RICKENBACKER AND MADELEINE STRINGS ACOUSTIC GUITARS

THE BUILD PROCESS

BUILDING THE NECK

This slide show follows roughly a step-by-step progression.

Slides advance every 10 seconds, but you can also go forward or backward using the arrows on each slide.

A NECK BLANK IS LAMINATED FROM TWO HARD MAPLE STRIPS WITH A HARD WALNUT CENTER STRINGER.

NECK COMPONENTS: ROUGH FRETBOARDS AND ROUGH-TRIMMED LAMINATED NECK BLOCKS. A PARTIALLY-TRIMMED NECK IS SHOWN, CENTER.

SIDE VIEW OF A LAMINATED NECK BLOCK AS IT IS CUT AWAY TO YIELD A PROFILE-TRIMMED NECK BLANK. MUCH SHAPING REMAINS TO BE DONE.

PROFILE-TRIMMED NECKS WITH THEIR HEADSTOCK "WING" PIECES GLUED INTO PLACE AND DOVETAILS CUT INTO THE NECK HEELS.

NECKS IN VARIOUS STAGES ON SHAPING. THE CENTER NECK IS READY FOR FINE-SANDING AND DRILLING FOR TUNERS.

NECKS HAVE THEIR TRUSS ROD CHANNELS AND ADJUSTMENT POCKETS IN PLACE. NOTE HOW THE FRETBOARD OVERHANGS THE NECK HEEL. IT'S GLUED TO THE TOP OF THE BODY.

ON 12-STRING MODELS, CARBON FIBER TRUSSES OR SPLINES ARE ADDED FOR STRENGTH AND LONGEVITY. 12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARS OFTEN EXCEED 300 POUNDS OF STRING TENSION.

A DECORATIVE, CONTRASTING HEEL CAP IS GLUED INTO PLACE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE NECK HEEL.

THIS 12-STRING HEADSTOCK HAS BEEN FINAL-SHAPED, AND IS READY TO HAVE ITS TUNER HOLES DRILLED AND COUNTERBORED. PLACEMENT OF THESE IS CRITICAL, OR ADJACENT TUNING KEYS MAY INTERFERE WITH EACH OTHER.

TO NEXT PAGE—MAKING A FRETBOARD

RICKENBACKER AND MADELEINE STRINGS ACOUSTIC GUITARS

THE BUILD PROCESS

BUILDING THE NECK

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