Stratocaster Guitar Build - Part 3 - Building A Stratocaster Guitar Neck
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Template sets to follow along with the build - fletcherhandcra...
This is another long video (26 mins) that covers -
one way of shaping a neck
thicknessing the headstock
sanding the neck contour
installing Kluson style tuners
My intentions were to get the neck completed by the end of part 3 but I didn't want to drag this video out to 45-60 minutes (and I want to cover everything in reasonable detail so we need another episode at least ) .
Part 4 will cover fretting of the neck, the final shaping of the neck , finish sanding and (possibly) some lacquer will get sprayed !! Finally .. :-)
Specs;-
Flame Maple Neck
Rosewood Fretboard
StewMac Spoke Style Trussrod built into heel of neck
12" Radius
Stew Mac medium fretwire
Tinted Nitro Lacquer
This is the absolute BEST neck building tutorial I've ever seen. Very descriptive, thorough, and this is the first time I'd heard of this neck rounding technique and it makes things seem much less scary! The one fear I have with building a neck is screwing it up in the last stage.
Knowing a trade is one thing , sharing that knowledge free is another ! You are a "Master"-"Craftsman".
This actually helped me to figure out how to model a guitar neck in SolidWorks. I had designed a Strat neck for fun, but I couldn't figure out how to map out the radius. The converging lines you drew on the back side of the neck made it click in my mind. Thanks again for sharing. It really is a gift for people like yourself to share with the world what took you years to perfect. You are very generous.
Hands-down, the best tutorial, how to shape an electric guitar neck! I watch this video the first time I started building 10 years ago and been using this technique ever since even on my acoustic guitars! Much appreciated. Thank you so much❤
Well I bit the bullet today, plucked up the courage and started with my rasp, following your technique and markings. 90 minutes later, I had an absolutely fantastic neck, dead straight, blended to the headstock and the heel, sanded to the first level. I have to say it was 10 times easier than I feared. The markings worked a treat, the facet approach just turned into a round neck profile with very little fuss. Thanks again for guiding me through this process so clearly and professionally.
Hi, Yeah its definitely possible and probably quite a time saver. I've seen it done by a few builders but also quite dangerous as well. I've seen necks thrown across the room when a router has caught.
You are removing quite an amount of wood from the back with a BIG round-over bit ,which can be a recipe for disaster. If you take small incremental passes, it should work great.
Call me old-school but shaping the neck by hand is one of the most satisfying parts of a build :-) !
I know this is an eleven year old video but I just have to say what an amazing artist Mr. Fletcher is. Watching him shape that neck makes it look so easy that I feel like I could do it myself. Oh, sure, I get it that when I actually try it, mine won't look anything at all like his or even like a guitar neck but I can always use file dust as fire starter powder and the neck wood in the wood stove this winter. So I might actually try it.
I tend to rough out the transitions at the body/neck joint and the headstock but use a spokeshave plane to remove the straight section. It's easier than filing it all out
I love working with wood. And I thought about building an electric guitar. So when I found your site I watched the whole series! To me the daunting part was shaping the neck so I just bought one. I then watched your video again and said I can do that. I am in the middle of doing the neck and will start the carving soon. Your directions and comments are very clear. Being American, I love your accent! I can tell you are truely a craftsman. Thank you for taking the time to do the whole series!
It's NOT just that you know your trade, it is clear that you are a perfectionist. Amazing work. You have a lot to be proud of.
this is great stuff, I wish this was out there back in 1978 when I made a guitar in shop in jr high.. long story short I never knew about a TRUSS ROD.. and I used 2 different scales for frets, so the guitar was really umm... different, left it in my locker over the weekend and on monday I was shocked to find it had bowed really bad.. teacher said if it even makes a sound it is an A.. of course it did.. but I really wish I hadnt smashed it now, would have been neat to show ppl. :)
Absolutely incredibly amazingly awesome you sir are an inspiration to so many of us who want to learn the craft
This is the best video I've seen on this subject. I used this method recently and it turned out perfectly. Even for a beginner like me. Thank you so much
Thanks for doing these vids David. Its people like you that make you tube so watchable. Im new to guitar building but carpenter 22yrs. So Im gonna have a go soon. Thanks again from UK.
right now I'm standing next to my workbench, with my laptop in front of me, learning a lot and building my first guitar. Thank you Mr. Fletcher for your awesome lessons!! I wish I could meet you some day, shake your hand and say: thank you !! ;)
Your videos have been so helpful! I am making my fourth neck and I view these videos every time. Your method of carving really took the mystery out of the task. Thank you!
Thanks David, my first three turned out OK. Still need to find information showing how to install double action truss rod with thru headstock adjustment. So I'm using e-bay necks, and that is turning out OK. But I sure would rather use one I made to justify all the tools I purchased watching your videos!
Thanks to your video, I've just remembered that I was taught just this technique by my Granfather when I was about nine. I was making something completely different but if nothing else, thank you for bringing back some great memories!
