classical neck angle

[Hugh Anderson]

Do you build in a neck angle on a classic with the angle of the rib slot?

[Alan Carruth]

When building on a solera, yes. Not all Classical guitars are made in the Spanish tradition these days. Depending on who you talk to it's either the end of the world or the best thing since ham sandwiches...

[Hugh Anderson]

I'm using the Spanish foot. Should the slot be angled enough to lift the neck just a bit?

[Waddy Thomson]

Are you using a solera to control the neck angle? If so, most folks do not try to match the side slot to the angle. It's a very small angle, and doesn't distort the sides enough to notice. The Spanish foot against the back will lock in the angle.

[Hugh Anderson]

That makes sense to me. Makes me wonder why the neck on the solera needs a ramp. I've made 15 or so steel-string and it's hard for me to visualize this different method.

[Simon Magennis]

I have never bothered. My latest solera has a 3mm ramp for the neck and close to 4mm for doming. Inprinciple it would be a good idea to slant the slot for the sides slightly but I haven't so far. Maybe I will in the future. I have met on luthier recently who does take this into account although he doesn't consider it the "end of the world" if someone doesn't.

[Hugh Anderson]

It seems to me if you put the sides and neck in the fixture and make a line for the side slot it would be best and easiest. Does the ramp affect anything else?

I just realized that you probably can't get everything in the fixture til you have the slot.

[Hugh Anderson]

I can't quite let this go. What if you put the neck in the fixture and mark the neck slot from the fixture?

[Alan Carruth]

That's what I do: the neck ramp and top support are both added onto the flat base of the solera, so there's a level that can be used for marking the slots. I agree it's generally a 'small' angle, and probably doesn't make much real difference, but what the heck...

[Hugh Anderson]

Aha!

[Hugh Anderson]

Alan, those who don't use a solera, do they build it like a steel string at the neck attachment?