There are a lot of Luthier vids on YT, some very good and some not so. I've seen a large percentage of them. My compliments to you on you vids being educational, informative and succinct. Too many fill time with waffle. Great job. Thanks.
+FlyingSquirrelTony Thanks! Ya, it's really practical. I have no other purpose for that laser, it's only "raison d'être" is to align the neck and body :)
haven't seen any other vid's in this series, but, from looking at the 1st few seconds of this one I can say that WOOD looks fantastic, I'll be watching the rest now.
I’m currently building my first guitar and this process absolutely terrifies me. I know if I mess up, the guitar becomes firewood. Your approach has given me hope I might be able to perform this correctly. 1000 thanks.
Finally a clear method/explanation. I do not understand what those people who thumbed down this video wanted.... bah... I'm looking forward to start my first guitar..... actually, i believe it will be an electric ukulele!! :) Ciao (thumbs up!!)
Excellent video. It went fast. Before I knew it, it was over. Most people that make videos like this, make the video just drag along. You didn’t. Thank you. Very informative. Tom Sisson
Super video thanks. Would love to see a run of vids on a full build and all stages. Just in the process of getting ready to build my first guitar so great help.
Great job! You make it look so easy, thank you. I agree, your videos are educational, informative and right to the point. I liked your pickup template video as well. Thanks again, I'm subscribed.
Fantastic video. I was about to go out to my workshop and carve my first neck pocket but after watching your video i am on my way to purchase a new router bit, forstner bit and get a price on a laser. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
How do you cut the wood out for the neck pickup? Nice woods for the neck. I build one of a kind customs. One of my guitars is a Fireman's Axe Guitar, only one in the world. My next project is another unique guitar never built b4. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks. But these days, I don't use the tape anymore and the fit is still good. Both methods are good but I find it a bit too tight when using the tape.
Perhaps aluminum tape would be more durable against the router bit. It can also be used to shield the cavities. The tape can be found at the hardware store with the HVAC supplies. Love your videos!
Actually I don't use tape anymore as a shim when routing the neck pocket. But I do use aluminum tape for shielding electronic cavities, works very well. Thanks!
Nice vid. A couple things...i never like to put clamps directly on the frets. Maybe if they r glued in but otherwise no. Also the tape idea is good and is needed, but if u use binding tape from a luthier supply site, it won't tear up like the making tape does.
You did a great job and it all worked out but 2 things I did notice. Don't want to appear too critical but we're all always learning! You routed downhill when doing the RHS. It's best not to although sometimes you can get away with it. It coud have lead to a little kickback whch would have ruined the body or injured you. Test fit the neck before you remove the fence. That way if it were too tight you could have simply taken off the kasking tape to address the problem without having to reinstall the fence
I don't think you need masking tape on the small piece of wood at the end of the pocket , but only on the 2 sides to make the neck pocket tighter, by putting masking tape there you are pushing the neck slightly out of position, (not that a fraction of a mm counts).
Your videos are awesome and very informative! I’m going to attempt to build my first guitar sometime this year, hopefully an explorer and I was baffled on how to carve the neck pocket but now I know exactly how to do it after watching this. Thank you so much, keep up the good work!
Nice video. Appreciate your sharing. Can I ask why you bother to chisel out the wood in that neck pickup location that keeps the neck from fitting flat rather than just cutting off that extended part of the neck which you say later you cut off anyway? Is it because you actually leave some of that wood from the neck extension and just cut enough of it out to leave room for the pickup? Cheers.
Thanks Gary. Yes, the neck heel sits under the pickup. This photo, from another build, is worth a thousand words... projectelectricguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MG_5693-web.jpg
Got it... the more wood in there the better. I'm joining the project Guitar Facebook group. I'll post an interesting project of mine there. Not in your league, mind you... but definitely interesting. :)
If your adding a neck break angle how are you going to compute it.? You mentioned in the video that if you are doing a break angle you are going to trim down the bottom of the neck, but how many?
Great video, quick question...why would a design want to have a tilt in the neck? Just noticed my Tele neck tilts forward and seem to prevent me from getting a nice low action at the 17th fret. Thanks
A tilt in the neck is required when the bridge sits hight on the body like a Tune-O-Matic bridge on a Les Paul. If the neck was not tilted, then the action would be much too high. Teles don't usually have a tilt because the bridge sits very low, that being said, I know that some people like to tilt the neck on Teles...
