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I am building an electric/acoustic thin bodied acoustic guitar with an electric guitar neck (bolt on) and a pinless acoustic bridge and saddle.

(a performance guitar?)

Here is my issues:

When I try to set the neck at the 14th fret, there seems to be too much neck sitting inside the body. This may just be an illusion, but also the back of the neck is inside the body so far that the rounded edge will show.

By the way, this is a 21 fret, 25.5 scale neck.

If I go to the 15th fret, everything lines up correctly and looks better. The issue may be that raising the neck also will raise the bridge. Since the guitar body is actually a 25.34 scale body, this may not be an issue using a 25.5 scale and raising it a little.

 

WHen I look at setting it at the 16th fret, all looks well except that I would have to have a special case made for it since the headstock is about 3" above normal height. The saddle would be almost directly over the center of the x-brace. I have pretty much thrown out this idea, which leaves me to either the 14th fret or the 15th fret.

Any advice on how to set this neck?

 

Also, here are the current builds (most for the Miami show) in various stages of completion on the table, on the saw, and in the window.

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Ken, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but why are you using a
premade neck? Why not make your own, when you can use a different
scale length and a different carve? I just don't see that neck working for
your situation

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

I could carve the neck myself, but I dont think I could do any better at it than the neck that I bought.

This guitar is going to be different than your run of the mill guitars. The electric neck on it will add to the overall playability and uniqueness.

I may have to look for a short scale neck though..or make one...or..

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

So what's the problem with setting it at the 15th fret? There really is nothing magic about which fret lines up with the body, other than this may throw the bridge into the wrong spot. Last year, I built a thinline archtop which had the neck set at the 17th fret.

this neck is not going to work. the issue is the heel area is contoured beyond where it will intersect the body.

I don't know exactly how you planed the joint but it appears to me that this set-up would be a belly in nightmare. But like I said I am not sure I understand how the neck is being attached.

Ken, are you sure it is a 21 fret neck, I'm counting 22.  That might help a little with too much neck in the body if you shaved a fret off.  Maybe I'm not seeing it right in the photos.

You are right Chuck! This one is a 22 fretter. I have a bunch of necks to choose from, and most are 21....this one 22.

Michael,

I will be bolting the neck through the back, complete with a metal neck plate as any other electric guitar would bolt on. I planned for this by adding western red cedar (to reduce the weight) to most of the upper bout. The whole upper bout isnt solid, but enough to bolt on a neck is. remarkably, the body doesnt weigh hardly anything in it's present form.

This is a hybrid guitar, so thinking acoustic doesnt work as far as the neck is concerned. Think of it as a hollow bodied electric.

I think I have settled on bolting it on at the 15th fret. As Barry points out, it really doesnt make any difference. The neat thing is that I can always replace the neck with something else by removing 4 bolts and bolting another one in it's place.

By going for the 15th fret join, the notch for the neck will be square.

Thanks for all of the opinions folks!

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H