necks

product rdf: 

Neck_(music)

Bastin

Bastin Guitar was established in 2007 to produce high quality, limited-production aluminum guitars and aluminum guitar necks.

HOSCO

Established in 1983 HOSCO (Hosokawa and Co.) are mainly a distributor, but they also create original musical instrument related products for factories, distributors and repairmen.
 

TENAYO

Tenayo is a Korean/Chinese brand with a full range of instruments and accessories. They make some interesting models including the Koyabu 12 string tap guitar and a budget version of the Yamaha silent guitar. The German Thomann company is a major distributer of Tenayo instruments. The tap guitars are available from http://tap-guitar.eu/

Hand finishing

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Instructions: 

The neck still needs some hand finishing before it is ready. First you have to cut through the tabs to free the neck from the blank. Then you have to sand away the machining marks.

The final photo shows the four previous attempts - which were less than perfect. The final attempt turned out left handed - I must have flipped the model in Cut3D!

Roughing and finishing the neck

Project: 

Instructions: 

I calculated the tool-paths using Vectric Cut3D. The machine is controlled using EMC2. The roughing toolpath used an 8mm diameter endmill and the finishing toolpath used a 12mm diameter carving core box bit with an extra long shaft from Wealden tools.

I also used a cut-out tool path which cut out the machine head holes and trimmed around the edge of the neck.

Drill indexing holes in the neck blank

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Instructions: 

I used pine to make the neck. This is not the normal wood for guitar necks, but it is cheap and you make need to have a few gos before you get it right. The piece was around 28mm thick, 106 mm wide and 738 mm long. The two sides you will be machining should be as parallel as possible.

Fix the neck blank to the spoil board - with clamps or double-sided tape whatever works for you - make sure the toolpath doesn't collide with your clamps. The blank should be aligned centrally with the spoil-board.

Make a CNC guitar neck

CNC machining a telecaster guitar neck

This step by step guide shows one way of making a guitar neck using a CNC router.  Warning: CNC machines can be dangerous, especially when you are trying out new toolpaths and techniques. This project is meant to give you an idea of how to CNC a neck, but you will certainly have to adapt the individual steps to make it work on your particular machine.

 

DIY fretboard scalloping

DIY fret scalloping

This is a step-by-step guide to scalloping your fretboard. Scalloping is the removal of wood between the frets (usually from fret 14 upwards). Some players, like Yngwie Malmsteen, favour a scalloped fretboard as it is supposed to make it easier to play fast.

The tools needed are: a round file and sandpaper for wood removal and a Dremel for polishing.

Link: DIY guide to fretboard scalloping

Online fret finder

License: 

Freeware

Operating system: 

Platform independent

If you are making a fretboard, you need to get your frets in the right position. This online 2-D fret placement calculator will help you do just that. It can accommodate more exotic fretboard designs and supports equal and just temperaments, single and multiple scale lengths, and partial and non-parallel frets (similar to the patented Novax style fretboards).  It models frets, fretlets and strings as a system of lines in a two-dimensional plane and then it calculates fret placement on each string in turn.

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Sketchup guitar fretboard (fingerboard) plugin

License: 

Freeware

Operating system: 

Windows and Macintosh

Program type: 

Sketchup plugin

This is a script to automatically generate a conical tapered guitar fingerboard using Google's free 3D design program Sketchup , as well as fret lines and inlay positions. If you want to save the fingerboard as a DXF or STL triangular mesh you can use the DXF & STL exporter plugin . The fret slots are not flat bottomed, but follow the radius of curvature of the fingerboard.

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Set neck = better sustain. Myth?

Bolt-on_neck.jpg

There are three ways of attaching the neck to the body of an electric guitar: set necks where the neck is glued to the body with a tenon joint (most Gibson guitars), through necks where the neck & body are made from the same piece of wood and bolt-on necks (most Fender guitars). It is almost a given amongst guitar players, that through necks sustain better than set-necks and bolt-on necks have the worst sustain.

Cut something out

Project: 

Instructions: 

Now the real fun starts! Building the machine is only the first step. There is a lot learn about how to CAD and CAM, how to hold-down the workpiece, use of the correct cutting tools and speeds.

Here is a simple test cut in left over MDF using the default G-code file in EMC2 AXIS. This pattern was cut using a carbide 2.5mm ball nosed end mill.

Make the gantry

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Instructions: 

It has been a while since my last update, but work on the machine has been ticking along slowly. Family and work commitments mean that I can only get the odd hour here or there to work on it. The gantry is the largest moving part in the machine. It rides back and forth on the longest axis and moves the z-axis carriage from side to side. At this stage I decided to paint the MDF using a semi-gloss paint; the machine was still in pieces at this point and I figured I wouldn't want break it up when it was finished just to paint it.

Make a guitar neck with CNC

CNCNeck.jpg

This project by John Williams shows how you can make a guitar neck using a home-built CNC machine. John built the CNC machine with plans and a kit from HobbyCNC.com. (Check out www.cnczone.com for free plans). The software used was: Rhino 3D to design the neck, MeshCAM to generate the tool paths for the maching process and TurboCNC to operate the machine.

Leadscrew bearings

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Instructions: 

The plans are not very clear how the leadscrew should be supported or connected to the motors. I have decided to use the same skateboard bearings for the leadscrew bearing. These bearings are really designed to take forces perpendicular to the axis of rotation, but can deal with some force along the axis of rotation (like thrust bearings). The bearings are mounted in a square of HDPE plastic. The holes in the bearing mount are spaced using the NEMA 23 motor specification to allow the stepper motors to be attached eventually.

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