Could you make a video on how to Fix a neck pocket. I tried the saw dust and titebond method and ended up sanding too much. Mine it's a bolt on neck. I never filled the entire cavity and I think it need more dust. I only used sand paper and that's probably the issue. Should have centered and template it like your did. the Problem is the guitar has a nitrocellulose finish. It's a 1984 Striker by Kramer with a vintage Floyd.
how do I drill new hole on a new guitar body to fit a factory made superstrat neck? I need tips to do a template. Or do I simply fill the holes on my neck and drill new holes on both blank body and neck?
Hi, I've been looking into building my first guitar and it will happen this summer! I've a question for you though, why go in first with the drill press, then use the router, can't you just use the router straight out of the gate? Thanks for the video!
It's common practice to hog-out as much wood as you can before using the router. That way the router doesn't have to work as hard. A Forstner bit on the drill press will remove a lot of wood very easily, much more easily that the router can...
I assume you mean the upper part of the neck tenon, then yes, with a saw. Here's a photo from another build of mine that may explain it better projectelectricguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MG_5690-web.jpg
Oh cool, cheers! Currently building an SG out of 2x4 (yes, I know softwood's a bit shite) just to get my head around all the techniques before buying nice expensive timber! Your videos are pretty damn helpful :)
I got a question: I have a Fender Tele Modern Player and I really like the way it feels but something seemed to be of with the tone and the tuning. So I unbolted the neck and I found a super hilly surface, which, like I think, causes the neck to have a little play up and down so it’s never 100% in tune. I ask u now, should I just sand down those bumps? Is there anything that could go wrong? I got some woodworking skills and would go for a sanding block to get a even surface. Thanks :)
I depends on what you mean by "super hilly surface"... I would be surprised if Fender made a neck heel so "hilly" that it will cause tone and tuning issues. Do you have a close-up photo? You can join my Project Electric Guitar Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/ProjectElectricGuitar/) and the community there can help you solve the issue. You can always leave the group after if you wish.
People have been making mortise and tenon joints (that's what a guitar neck and pocket are really) for hundreds of years without a router. You can use chisels if you are experienced with them, however a router will get the job done faster. Perhaps you can ask a friend that owns a router to help you out?
Actually i have recently built a strat from scratch and the neck pocket without a router much like you try to....i used a 10 mm forstner bit to reach the depth i wanted and sharp chisels for the fine details.I didnt even have drill press to hold the drill nice and perpendicular(like the stupid mofo iam i eyeballed it!!!) so my neck pocket got slightly....slanted....still i used fine sawdust and woodglue and leveled it......you can say its a shitty job and you would be right...but still the guitar finished assembled and played great without issues....so if you have at least access to a drill press and a forstner bit you can basically make the neck pocket with very good accuracy without a router and easily clean it up with chisels..without a drill press though... you ll suffer a bit like me..hehe.
nice job, but don't use sticky tape, it may leave a residue. use masking tape, then put it on both sides of the piece of wood and the guitar body. place a small dot or two of super glue on the masking tape then place the 2 pieces together. the wooden guide will be then stuck to the body, but will be able to be removed easily without any residue. please not not to use too much super glue, only a couple of small dots needed
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
This is what I was looking for : a clear, step by step explanation for the home DIY guitar builders, and yet a perfect fit ! Thx !
Glad it was helpful!
There are a lot of Luthier vids on YT, some very good and some not so. I've seen a large percentage of them. My compliments to you on you vids being educational, informative and succinct. Too many fill time with waffle. Great job. Thanks.
Thanks for taking the time to write that. I appreciate it.
As well as being a really clear and informative video, there was something hugely relaxing and satisfying about watching it - thanks
The best explaination I ever seen about this job
Thanks Andre.
Thank you for making these videos available. Your approach is clear, informative, and to the point. Again, thank you.
Thank Louis, glad you liked it.
Nice touch using the laser, hadn't thought to use one of those in building guitars, but it makes perfect practical sense.
+FlyingSquirrelTony Thanks! Ya, it's really practical. I have no other purpose for that laser, it's only "raison d'être" is to align the neck and body :)
How do I figure out how deep to make my neck pocket? I've already got a neck I purchased on line. Does it depend on what bridge I'll be using?
Love the neck binding... well done.
Thanks!
What an honor to watch such mastery. Well done!
Thanks
Great video, sweet slab of wood , excellent illustration.