David Fletcher... ...U R AWESOME!
WOW! Thank you so much for making this information available. This will get me in the right direction to making my own instruments.......
Hey there Thank you for these videos. Yesterday I began to make a guitar with the intention of buying a neck to use but after watching these videos I feel that making my own neck is achievable. Thanks for sharing knowledge Trevor
How’s it going?
Everyone will be happy to know I bought a 10-pack of pencils :-)
And, hopefully, by now you have a brass head hammer instead of a framing hammer for delicate fret work 😁. I know you're an artist and a pro so your use of the hammer isn't like it would be if I did it as just a poor beginner (why am I beginning anything at 68 years of age, I don't know) but it's fun to watch you.
I've never got on with a spoke shave - Dunno what it is but I much prefer my rasps for neck shaping. That's not to say a spoke shave isn't perfectly for the job - LOTS of people use them for shaping necks. As I always say there's more than one way to get the job done. Probably more sanding involved but that's ok ;-)
this playlist is really gonna help me with my industrial tech hsc major, thank you
HI Ray, I made sure that that I ordered tuners that had the same spacing as the template had. Most tuners you order will have a diagram showing the recommended hole placements.
I always thought that neck shaping was a conspiracy until I watched your video. Thanks.
Cheers for the great vids David - they are an absolute goldmine of clever tips and tricks. You've already saved me so much time by helping me avoid mistakes. Good on ya mate!
Part 3 of my 10 part Stratocaster Build
Hi Henry,
Sure, I can be reached via enquiries@fletcherhandcraftedguitars.com
Regards,
David Fletcher
***** You are like the Roger Smith of luthiers! It's a compliment, believe me.
In this profession, thank you so much for sharing with us.
Thanks to you, I'm doing guitar walnut.
Thank you so much for this informative video, it really helped me out building my first neck!
Started to watch last night and felt compelled to watch until 3.30am. Great stuff, always wondered how the struss rod was installed and now I know. Did you buy a new pencil yet?
Wow, late night huh ?! ;-) Yeah, I got a 6-pack of pencils , I'll be set for life :-)
Hi, its a contour gauge - You can get them from most hardware stores or you can buy them online from Ebay most probably
well, it doesnt make sense to me. Take Ibanez's AANJ heel for instance, they dont stick out at all, and they hold up just fine :D
I know what you mean. As you can see by my profile pic, I have an Ibanez RG which has an all-access neck joint. And it does look very stylish. (One of my favorite guitars I own as well.) :)
But I do think Stratocasters with the longer tenon are still stronger, and for this particular body style, I think this neck joint does look better. But if you plan on building your own guitar, like these videos have inspired me to, you can build it however you want! :D
You can use a hard auto body block and sandpaper to run up and down your neck to get it level.
These are awesomely entertaining and helpful.
Thanks Chris
Not all tuner spacing is the same, I'm using Gotoh "Kluson-style" locking tuners. The hole spacing for these tuners is 23.8mm with an 11/32" (8.73mm)-diameter tuner hole.
Your tips sir, are amazing. Thank you very much.
Your welcome ! :-)
guy is a genius.
These videos are fabulous and keeping me from getting to bed on time! :)
Thanks for posting them and... dammit. I used to live in Wollongong. If only I'd known I would have pestered you to to let me watch you work. haha!
Haha, thanks :-)
+aggmedia same thing! its 2:00 already!
+Fletcher Handcrafted Guitars Thank you very much for your kind videos! Greetings from Russia!
Thank you. Yeah, its almost a fatback. I still have the final shaping to do though so its not 100% decided yet
hey man, winter is over I’m back in business :) I was a bit worried about the time it would take to shape the neck, but rasp + file = winning combination for me so thanks for your advice. I didn’t even need to use a grinder, to me it seems like it would not be worth it even if it would have sped up the process.
Do you know how many builders buy arbors to press the tuner parts in with rather than using their drill presses and most have drill presses?
Yes, including the fretboard. I should have explained it better in the video
Best carpenter in Life!
I love watching your video. Very interesting explanation. You’re the best video that I saw.
Great video. Thanks! Makes me wanna try building my own.
Best option would be to remove the frets, glue the board on and route it flush with a router. I guess you could probably get away with sanding or filing it down to size if that's the only option you have available to you
Buy this man a BEER !! That was fantastic !! puts video into favorites.. a custom strat cost about 4k or les pual custom. I have priced materials all pieces needed pick ups bridge tuner gotoh duncan mahogany wood rosewood fret board nickle frets EVERYTHING..but the paint or stain was right at a thousand dollars.. OHH can I make a Tron blue Jake E lee strat -OR Iguana burst les pual- ? for a thousand BUcks..
Hi, Yeah definitely heard of them but I have not tried them yet. I need to check them out I think. Those Stew Mac Dragon rasps can remove some wood pretty quick too !!
Hi Aldo, Maple for the neck and Rosewood for the fretboard
Bonjour. Avec quelle lime faite vous l'arrondi du manche. Comment s'appelle-t-elle? Merci
best video ever for a guitar neck!!!! bravo!!!
