set neck

[stevetx19]

hello,

i have built a few basses with bolt on's, and would like to try something new for my current project:
5 string tenor bass, dual soapbars, mahog with spalt maple top, maple/walnut neck, cocobolo fretboard...

basically, ive seen these fodera's with the set neck, and would like to try that. The process doesn't look too dificult, just constructing a tenon and making sure its a tight fit. Is there anything i should watch out for? im trying to keep the neck fairly slim so my join will be around 16.

also, and this is a different topic, i play cello as well, and was wondering if anyone ever made and electirc cello guitar. it seems a fretless bass tuned in 5ths. Stupid idea or worth exploring?

thanks
stephen

[Suburban]

Basically, the difference between bolt-on and set-in is the bolts vs. the glue.

If you look at e.g. Gibson, they have a little bit different contour on the neck heel. More like a key-hole shape, than the bolt-on rectangular.
There are rumours about some luthiers that make a dovetail! Never seen one of those, though, even on picture... And this would be a heavy duty, particular work, superjoint...so you might as well make a neckthru

Anyway, we all know of simple key-hole set necks that have been in business for decades. A simple rectangular joint is the same, perhaps with a little less glue area, so you might be a bit more cautious when selecting and applying the glue.


[edit] Oh, I forgot about the cello thing. It's well possible. What is the scale of a cello? I mean, a bunch of different scales are used for bass guitars, from some 28" to 38" at least. So it would probably not be any problems to make a cello-scale guitar with cello-gauge strings.

[FBB Custom]

I think Gibson has a hidden mortise-and-tenon inside their set necks. I can't comment on other electric instrument makers except to say that there is a significant number of modern builders that are making set necks with no dovetail or tenon, many of them highly respected.

I used to be skeptical but even I have given in and am now offering set neck instruments, no tenon or dovetail, in addition to bolt-on and neck through.

The dovetail is the defacto standard for steel string guitars. There, you don't have the luxury of a large gluing area and surrounding rigidity to take advantage of.

[DavidRavenMoon]

You can construct a set neck without a mortise and tenon. What I do is inlay the neck from the front... so it's almost like a bolt on. only it's glued on and the body is shaped to the neck, so you don't have a heel. I run my neck all the way up to the neck pickup, and then use a router with a pattern bit to level the inlayed neck section to the front of the bass.

Looks like this:





Regarding the electric 'cello...

NS Cello

And:

NS Bass Cello

[Musiclogic]

Originally Posted by FBB Custom

I think Gibson has a hidden mortise-and-tenon inside their set necks. I can't comment on other electric instrument makers except to say that there is a significant number of modern builders that are making set necks with no dovetail or tenon, many of them highly respected.

I used to be skeptical but even I have given in and am now offering set neck instruments, no tenon or dovetail, in addition to bolt-on and neck through.

The dovetail is the defacto standard for steel string guitars. There, you don't have the luxury of a large gluing area and surrounding rigidity to take advantage of.

You are correct, Gibson has a hidden mortise and tenon. The neck is made with a large block at the end, and the tenon is cut out of that. The tenon is cut about 3/8 in on each side, and about 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 deep leaving the back of the block to create the "heel cap", and the tenon being completely covered by the fretboard, except on Les Paul Jr.s and SG's where the tenon is continued into the front picup cavity and routed out after it has dried.