Thanks! I appreciate it!
haven't seen any other vid's in this series, but, from looking at the 1st few seconds of this one I can say that WOOD looks fantastic, I'll be watching the rest now.
Great! 👍👍
I’m currently building my first guitar and this process absolutely terrifies me. I know if I mess up, the guitar becomes firewood. Your approach has given me hope I might be able to perform this correctly. 1000 thanks.
Very smart and helpful great ideas....!!
Glad it was helpful!
Finally a clear method/explanation.
I do not understand what those people who thumbed down this video wanted.... bah...
I'm looking forward to start my first guitar..... actually, i believe it will be an electric ukulele!! :)
Ciao (thumbs up!!)
Thanks Antonio! I'm glad you found my video educational. An electric ukulele will be a great project.
love your videos,you do great work,its nice to see a fellow Luthier take the time to properly explain his methods,keep up the good work
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Excellent video. It went fast. Before I knew it, it was over. Most people that make videos like this, make the video just drag along. You didn’t. Thank you. Very informative.
Tom Sisson
Enjoyed very much, thank you.
Glad you liked it
Do video about carving with tilt. Excellent tutorial! Cheers
Thanks!
I generally prefer to add the tilt on the heel of the neck, I find it much easier than to angle the pocket.
Super video thanks. Would love to see a run of vids on a full build and all stages. Just in the process of getting ready to build my first guitar so great help.
Great stuff, nicely done.
Thanks
Great job! You make it look so easy, thank you. I agree, your videos are educational, informative and right to the point. I liked your pickup template video as well. Thanks again, I'm subscribed.
Thank you Pam!
Just about to do this job on my first build and this video was really helpful. Many thanks.
Very logical way to do it. And if you wanted to carved the body after it makes it easier. I agree about puting the angle on the neck is a lot easier.
Incredible work and video!
Thank you Eric!
Fantastic video. I was about to go out to my workshop and carve my first neck pocket but after watching your video i am on my way to purchase a new router bit, forstner bit and get a price on a laser. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks Steve. Happy that you found it helpful.
that's a pretty groovy Xplorer you got there! I like it!
+Joseph Burton Thanks, but I guess you're talking about my last guitar!? This one is based on a Firebird... :)
Project Electric Guitar they have a similar shape, I guess the firebird kinda looks like a smaller explorer. Very nice anyway
Thanks Tyler
Excellent video, thanks! Do you have another video showing how to remove the pickup cavity from the neck?
Great, thanks, going to go and do it now.
Great video, thank you ! Question: how do you know how deep to rout the pocket? I assume you have a bridge height in mind beforehand?
Nice job man that's a really nice guitar you build super clean guitars.
Thanks, Eddie. (I see that you got your keyboard fixed :)
I am ready to make my second guitar, and this idea will help me a lot. Many thanks for the explanation and video.
AMAIZING JOB. CONGRATULATION.
Thanks
Good job
Thanks
Very nice. Thanks
Thanks.
nice video this will help me out on my next build
Thanks Adam, glad it was helpful.
How do you cut the wood out for the neck pickup? Nice woods for the neck. I build one of a kind customs. One of my guitars is a Fireman's Axe Guitar, only one in the world. My next project is another unique guitar never built b4. Thanks for the tips.
Great video! Thanks for posting it.
+Jeff Zweygardt Thanks Jeff, you're welcome.
Well done my brother! Thank you for your vids.
Thanks John!
Great lesson! Thx!
Thanks and you're welcome
Nice job bro. !!!
Thanks!
brilliant idea using the tape as a shim to ride the router against. I initially thought oh he's gonna have a loose fitting neck
Thanks. But these days, I don't use the tape anymore and the fit is still good. Both methods are good but I find it a bit too tight when using the tape.
Perhaps aluminum tape would be more durable against the router bit. It can also be used to shield the cavities. The tape can be found at the hardware store with the HVAC supplies. Love your videos!
Actually I don't use tape anymore as a shim when routing the neck pocket.
But I do use aluminum tape for shielding electronic cavities, works very well.
Thanks!
Nice vid. A couple things...i never like to put clamps directly on the frets. Maybe if they r glued in but otherwise no. Also the tape idea is good and is needed, but if u use binding tape from a luthier supply site, it won't tear up like the making tape does.
Thank you for your input John, I appreciate it.
Can you post a video of how you cut the break angle on the neck
nicely done!!!