Great ! Glad it went well.
Cheers Kenji !
Queria entender a divisão que você fez no fundo do neck para esculpir o shape
Thanks and I'm going to just make one got some brazillian rosewood but thanks you for the quick response
When you make the second facet, to you file between the center line and the center of the first facet?
Absolutely, get back into it ! ;-)
Thanks hamercalif
measures headstock holes spaced every 1 "? measures are the same for all types of tuners for me when I did the" F "vintage fender 70's had to put right because I came in, supposedly would have to be crossed
Beautiful work
Hello. With which made file you the rounding of the handle. What is her name? Thank you?
Hello, very good tutorial, can you tell me how thick the fingerboard is before editing and after editing? How this is the neck at the heel and at the first fret without fretboard and finally how thick including fretboard from fret 1 and the heel. I would really appreciate this and other viewers too. Again, many thanks for the recordings! Mike The Netherlands.
just my local hardware store. Any decent hardware store should have a scraper like that. If not, try Rockler.
All builders fear building necks until they actually build one and realize its not so hard ;-)
It adds strength and support to the neck so it won't bend as easily. :)
The line for the transition how many mm is it from the fretboard
Fletch, how much time in the real world did it take to round the back to a finished state? Thank you, William
a couple of hours from start to finish
I've checked out a few of your videos... all I can say is genius! :)
Quick question I don't know if you'll read this but what radius is your spindle sander
so I am thinking a lot about making a guitar..and I think I would be able to make it..the neck.. I have some experience working with wood..but theres a thing I don't have all these tools..like these machines for example :..like for making this kind a "hole" for a trust rod?..if there any chance to make it without all these machines ..like with a hand tools ? and which tools are the main tools for making electrc guitar?
thank you in advance
these videos are so interesting! thank you for making these!
"Yes, I know I need to buy a new pencil."
I was thinking that back at the first video!!! Haha
This video has given me a lot of confidence in building my first neck now. As shaping it was one of my main concerns and now that I've seen you do this method I would like to do the same.
If there some where I can look up the measurements to draw on the lines for the facets?
Quick question. Why do bolt on's need that tenon sticking out? Why cant you just contour it to the heel?
Where did you learn your skills Mr. Fletch - obviously you did a wood working trade or joinery, but did you visit a guitar makers factory to see how it was done?
i love this video series ... i more respect for using my guitar
love these videos. totally helps me out
For that rough wood removal why not use a 45 degree router bit?
What shape neck is this technique designed for?
I rly like the old fat necks. Especially the 50's Les Paul necks
Mr Fletcher, this is my forth time viewing this video, could we get more updates. Please!
Hi David: I was curious as to why you use a rasp and not a spoke shave to shape the neck? It seems that using the rasp would require much more sanding vs. the spoke shave. I guess that the rasp can be more accurate in some respects & perhaps just as fast. Perhaps a combination of the 2 tools would work best? Beautiful work & craftsmanship! Cheers, Steve
Is it the V neck shape? How can I made a modern C shape?
hi im using a rose wood fret board which already has frets in which is slightly too wide for the neck can i just sand or file it down or will i have to somehow take the fret wire out? thanks and great video very helpful.
What brand of tuners did you use from Stew Mac?
Have you ever tried to make a jig to use with a router to shape the back of the neck?
hi great stuff thanks i am on my sons computer but felt like i could give u a heads up i used as a machinists a ball end mill that might help u on your router of the end of the neck with a radius all ready built in and the shanks come in 1/2 and 1/4 inch sizes so they should fit a router and work as well love the vids walter rider
Thanks Walter, I'll check it out
Before you route the head stock what is the measurement you make just behind the first tuner hole or how far behind the first tuner hole is that line drawn? You are doing such a great job making the neck, I have a video to build a strat by that leaves a lot out and does not describe nearly as well as you are. Electrics are quit different to build than acoustics are and I was having some troubles with measurements, you've helped a lot, thank you.
I think the fretboard also counts to the neck thickness.
thank you for sharing! this is great
David, you sound like you buy most of your tools from Stew Mac, you don't find them a bit high priced at all because I certainly do an don't buy anything I don't have to tool wise. You can find diamond files else where for half to quarter their price and others too.
yes, good eye !
Thanks! Keep up the good work.
Ive bought these tools over the years, I would have no idea how much they would all cost now. For the specialty tools, check out the Stewmac website, you should be able to get a pretty good idea from there. Check out Grizzly for the power tools
Sure, what I say is "I've just marked 14mm on the calipers" which is the headstock thickness
When it comes to profiling the back of the neck, why not just use a router? So much faster, although I realize you choose precision over speed. P.S. Thank you very much for making this series!
so after you rough it out on the sides is that the fattest you can make a neck or can you make it fatter
gfcDadti
Great video. Love your techniques. Interesting that your neck is the same thickness on the 1st fret as it is on the 12th fret.