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I wanted to go with a Fender style neck (as opposed to a tilt back) to keep with the retro / simple theme. The truss rods I have have are meant for 24.75" or 25.5" necks, so on this project it just barely fits given the short fret board length. I would normally make Fender style necks with heel access to the truss rod, but in this case the adjustment end would have stuck out about an inch towards the body!
So I went with the only other alternative, adjustment at the headstock. The dilema is the access slot; in this pic, the line on the left is the depth required to get to the adjustment nut and the line on the right is the final headstock thickness. I'll end up with a 'bowl' for an access slot. I don't think I like that!
Fortunately (don't you love it when there's a 'fortunately' part) I have a few tilt back neck blanks already scarfed and the truss rod slot cut. I make them up in batches because once the machines/jigs are set up it doesn't take much more time to make 5 than it does one. As a bonus, the one I'm thinking of even has a little birdseye action! Here are a couple of retro-ish headstock designs I've had on the back burner.
After a quick repeat of the last neck build, we end up with a new neck. I like this look much better.
The neck blank goes back in the truss rod jig to cut the access slot.
After the access slot is cut, I drill through to the main slot.
A test fit of the rod looks good. You have to widen the end of the main slot with a chisel to get the adjustment end of the rod in place.
Next, the board gets trimmed to length. I'll keep the scraps to make truss rod covers. Notice that since I'm no longer going with a fender style neck (and nut) that the nut slot part of the fretboard was cut off.
I clamp the fretboard in place aligning its center line with the one on the neck blank.
Using the smallest drill bit I have, I drill through one of the fret slots and just into the maple blank.
I do the same thing on the opposite side further down the neck, then use the same drill bits to pin the fretboard in place. Now it won't slide around when I glue it.
Next I flip everything over and mark where the fretboard needs to be tapered. The drill bits are still in place.
I zip off the excess on the bandsaw. Following a pencil line on this dark wood is not easy. I often snitch a white coloured pencil from my daughter, but I had to lay low today because I think she's on to me. I'll keep these scraps to make switch tips (nothing goes to waste).
I pop the fretboard back in place to make sure I didn't wander too far while I was trimming. Looks good.
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