Acoustic Guitar Construction

You need a straight edge, as Ken stated, to extend over the area of the saddle. This way you can get the measurement from the top to the straight edge. This will let you know if the neck angle is in the range of acceptability. It needs to be measured at this location. more to do still but your getting closer! Ken must have posted as I was writing this.

ken cierp wrote:"Take some pictures, we are looking for the gap at the saddle"

Slide the level more toward the end block so you can take a look at the measurement you are looking for. I can tell there is more work to do, you're tipped too far back from the sound board. The gap at the saddle should be about 1/16" +/-

Okay, this is where the saddle should be. The gap is a hair under 2/8'ths so I have
more work to do. Where should I sand to remedy this? At the body?

Stew Mac PDF instructions starting at page 24 -- cause and effect illustrations are as good as any, tiny changes make a big difference. Again make sure you understand what's going to happen when you shave off material.

Bill Cory covers this well very understandable explanations -- highly recommended
http://www.acousticguitarconstructionfo ... ?f=29&t=35

[/quote]Okay, this is where the saddle should be. The gap is a hair under 2/8'ths so I have
more work to do. Where should I sand to remedy this? At the body?[/quote]
Where you take that measurement is critical, you can see how fast the gap opens up. If you are taking it at the end of the level it may or may not be accurate. The saddle lies approximately 3.25' from the sound hole edge but approximate is not good enough. Lay down a piece off tape in the area of the bridge and figure where the saddle would be exactly, draw a line. Take measurements from that line. You can find that distance by subtracting the distance from the nut to the 14th fret from the total scale length. If you have a Martin 25.4 scale that would be 25.4 - 14.09 = 11.31.

With the FB off you can swing the heel up or down by flossing. Pulling the sand paper through from top to bottom will shoot the FB angle up (doesn't look like that's what you need to do now) flossing from bottom to top will shoot it down (this may be what you need to do but you want to get your exact saddle location measurement first before starting anything). But remember the more you do that the more you take wood off the heel and draw the tenon deeper into the mortise which changes the nut location. Does that all make sense or did I just confuse the hell out of you?

Tim Benware wrote:

Okay, this is where the saddle should be. The gap is a hair under 2/8'ths so I have
more work to do. Where should I sand to remedy this? At the body?[/quote]
Where you take that measurement is critical, you can see how fast the gap opens up. If you are taking it at the end of the level it may or may not be accurate. The saddle lies approximately 3.25' from the sound hole edge but approximate is not good enough. Lay down a piece off tape in the area of the bridge and figure where the saddle would be exactly, draw a line. Take measurements from that line. You can find that distance by subtracting the distance from the nut to the 14th fret from the total scale length. If you have a Martin 25.4 scale that would be 25.4 - 14.09 = 11.31.

With the FB off you can swing the heel up or down by flossing. Pulling the sand paper through from top to bottom will shoot the FB angle up (doesn't look like that's what you need to do now) flossing from bottom to top will shoot it down (this may be what you need to do but you want to get your exact saddle location measurement first before starting anything). But remember the more you do that the more you take wood off the heel and draw the tenon deeper into the mortise which changes the nut location. Does that all make sense or did I just confuse the hell out of you?[/quote]

Tim that was exactly what I needed to hear! I will get the exact saddle location before I do anything....

Just want to clarify one thing.....it looks like I need to pull the neck angle closer to the sound board because
the plane is not flat enough and is leaving too large a gap near the bridge location. So,
wouldn't that mean I need to move material from cheeks closer to the sound board? Is that thinking on the
right track? Removing more material from the heel side will make the gap larger near the bridge....

Thanks again....

Gosh Mark -- help me here. What you need to do and where to sand is explained right in the instructions that came with your kit starting at page 24 pictures and all. You really need to look at them.

ken cierp wrote:Gosh Mark -- help me here. What you need to do and where to sand is explained right in the instructions that came with your kit starting at page 24 pictures and all. You really need to look at them.

HAHAHAH.....I will definitely look at those. I didn't buy a Stew Mac kit I just have
their neck and block. I bought everything else from different sources. I will also be
buying that bridge locator jig your have too!