Acoustic Guitar Construction

Because of the issue that the fretboardextension should be straight with the fretboard on the neck, I first glue the neck on before fretting and finishing. For the results of the finish I rather spray the neck and body apart, because it makes a cleaner appearence. Instead I level the transition area body/neck of the fretboard before fretting. Then I spay the complete guitar.
This way it is easier to determine the height of the bridge/saddle.

Herman

Here's a little blast from the past -- I don't always agree 100% with Frank but very good information just the same.

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musicia ... angle.html

My neck angle is perfect, straight edge sitting nicely on the top of the bridge, FB extension sat flat on the soundboard. Ken, you're an expletive genius, thankyou.

mike-p wrote:My neck angle is perfect, straight edge sitting nicely on the top of the bridge, FB extension sat flat on the soundboard. Ken, you're an expletive genius, thankyou.

Whoah!! Watch your mouth! This is a family friendly forum! ;-)

An eternal question....I read Frank Ford's comments, and my reading tells me that a straightedge laid atop the frets should be barely tangent to the top of the bridge. Nice and concrete.

And here's my question for tonight: My straightedge, when sitting atop the fingerboard, no frets, grazes the bridge upper surface. The frets, uninstalled right now, are .040" tall, as my caliper tells it. So as compared to Frank Ford's suggestions, the bridge is .040" too high. Is this an allowable variation? Would it be 'normal' to sand .040" off the bottom of the bridge? Perhaps sanding the bridge to match the soundboard would remove a bit of thickness, but not .040 unless I really got enthusiastic with sanding.

If someone wants to suggest I post a picture, I'd love to, but the computer that has the photo retreival software is in the hospital.

Thanks, folks.

I have not had any coffee yet -- but seems to me that your math is backwards. If the straight edge sits on the bridge surface now, it will be .04" (hover over the bridge) plus to the goal when the frets are installed, so a slightly taller saddle will square the equation.

Had my coffee. Might not help. Ken, the lights are now (dimly) on. My bridge is .040 under Frank Ford's height standard. If I subtracted fret height from Ford's demonstration, his straightedge would not clear his bridge by .040" and my straightedge would have an air gap to my bridge of .040" when frets are installed. Now we both know why I didn't go to engineering school.

Thanks very much.

It's nice to be able to do some learning on a low-risk project.