Official Luthiers Forum!

hi everyone, i am going to begin fitting my dovetail joint on my guitar kit that i got from john at blues creek. so far everything is going well with putting it together. i am confused about fitting the dovetail. i purchased the stewmac video to help me to understand how the dovetail works and is fitted although my dovetail is different then the one on the video. the one in the video seems to sit in the body joint very well and almost flush witht the neck top to the soundboard top. the one i got doesnt sit in the body joint at all. the neck joint is much larger than the body joint and it doesnt sit inside the joint. can anyone help me with info on how to start fitting the neck joint into the body joint so that i can get to the point were the top side of the neck and sound board are flush.

I am confussed by your discription of your issue. dovetail shapes may vary a bit but the way they work is all the same.

If you are saying that when the neck tenon is inserted into the mortise that the fretboard mounting surface of the neck is setting higher than the outer surface of the top, then material needs removed from the sides of the tenon cheeks. It is common for the raw tenon to be over sized just a little. The allows for variance in top thickness and side to side adjustment. Give John a call at Blues Creek. he will be happy walk you through the process of fitting the neck.

I an assuming that you have cut the mortise opening in the top of the guitar, or you would not be able to insert the tenon into the mortise, as the tenon and mortise are a progressive wedge shape in two differnt planes, the neck must enter from the top of the mortise. you can not insert the tenon from the end of the mortise you must insert from the top.MichaelP38790.6914930556

I don't know if this any help other than showing why the dovetail tenon must enter the mortise pocket from the top of the mortise. you must have an opening in the top for both the tenon and the truss rod nut if the truss rod is a sound hole adjuster, and the tenon if a peghead adjuster. The cheeks of the tenon and mortise form the locking mechanism wedging the neck heal aginst the body.

thanks for the help guys i just talked with john and he explianed it for me. he told me to use chaulk and mark the inside of the body joint. fit in the neck joint and see where the chaulk touches the neck joint. that is where i can sand down using a paint stick with sandpaper glued to it. he mentioned to keep track of the center line throughout so that i know where i am . i am going ot try this and see where it brings me. i will probably be back writing more quesitons though. any other suggestions for keeping the center line straight with the body centerline or any other tips you can give me before i start will be a huge help as i am sure experience with this is the key. thanks hesh i looked up the stew mac site i think this will be a great help.

I just went through my 1st dovetail fitting. It only took me 3 days! It's also a Blues Creek Kit. I had to summon John's help as well. You've got to go real slow w/ your chisel, or you can end up taking too much off and the fit will be too loose. Then you'll have to glue strips of wood back on. Don't ask me how I know this!

I finally got it to fit real snug, using the chalk markings. It's pratically even w/ the top, and the centerlines right on. I had to go to Frank Fords, Frets.com, for some descriptive up-close shots of the process, and found that very helpful. I think it's a patience kind of thing for a beginner!

rich b, its good to hear that a first time can work without error. i get the patience thing. i am waiting until i have at least a few hours to spare before i even start. can you direct me to the link in frets.com with the pictures and description you mentioned. i checked out the website but i couldnt find anything.

Kama...

There were a couple of examples where Frank Ford does neck-resets on a couple of older Martins. One is perhaps better than the other in terms of the process.

They are listed on his site in the "Items for Luthiers" section. You then scroll down util you get to
"Neck Resetting".

Let's see if I can post a direct link:
1. http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Nec kReset/00045Reset/00045reset1.html

For some reason I can't get these to open up on my computer. Nor can I figure out how to Link it w/ just a reworded 'blue phrase'?

I cut & paste it and the 'Add Hyperlink", then I reword it, but then it posts the whole link w/ the added wording, but it won't open?

2. http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Nec kReset/00028Reset/00028reset01.html

Well, I got them to go, but still can't do it reworded!