Making Laminated Guitar Necks

Many guitars are laminate wood in their entire body construction.

Making laminated guitar necks.

7975 cameron drive bldg. A good trick for making a laminated guitar neck is to glue up your pieces just a little bit taller than you actually need the final blank to be. Extend the mark that shows the end of the neck the body join mark or if your neck will have a tenon the end of the tenon around to the underside of the neck. Laminate back and sides.

T he top of your guitar the soundboard is less than inch thick and it s either a solid piece or a layered laminate top. This can be very important in wider necks on guitars with seven or more strings and basses with five or more strings. Using solid wood for the top is still preferred by most builders because the top plays a major role in translating the initial energy of vibrating guitar strings into rich acoustic sound. The example to the left shows a goncalo avles board with an east indian rosewood center stripe.

In an effort to offer customers other more affordable options many builders also make guitars featuring laminate back and sides. A keen eye can spot these tiny layers in the top if you look at the soundhole opening. 1600 windsor california 95492 toll free. Before you can glue up your neck you re going to need to flatten the large faces on your lamination.

Look for a change in grain direction at the edges of the soundhole. If you are a beginner or you have not done much wood lamination before go for a simple design done well. This can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Luthiers mercantile international inc.

Make another mark approximately 1 2 further from the headstock end than this one and cut the neck off at this mark. The peghead is laminated to the neck using a scarf joint referred to as a spanish luthier s joint.