Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi there,

Long time lurker trying to develop the skill set to made guitar with an angled neck joint. Specifically, I'm trying to make a few Les Paul Juniors. These guys have a 3 degree neck angle. So I built a Myra jig: http://www.mykaguitars.com/tools/neckpocketjig/. and a particle board jig with 3 degree wedges. The issue I'm having is that the corners of the neck pocket are a 3/8th radius, I have router bits but they are not long enough. The neck pocket is supposed to be 1 3/8" at the deepest, I can get the bit in the router to cut that deep but not with the height of the template 1/4" or the Myra jig 3/4". Yes I could use a larger bit but I can't find a top bearing 3/8" that is long enough to accommodate the height of the template and achieve the 1 3/8" depth. How have others solved this problem?

This was years ago, but I think I used a 1/2" bit.

Why do you have to use 3/8"?

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I have to use the 3/8 bit because of the curve radius on the heel of the neck. I made them from a template set, in retrospect I would make the necks with a 1/2 radius.

You can rasp or file it to 1/2".

I wouldn't fret it (no pun).

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

3/8" radius???

that equates to a 3/4" diameter...

I just bought a 1 3/4" long cutting edge top bearing pattern bit last week that had a diameter of 3/4" which resulted in a 3/8" radius inside corner...Amana...they make them from 1 1/4" to 2" long

Radius, diameter, 220V, 221V, whatever it takes...

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I've done a number of angled set necks. I first plane the neck angle into the top at 3 3-1/2 degrees. I drill out as much waste as I can, then screw my neck pocket template directly on to the top - it is just 1/4 inch MDF. I'm pretty sure my bid is 3/8 diameter - the bearing follows the template, then as I move deeper it follows the walls of the cavity. I end up with the floor of the cavity at the same angle as the top.

I use the same template to size the tenon - I want it to fit snugly. When I route the mortise I put a layer or two of masking tape on the bearing surface - that way its a hair smaller and I can sand to fit.