You did a great job and it all worked out but 2 things I did notice. Don't want to appear too critical but we're all always learning! You routed downhill when doing the RHS. It's best not to although sometimes you can get away with it. It coud have lead to a little kickback whch would have ruined the body or injured you. Test fit the neck before you remove the fence. That way if it were too tight you could have simply taken off the kasking tape to address the problem without having to reinstall the fence
Good ideas here thank you
Thanks a lot.
Most welcome!
Very informative,,,thank you.
I don't think you need masking tape on the small piece of wood at the end of the pocket , but only on the 2 sides to make the neck pocket tighter, by putting masking tape there you are pushing the neck slightly out of position, (not that a fraction of a mm counts).
You are correct. In fact, I don't use masking tape at all anymore on any of the sides...
Your videos are awesome and very informative! I’m going to attempt to build my first guitar sometime this year, hopefully an explorer and I was baffled on how to carve the neck pocket but now I know exactly how to do it after watching this. Thank you so much, keep up the good work!
Great video. Will you route the neck away now or cut?
Nice video. Appreciate your sharing. Can I ask why you bother to chisel out the wood in that neck pickup location that keeps the neck from fitting flat rather than just cutting off that extended part of the neck which you say later you cut off anyway? Is it because you actually leave some of that wood from the neck extension and just cut enough of it out to leave room for the pickup? Cheers.
Thanks Gary. Yes, the neck heel sits under the pickup. This photo, from another build, is worth a thousand words... projectelectricguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MG_5693-web.jpg
Got it... the more wood in there the better. I'm joining the project Guitar Facebook group. I'll post an interesting project of mine there. Not in your league, mind you... but definitely interesting. :)
If your adding a neck break angle how are you going to compute it.? You mentioned in the video that if you are doing a break angle you are going to trim down the bottom of the neck, but how many?
How do you carve the back of your neck? Do you have a jig or just use spoke shaves?
I don't have a jig, I start with a spokeshave, move to rasps and finally sandpaper.
Could you give the size dimensions, make or serial number model number of the trim flush router bit. Excellent video btw, thank you.
You can use something like this amzn.to/2ue8nzf
Great video, quick question...why would a design want to have a tilt in the neck? Just noticed my Tele neck tilts forward and seem to prevent me from getting a nice low action at the 17th fret. Thanks
A tilt in the neck is required when the bridge sits hight on the body like a Tune-O-Matic bridge on a Les Paul. If the neck was not tilted, then the action would be much too high. Teles don't usually have a tilt because the bridge sits very low, that being said, I know that some people like to tilt the neck on Teles...
Nice job Araz! Now I want to buy a levelling laser too...
+JF Cloutier Thank JF! At least a laser leveling tool is not too expensive :)
Thanks a lot for the video , Spartan !!
You're welcome!
The centerline, is it based on something? like the center of mass or something? or is it something you decide?
The centerline is established while making the plans, it's the lines that crosses the center of the fretboard and pickups.
@@Projectelectricguitar Yes, I know but I just have a block of wood here. So basically I just decide where it will go?
@@thijs199 yes
Could you make a video on how to Fix a neck pocket. I tried the saw dust and titebond method and ended up sanding too much. Mine it's a bolt on neck. I never filled the entire cavity and I think it need more dust. I only used sand paper and that's probably the issue. Should have centered and template it like your did. the Problem is the guitar has a nitrocellulose finish. It's a 1984 Striker by Kramer with a vintage Floyd.
how do I drill new hole on a new guitar body to fit a factory made superstrat neck? I need tips to do a template. Or do I simply fill the holes on my neck and drill new holes on both blank body and neck?
wouldnt it be easier to make the pocket first and then shape the body around it?
I am assuming if it was a bolt on neck you could leave it that tight.
Yes, for a bolt-on, I would leave it that tight.
You mention that there was no "tilt" or angle and that you incorporate into the heel of the neck. How would do that exactly? Thank you.
Here's one of my videos that shows how I incorporate a neck angle into the neck heel. ruclips.net/video/OIUEvElnFGQ/видео.html
Hi, I've been looking into building my first guitar and it will happen this summer! I've a question for you though, why go in first with the drill press, then use the router, can't you just use the router straight out of the gate? Thanks for the video!
It's common practice to hog-out as much wood as you can before using the router. That way the router doesn't have to work as hard. A Forstner bit on the drill press will remove a lot of wood very easily, much more easily that the router can...
nice
Thanks
Very nice and accurate job! What laser do you use?
