Peghead to neck transition

[Jim Hilburn]

Man, I need one of those machines that cuts this in one pass instead of me hacking at it for hours.

[sunburst]

At least you're getting a nice transition, some don't...
That goes pretty fast for me, I take too long bending sides and fitting braces. Don't know why I can't do those things faster.

[Timbofood]

Guys, if it was easy, I’d be doing it!

[Marty Jacobson]

Man, I need one of those machines that cuts this in one pass instead of me hacking at it for hours.

Looks great. To be fair, CNC machines also take hundreds, if not thousands, of little cuts to get there. And when things do go wrong, it's a huge chunk of wood out of the neck, which makes it unusable. For some things, there ain't no easy way.

[buckhorn]

I've used both traditional transition and thumb bumps and like both.. some thank the bump is a cheap Pac-Rim thing, but it does add a little mass to a weak area of the neck....

[billhay4]

Look at one of Marty's necks and you'll see why it takes so long and is so difficult even on CNC. His necks have a lovely and quite elaborate transition.

Bill

[sunburst]

The truth is, I don't think there could easily be a one-pass cutter that would result in a graceful, aesthetic transition from neck shaft to peghead. The curves change too much in too many directions as the transition is made. That's one of the differences between hand made and machined. For production, a one pass set up could be made, but the curves and elegance of the transition would be compromised. We could follow that up with hand work to improve it, but then we're back to the thing that jigs and fixtures so often do; speed up the fast part and leave the slow part as it was.
CNC can do it, in multiple passes, but it is still up to the programmer to install a good transition shape.

[Jim Hilburn]

My friend who has an addiction to guitars got an early Collings and it looked like it had been done in a single pass, very sharp and angular. And the heel point was like a razor.

[Matt Harris]

Looking good Jim.

I've always been a fan of the look of a backstrap transitioning into the neck. Here's the neck to the mandola I'm working on: