Asymmetrical contoured necks?

Interesting, I was just wondering the same thing the other day. Looking forward to answers.

 

Gets thinner on the D/G side.

Bob

 

Found this at the Warmoth site. Now we just need someone to comment on playability from experience.

 

I've reconfigured several of my own instruments' necks to an offset asymmetrical V, rounder on the bass side, flatter on the treble. Vast improvement in playability.

 

As others have said, the neck is slightly thinner on the D and G side. The necks on my MTDs are the most comfortable I've ever played.

 

It's similar to a thin neck but with the added stability from the bulkier side. Also a larger flatter surface allows you to reposition your left thumb more comfortably.
The real fun starts when you get in to asymmetrical fingerboards.

 

Brubaker has the asymmetrical necks as well. The first time I picked up my Brute I fell in love with the neck . . . So very comfortable! I even had a Roscoe 6'r that I cleaned up and sanded to reshape the neck to be similar to my Brubakers. It's now become my comfort standard against which I judge all other basses.

 

Yes, that. And also sealing and recoating the bare wood when you're done. I used Minwax fast-drying polyurethane clear/satin finish. Brushed on 8 to 10 coats, let it cure, than sanded it to a silky smooth finish

 

For instance, on the MTD 535 the difference in neck thickness is fairly subtle. Its not a huge change.

 

Any chance you could detail what your process was? Just sanding?

Did you go through with this? How did it turn out? Do you have any tips? (I would very much like to do this to my Blacktop P).

Thanks!!

 

If anyone has attempted this (either through sanding, or other methods) I would be very interested to hear about your results. Please inform, if possible! I would love to try this on my Blacktop P . . .

(yes I guess this would fit better in the Luthier's corner, but I did not create the thread, and I do not wish to anger anyone by making a new thread!)

Any and all information, tips or whatever would be greatly appreciated (karma, baby!)

 

Any chance you could detail what your process was? Just sanding?

Rasp, scrape, sand. Not rocket science.

 

Well, what grain of sand paper? Would you sand starting from the 'skunk stripe' to the fingerboard edge? Or from the fingerboard in to the middle? Did you keep it 'uniform', or is it a more pronounced curve the higher up the neck you go? Did you use anything in particular (calipers, etc) to make sure you didn't sand down too much, or into the truss cavity? Is this a mod you would do again, as you are happy with the results? Any particular pitfalls to avoid that you would recommend to someone trying this? Did you leave the wood raw after, or coat with Tung oil (or something similar)?

Thanks for your response!

 

If you're asking about grades of sandpaper for this project that indicates that this is something that you should job out.

If you're absolutely convinced to do it yourself, hie thee to the flea market to find a beater to practice on before trying it on a good instrument.

Rule #2: Practice on scrap.

 

Wow, okay. I didn't mean to upset anyone with my ignorance. I thought that is what public forums are for, finding information from people more knowledgeable.
I guess I should have asked more specifically: "what grain of sandpaper did you start with? What size rasps? What other tools did you find necessary for this job that you may not have realized at the start? "
And I would love to practice on another instrument or wood scrap first. But what exactly am I practicing? I was looking for a clear, concise answer, "I did A, B and C ... these were my results".

Again, sorry for offending everyone.

 

Though you appear to be offended, you offended no one.

The questions you ask demonstrate that you are a newcomer to woodworking.

This particular task is advanced luthiery, which assumes solid hand and woodworking skills. Hence, the recommendation to find a pro to do the work.