Neck shape and fingerboard leveling

   Neck shaping is my most fun process. I really like the neck shaping. I have learned from Late Taku Sakashita for the neck shaping technique. Once I know how to shape the neck, I am able to complete the shaping work within one our. Also, I am able to shape identical two necks using the Taku's method. This time, I shaped a maple neck. This maple material has strong fiddle-back flames. I expected that this neck shape is a quite tricky one. Fortunately, the maple neck shape was not so difficult. It spend a little bit more time than the traditional Mahogany or Spanish ceder neck shaping. I also completed the fingerboard leveling work. Finger board leveling is a tricky work, because I have to predict how much the neck bowing will occur. Nylon strings guitar neck needs decent neck forward bowing. Also, higher fret positions above the 12th fret need a negative tapering to prevent a buzzing problem. This time, to make a neck bowing strong, I on-purposely installed the truss rod or Graphite rod at below 3-frets. I made the neck more flexible above 3frets. This makes an optimum neck bowing.
   Next week, I will install fret wires, and then I will have the final sanding.

Truss rod install and neck shape

I did truss rod install for both the Myrtle and the Negro models. The Myrtle model has a graphite non adjustable truss rod. The negro model has a double action adjustable steel truss rod. The Myrtle model has an offset sound hole, and there is no place to make an access hole for the adjustable truss rod. So, I changed my design to the non adjustable design. For the fingerboard installation, I have been using the rubber shock code for sailing boats.  The shock code makes the best result to make perfect bond between the neck and the fingerboard particularly for the radiused fingerboard installation. Now, I am working on the neck shaping. My neck has 21.5mm thickness at the 1st fret and 23mm thickness at the 10th fret.

Neck joint and Fingerboard built

Neck joint to the body and the finger board making have been done. Both two models have African black-wood finger boards. It takes extra time for slotting work due to the oily and heard material property. However, the African Black wood makes the best play-ability. I also have spent a lot of detailed work for the best neck fitting. I have been using the mortise neck joint method. I used the Epoxy for the Mortise joint. Finger boards have not been installed. Finger board installation requires additional fitting work, because the body top is domed. So, the finger board needs to be shaped to fit the body top doming. Then, finger board needs a bowing work for the neck re-leafing. These guitars might require additional three weeks for the finishing work.