now! I'm calling it done!, well, the neck pocket anyway!


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

The toughest part to get right, in my own limited experience. Good job. As suggested above, I might be tempted to sand it out like you, but I would be more concerned with getting the scale length right and if it's good, just leave it.


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

You can always freehand it close edge inside the lines and carefully chisle and file out the remainder. As long as you did your measurements right, it should work fine. Jigs are good, but as long as your are careful you can do it without them for the neck joint.


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## Mike Potvin (Apr 30, 2009)

That looks great. It's pretty snug! A tiny little bit of play in a Fender-style neck pocket is not a bad thing. A pickguard will hide the gap, or you can correct it as the others suggested. The little bit of material you might remove will affect scale length, but nothing a little saddle adjustment can't clean up.

Mike


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Mike Potvin said:


> That looks great. It's pretty snug! A tiny little bit of play in a Fender-style neck pocket is not a bad thing. A pickguard will hide the gap, or you can correct it as the others suggested. The little bit of material you might remove will affect scale length, but nothing a little saddle adjustment can't clean up.
> 
> Mike


No pickguard on this one. Thus the mounting rings I am working on in pic 4. 

The bridge isn't installed yet. Waiting for it from al3d. It just got to him and he is getting it to me. Smooth transaction so far.

When it comes in, I will be mounting it. There will be a few questions for the forum. I know that I have to put the saddles a bit forward of centre of their travel (to give me more adjustment to make the string lengths longer) and then mount them 25.5" from the nut.
Being a hardtail/stringthrough I am wondering about the spacing front to back for the string holes. Do I need ferrules for the top? If anyone has a clear pic of a HT bridge installed and strung up, it would help. I am thinking, once I get the bridge it will become clearer by just seeing it.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Just another pic of where it is at right now. Showing the pickup rings. They were just set there, final finishing and positioning to come.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Posted the above pic on my FB page and a freind asked me if I was selling them. I had to reply that this is the first one and it took a long time, would be expensive, and I am not set up for production. It was a nice pat on the back though. I need a shop!


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

May I ask why you finished your body first and are now doing the machining?

AJC


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Actually, the finish is not finished. I knew the build was going to take time and wanted to seal the wood. I dyed it and then grain filled it only (french polish/pumice). It has a lot more shine than I expected at this stage and still have to pad on many more layers.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Thanks! looks good...

AJC


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## elbandito (Oct 14, 2009)

ajcoholic said:


> May I ask why you finished your body first and are now doing the machining?
> 
> AJC


Good question... i was wondering the same thing.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

elbandito said:


> Good question... i was wondering the same thing.


The Devil of impatience made him do it evilGuitar:


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

shoretyus said:


> The Devil of impatience made him do it evilGuitar:


Naw, impatience if when you are trying to mount the hardware, and the lacquer is still soft enough to press your thumb print into :smile:

AJC


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

ajcoholic said:


> Naw, impatience if when you are trying to mount the hardware, and the lacquer is still soft enough to press your thumb print into :smile:
> 
> AJC


That is worth two devils....


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

soft lacquer !!! i will walk away now  6weeks


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

ajcoholic said:


> Thanks! looks good...
> 
> AJC


I would have prefered to do all the machining first, but, if you have been following the build, the body got started and made in the spring. I did not want the effects of months of grime and humidity changes, etc., to deal with. The wood on the inside of the hollow parts are also sealed with shellac. One thing I have found, is that the shellac is really easy to touch up. The whole guitar body has to go through at least 2 more rounds of 600 grt. and I will probably pad on another dozen layers of shellac before spiriting off. The pick up rings only have 3 layers on right now.
I don't know now if I should make another SC ring or not. The original plan was for a HB in the bridge with a coil tap that turns the 1 coil on, regardless of position of the selector. BUT, I have 3 SC's, zero budget, and am worried about gettting a HB with a strong enough sound when tapped. I have a DPDT pot, so I may just hook the bridge SC to that so I can combine it with the 3,4, and 5 positions of the selector switch. That way I can get the neck/bridge combo, or all 3 pups on at the same time. I must also admit, that I have been watching Phil X on You Tube, and to being influenced by some of the wicked bridge SC tones he gets....lol


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