Official Luthiers Forum!

I had to stop building so I could build a shop and then I wanted
to try my hand at winding pickups.

Now I have a shop and pickups so I started building a guitar to put
them in.
I chose to go Tele style with the P-90s I wound.
I also decided to try a set-in neck.

It seems like every little thing about this build has been a pain.
It's been completely different from my other builds but it's not so much
that...it just seems to be one that wants to give me all the trouble it can.

I didn't post just to complain...I do have a question and appreciate your time.

The set-in is the continued taper of the neck and I wondered if it is considered
a dove-tail. Ignorance raised the question as I started thinking if it wasn't tapered
would it be a tenon joint?
The answer may be the only thing that survives this build.

At least you're having a pain building a guitar, I'm having a pain building a chicken coop.

As for your neck joint, I don't think it's really either. Having trouble getting a snug fit?

_________________
http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

No doubt, it's great to be at it.

The joint turned out very nice. First time luck I think.
A little tight- could lift body and could shake it loose if I tried.
Center line is right on.

I was asked about the joint and couldn't answer since the neck
doesn't butt up against the body.

1 vote for half-blind dovetail joint.

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tec ... tails.aspx

In this image, imagine the yellow wood is the neck, coming out of the dark body (very short body, mind you).

I feel for you. I too am starting a tele build, and since I have no money am attempting to wind my own pickups, using recycled wire from a few old bass pickups I had sitting around. Needless to say it's proving to be a bit of an ordeal--the unwinding part that is. That hair thin wire is not easy to keep from breaking. I managed to rig up a makeshift winding rig using my cordless drill and the spinning table of a computer hard drive I had taken apart to get magnets I heard were inside. My neck is still sore from holding the drill trigger in and sitting still while my spool filled up.
If there's one thing I've learned however from building acoustics is no matter how bad it gets, persistence wins out and you can fix anything: that is part of the test of learning I think (if that makes any sense). Keep on keeping on.

I just finished setting up my third guitar, which was the one everything went wrong on. First the truss rod broke and I had to remove the epoxied on fretboard to replace it, then I inlaid one of my fret markers wrong so I had to patch it and make another one, then the body got smashed in an incident I'd rather not give any details on, then the new body's top cracked after I took it inside from my shop, then cracks showed up on the bridge. After all this I let the guitar sit on my wall for about a year figuring I'd own it forever as a cruel reminder of my failings, as I kept building guitars. When I Recently decided to re-do it again, and after carefully repairing the cracks, painted it black and installed a homemade pick guard. Wouldn't you know it's probably the best sounding one I've made.

_________________
"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

oh come on, just one detail.

My lips are sealed.

_________________
"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Cactus your vote is good to me- I don't have a clue.

Nick I agree about not quitting. I'm determined to complete the build
if possible.
I did wonder already if it could be the one that will have that special sound and feel. LOL.

Even with all the hassles it's been enjoyable. Nothing quite like building a guitar.

To be considered a dovetail it would need to have shoulders. A mortise and tenon joint has shoulders as well. If I understand the joint correctly, you basically glued in a Fender type neck/pocket. To me that's just a plain glue joint. I would simply call it a set neck.

_________________
Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Thank you Brian. Not having shoulders is why I questioned what to call it. It is basically like a Fender neck pocket except it is a much longer tapered pocket.

"Tapered set neck" is accurate and fitting to me.