Help! Advice Needed...Arrghhh!

[DJ Parker]

Ok,

So, many of you have seen my posts (however few I have done) and some of you know that I am new at this and maybe this is just called 'paying my dues' but it is frustrating. I am building my second Gypsy style instrument and have noticed that the 14th fret falls short of the body. Of course I have glued the FB to the neck a little too high and must have slid. Worse yet, the 14th appears to be slightly slanted. I can't tell if it is the neck, the FB, the fret slots when they were cut or what. I have not glued the neck on.

After the mortise and tenon were cut I chiseled a little on the inner part of the heal to center things up with the body and I believe that I did that as most of your might do it by sloping the inner heal slightly towards the tenon and then pulling sandpaper beneath the heal to adjust the neck's sideways position. If I'm wrong please let me know.

My questions:

1. If the 14th or 12th fret doesn't fall on the body joint is that a 'do over'? OR, does the scale length just become unique provided it isn't too far off?

2. It is not my intention to make a 'fan' fret but again, if the fret line appears tapered from the body is there hope? OR does this simply change how I would shape the bridge? It is slight but I would things to intonate.

3. I'm not sure where things went wrong...any thoughts? Can I salvage this guitar?

4. OR am I just a newbie and should I chock this up to the learning curve?

Thanks everyone.

DJ

3. Should I chock this up to

[Clay Schaeffer]

You should be fine with that little bit of variance. Just remember to set the bridge in relation to the scale length and nut (or zero fret) position.

[Ryan Mazzocco]

I'm with Clay. that little difference shouldn't really matter as far as playability and intonation. I would do a few things though just to make sure. It's kinda hard sometimes since there really isn't anything on a guitar that's flat, square or straight, but I would try to establish some kind of constant. If you are quite positive that the center of the fretboard is centered up with the center of the body and top plate joint then that's a good place to start.
Here's what I would do, but the smarter folks may chime in soon with some really really good ideas.
Verify that the center of your neck/fretboard is in fact centered with the body. Then find a constant to reference off of, say, the center line at the tail. check the distance from your 14th fret on the bass side edge and the treble side edge. if the measurements are the same then your headblock is probably crooked. Not perfect but not the end of the world as long as your heel is fit well to the body. if the measurements are different then the problem is probably in your fret slot. if this is the case, Check several other frets, even all of them, to see if you cut all the fret slots wrong or just the one. If it's just the one, you could either 1) remove the fretboard and redo or 2) just live with it knowing that one fret will be a bit flat. If it's all of them and they are all consistently slanted you could 1) tear off the fretboard and redo or 2) adjust your saddle for the correct scale lengths and compensation.

[Michael Lewis]

Ryan Mazzocco to the rescue! Good response.

DJ, I would think you won't be making this mistake again. That's experience you have just gained.

A very handy tool you can make for checking this out is a Plexiglas square. You cut out a rectangle of Plexiglas and scribe a center line on it that is square to the edge. That's it. You know the edge is square to the scribed line, so you line the edge up with a fret slot and slide the scribed line of your new plexiglas square over the center line of your fingerboard. Or line up the scribed line with the center line and slide the Plexiglas to a fret slot, then you can easily see if the slot lines up with the edge of the plexiglas square or if it is skewed. It should line up, and if it doesn't you need to either repair the fingerboard or start a new one.

Make it right BEFORE you move ahead.

The Plexiglas square is a very handy lay out tool for headstocks, inlays in the fingerboard, and for drawing plans. The great thing is you see right through it. It's best to put the side with the scribed line against the surface you are working on.

[DJ Parker]

Thank you fellows,

I appreciate the comments and advice. After placing the rectangular plexi center aligning template back on the neck I have re-assured myself that things do line up from top to bottom (see pic). I will either now remove and replace the FB or I will likely leave it and work through the scale length and bridge taking this as a lesson. I just hate to remove and ruin the FB and possibly the neck but then again, I would like it to play correct.

I've looked at my first Gypsy which I am playing (in the green) and the 14th fret is slightly askewed at the body joint as well. There must be something I'm doing when I cut the frets or place it on the neck. I have a couple of other FB blanks where fret slots have been cut and placing a square on them indicates a true 90 degree angle so I'm perplexed. Maybe when I put on the FB I'm cocking it slightly or something? I agree though, lesson learned to really thoroughly double check the thing as a whole.

With regard to plexi jigs and straight edge guides...I am lucky enough to have AutoCad and a CNC at my disposal to make accurate templates and jigs. I have been replacing my initial MDF ones with plexi. Being able to see through them is worth it. I guess I just have to be more diligent and careful with them.

I want to come up with an overall 'line-up' jig that holds the body and neck based on a centerline.

Again Thanks,
DJ

[Glenn Johnson]

If the frets are square with the center line of the fret board. All will be OK. If the frets all are at the same angle in relation to the center line of the fret board,and are slightly off. All will be OK.
Many guitars have crooked necks with few people ever knowing it. The bridge can compensate for it. I have an Alverez where the center line of the neck is slightly more than 1/2 inch out of line with the center line of the body. No one that has played it ever noticed. I only noticed because I was measuring the distance from the twelfth fret to the saddle because the intonation seems so perfect with lite gauge strings. I was using a straight edge, while also checking the distance of the nut to the twelfth fret and discovered it.
Only wish the guitar could sound as well as it plays and looks. It is an F-hole with a plywood top so that is not to likely.
Somehow I cut the dove tail slightly ascew on one I built, Which in turn put the angle off about the same amount. I decided that since no one ever noticed the Alverez, I could just leave it that way and it would be OK. It actually bugged me so much I had to give it away, but that was only because I built it. I'm still fine with the Alverez. The person I gave it to is perfectly happy with it.

[DJ Parker]

Glenn,

Thank you very much. I appreciate the input and will keep and work with it as is. Sometimes trying for perfection gets in the way of the joy and although our building isn't a simple task it is likely forgiving enough to learn and move on.

The frets are true to the board and the neck is true to the body. I'll just look a lot closer on the next one.

Regards