Downize 14 to 12 fret

[Dave Bagwill]

Let us assume that one has gotten to the point in one's neck building as shown in the pic attached.

Let us also assume that one stops, looks, and remembers one should be making a 12 fretter, and what one has made is a 14 fretter.

Now, hypothetically - if you wanted to cut off the heel, shorten the neck, and reglue the heel, - could you successfully do it?

If so, what would be the procedure?

[John Parchem]

My procedure would be to save it for a 14 fret guitar, and make a neck profiled for 12 fret to the body.

But consider flattening the back of the neck and glue a tail block on. You would have to rough out a new heel, but a lot a necks are made using a flat board and a glued on heal block so it would look normal when finished.

[ken cierp]

Does seem like a lot of hassle? But sure you could whack off the heel, I'd likely use a bandsaw, true up the mating surfaces and glue it in the new location. Of course you'd need to notch and true the new surfaces to match the tenon etc.

[Dave Bagwill]

This is not something I am going to do - just a thought experiment. As to the tenon, a fella could just go with a bolt-on butt joint, which I will be trying in the very near future.