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Here's a question for the experts. I've only ever built 2 piece necks with a scarf joint at the headstock. Now I've got a full size blank, should I still use a scarf joint at the headstock? I know it's supposed to make for a stronger headstock, but I already run CF through the neck and into the headstock. I built an angle jig for my bandsaw so it only takes me a few minutes to cut and dimension the pieces. How much harder is it to maintain square and properly thickness as a one piece?

As always, thanks for the input.

Bob K

I've done both. With a one piece neck, I just bandsaw it to shape then run it through my jointer to square it up.Once both top surfaces are square the rest is pretty much the same.

Al

Thanks Al, appreciate the help. I'll give it a try this weekend.

Interestingly, even when I find blanks big enough to do one piece necks, I usually rip them down the middle and install something between them -- even if it is a simple veneer. I like the way it looks if nothing else.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I thought I read somewhere that you then swap the left and right sides before gluing it back together. something about equalizing the internal stress or is that a wives tale?

Yes Bob, that works as you described it. Wood often has a way in which it will naturally warp or twist over time. By doing that, those forces will counteract each other.Don Williams38929.886087963

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Actually You're on the right track but just a little off. If you reverse the pieces, you do nothing but reverse the pieces, but if you cut your profiles from the same board reversed at the time of cutting then stack them it becomes sort of a rough bookmatch with the runout (and stresses) going in opposite directions. For example place the palms of your hands togather and arch your fingers to the right. Now reverse your hands without changing the arch, and nothing happens except the hands are on opposite sides. Now place your hands togather palms down. Arch your fingers slightly down, now rotate your hands untill the palms are facing each other, and the arches become opposite effectively cancelling each other.

   If you're installing CF in the neck, the one piece neck will not give you any problems with twisting or warping...especially if the blank or billet is actually dry and ready to use.

   Any high quality truss rod assembly will fight those tendencies as well as the fingerboard glued to the neck. I prefer and use a one piece neck as my standard and have never had a problem with warping or twisting or headstock failure.

   I love a laminated neck's appearance, but still prefer the look of a nicely quartersawn one piece Mahogany blank.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

I like that approach too, i laminated the neck of no 2 and love the look but might try a one piece on no 3.