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first post and it's a little kooky.

I was watching a sashimono woodworking doco last night which got me thinking, is it possible to build a guitar using entirely interlocking joinery?

Doing a google search on locking joinery the neck seems an easy enough problem to work out but the fretboard would be a little tough.

Thoughts ?

Why? I think you are setting yourself up to chase transient buzzes and rattles for the rest of your days......

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

why is nothing more than curiosity if could be done, a problem to be solved I guess. If there was buzzes you could always glue it up down the track.

I'm more than happy to have a complete failure if I learn something on the way.

It could be done. But what problem is it solving? It might be fun to try if you like a challenge. I guess if you want to fold up your guitar after the gig it might be kinda handy. Other than that I can't see any reason to try to build one.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

I did say it was a kooky question ... not solving any problem I just think the idea of it is fascinating. Some people make wooden puzzles I just think of this the same way but it's more useful.

I don't see any reason why not. In fact, determining the best joint types could be fun and the actual execution would be an excellent exercise in making precision joints... Especially if only hand tools are used.

With respect to fretboard: consider manipulating the moisture content of the pieces and exploit it to create a permanently self-tightened joint. Most likely very low moisture content for whatever makes up the main body of the neck (since the dense oily woods used for fretboards are more resistant to fluctuations in humidity). Even a series of parallel sliding dovetails with angled ones following along the edges and keyed with long side dot position markers would work nicely once equilibrium is reached.

I've actually been working on a neck joint for solid body guitars that makes use of complex joinery and varied moisture content in order to increase tightness and improve the transfer of vibrations. Although I'm still planning to offer it as set or bolted (but not visible). However, in most cases there is no benefit to the instrument.

From time to time I use books on Japanese joinery to tackle a bunch of complex joints for no other purpose than keeping my chops up. Sometimes it's fun to add challenges to the mix such as using only chisels even where saws would normally be desirable. If nothing else laying out and cutting very fine compound dovetails is a great exercise.

strictly in terms of "puzzle fun" and not really a practical, functional, guitar, i could be done. i think you would maybe need to taper dovetail the entire bottom side of the fretboard to lock into the neck shaft. finishing will be interesting.

Scott Walker (not the politician) has a neck joint that is gluless. Check out his website.

I built an elec squareneck with a joint that might work.
Imagine a tight fitting pocket,
router in some grooves on the sides of the pocket,
rout in corresponding grooves on the neck sides,
and cut some splines to join together.
The string tension would hold it together.
I woke up one morning with that idea,
and it worked well for me.
I did glue them,
and you could glue yours' if it didn't work.

Gluing it up if it doesn't work is in the back of my mind. Been doing a bit of research trying to figure the best way to approach this puzzle and like most thing there is more options than I suspected.


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As a carpenter,
I have thought about building a gazebo or something,
without fasteners.
It's been done.
Maybe think about wedges?

Well, it would defeat the purpose you are doing it for, which as I understand it, the challenge of the build. But if the parameters of a build given to me was "no glue", I would use a dovetail spline to join the finger board to neck. Then drill through the the finger board into the neck where the fret markers go, and use them as a pins to keep the fret board from sliding. (as suggest before, maybe use something that will swell, or these will have to be pretty freaking tight.

For the rest of the guitar I would cheat. Start with a low bridge, no neck angel design, and then build it out of a solid piece of mahogany.

In case you're wondering..... here's Scott's neck joining video.
I find it clever, and would like to try it out on one of my builds in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1wiz1o0AAA

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Taylor uses a glue free neck joint.
Seems like it's not really a new idea.

My first neck joint was glue free and adjustable. I still play it daily.

Edit-I went back to the beginning of the thread. Looks like I cheated, I used some bolts ala Doolin.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

you guys are trying to figure out how to attach the fret board, how about no fret board. Put the frets right in the neck, worked for a few electrics.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

All the wood in a guitar is vibrating, moving back and forth. Each cell is pushed and pulled by its neighbors, and is pushing and pulling its neighbors. Why would you want a joint where the wood could only push its neighbor and not pull?