Thank you. The laser is a Jobmate laser level.
Project Electric Guitar thank you very much. Ill try to utilize this method as well :)
Can you do the same thing but teach us to use a chisel by hand to carve the neck joint please
What's your fretboard made of it's beautiful
The fretboard is morado (aka pau ferro).
How do you go about cutting down the tenon when you're actually installing the neck? just w/ saw?
I assume you mean the upper part of the neck tenon, then yes, with a saw. Here's a photo from another build of mine that may explain it better projectelectricguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MG_5690-web.jpg
Oh cool, cheers! Currently building an SG out of 2x4 (yes, I know softwood's a bit shite) just to get my head around all the techniques before buying nice expensive timber! Your videos are pretty damn helpful :)
I've never used a router before. What is the bit called to make this cut with the template?
It's a flush-trim router bit with a ball bearing, also knows as template bit.
I guess you could actually use this method even on a model with a carved top - just be sure to carve for the neck (and maybe the pickups, too) first!
How do i get the neck perfectly straight while im tracing?
So could it be possible to make any neck fit any body?
If the body does not have a neck pocket yet, then yes, you can route a neck pocket as long as the heel on the neck and body shape are compatible.
How do you determine the depth of the neck pocket?
For every guitar, I make a full scale drawing from the top and side and then there's no question about the depth.
I got a question:
I have a Fender Tele Modern Player and I really like the way it feels but something seemed to be of with the tone and the tuning. So I unbolted the neck and I found a super hilly surface, which, like I think, causes the neck to have a little play up and down so it’s never 100% in tune. I ask u now, should I just sand down those bumps? Is there anything that could go wrong? I got some woodworking skills and would go for a sanding block to get a even surface. Thanks :)
I depends on what you mean by "super hilly surface"... I would be surprised if Fender made a neck heel so "hilly" that it will cause tone and tuning issues. Do you have a close-up photo? You can join my Project Electric Guitar Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/ProjectElectricGuitar/) and the community there can help you solve the issue. You can always leave the group after if you wish.
very helpful, thanks, about to cut my neck slot.
Thanks and good luck with the cut.
so.... if i dont own a router, im screwed???
People have been making mortise and tenon joints (that's what a guitar neck and pocket are really) for hundreds of years without a router. You can use chisels if you are experienced with them, however a router will get the job done faster. Perhaps you can ask a friend that owns a router to help you out?
Actually i have recently built a strat from scratch and the neck pocket without a router much like you try to....i used a 10 mm forstner bit to reach the depth i wanted and sharp chisels for the fine details.I didnt even have drill press to hold the drill nice and perpendicular(like the stupid mofo iam i eyeballed it!!!) so my neck pocket got slightly....slanted....still i used fine sawdust and woodglue and leveled it......you can say its a shitty job and you would be right...but still the guitar finished assembled and played great without issues....so if you have at least access to a drill press and a forstner bit you can basically make the neck pocket with very good accuracy without a router and easily clean it up with chisels..without a drill press though... you ll suffer a bit like me..hehe.
guitar builders must stick together
I see you rout anti-clockwise, but in a pocket we must route clockwise. You are doing a climb cut which is asking for tear out.
Eeeey that body looks awfully inspired by my Ibanez Iceman!!!
Sorry Cody but I don't see an Ibanez Iceman inspiration ... It's a slightly modified Gibson Firebird design.
:( I've never seen one. Just had that single horn shape of the iceman.
Poor ibanez.
do you have facebook you can friends me ..i am building a 1 off guitar in Texas
The fit was a bit too tight.
You are right, I eventually sanded the sides of the neck heel to have an ideal fit, i.e. to allow space for glue
Great instructional, but you REALLY need to turn off auto-focus. Getting a bit dizzy!
Thanks. Yes I've learned that about my camera, I turn off autofocus now...
Have you ever heard of a wood called "Monkey Pod" from Hawaii ??
nice job, but don't use sticky tape, it may leave a residue. use masking tape, then put it on both sides of the piece of wood and the guitar body. place a small dot or two of super glue on the masking tape then place the 2 pieces together. the wooden guide will be then stuck to the body, but will be able to be removed easily without any residue. please not not to use too much super glue, only a couple of small dots needed
That's a good idea, thanks for the suggestion!
why didn't you do all that work on a template so the next time you didn't have to do all that work
I did it myself with the Woodprix plans. I think this is the best way to find out how to build it.