Making a Guitar Neck????

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McGuire
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:20 am

Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by McGuire »

Hi, I have Vcarve and Cut3D and was wondering how you have accomplished making a neck in Aspire. I have searched the forum but have not really come up with anything usefull. I would like to buy the program but would like some input first. Any help is appreciated. Thanks McGuire

John Murphy
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Re: Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by John Murphy »

I am currently working on a Les Paul neck for a customer of mine. Although I am using his data(.stl) I created the runoff and fixture sections without any problem using Aspire.

I'll take some pics when completed.

John

nailzscott
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Re: Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by nailzscott »

Using Aspire's two rail sweep capability, I have modeled up a fret board for a friend of mine that makes acoustic guitars but have been interested in making my own bass guitar.

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a guitar making related question. If your object is, for example, the solid body of an electric guitar, I would need to model up the back and the top, but have not really thought through how I would take a single piece of wood, do all the modeling and toolpaths for boths sides, and make sure that they are perfectly aligned when cutting one side and then the other.

I thought about leaving and extra small piece of wood on the top end and bottom end of the model, and placing a dowel hole in it for reference, but I'm just looking for options - not to re-invent anything.

Thanks for any input.

Scott

John Murphy
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Re: Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by John Murphy »

I personally use a index fixture. I also have a lexan template that allows me to check my setup when working on the other side.

You can also make a plug to locate on one or more of the pockets that you cut on the first side. (hope that makes sense?)

If location is critical, I will machine the plug and set up without changing origins.

There is nothing wrong with your dowel option either.

John

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Rcnewcomb
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Re: Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by Rcnewcomb »

Here is a ->link to some of the fixturing that Jim Olson uses. I recall he uses pins/holes for registering the material for carving. The neck is carved on a 3-axis Fadal CNC.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out, another good day in the shop

nailzscott
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Re: Making a Guitar Neck????

Post by nailzscott »

Randall, I like those Jim Olsen fixtures, but for a one-off guitar, I think that is way out of my league.

John, I think I could work with the plug idea. Since my goal is to glue up the neck material long enough that it extends all the way to the bottom end of the guitar, I could create an mdf jig, create plugs for the pickups, and another plug at the top end of the truss rod groove, and that should get me pretty close.

Thanks for the help - now I just need to figure out when I can get started.

Also, I have a lot of walnut wood for the main body, but haven't dug through my wood piles enought to see if I have anything for the neck piece. I do have a huge piece of wood with a tight grain that is quarter sawn, but I'm working with someone that may be able to identify a lot of the wood I have. Can anyone point me toward a resource for the neck material? I wish I could find someone that might want to swap the neck wood for a piece of walnut.

Thanks
Scott

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