New Neck Blanks

Today, I continued working on the three neck blanks that I started on late last week. The neck on top is the one-piece Bloodwood. I routed the truss rod channel to slightly more than 3/4 of an inch deep. The truss rod channels on the two Purple Heart blanks was closer to 1/2 inch deep. I made several passes with the router, taking off about 1/16 inch each time. I still need to route a hole on the opposite side of the Bloodwood neck where the truss adjusting nut will stick out on the headstock.

I also used a neck jig cut the sides straight on the table router for the Bloodwood neck and the top Purple Heart. I still have to work out some of the dimensions on the bottom Purple Heart, since that neck blank will likely end up on the Firebird project.

I will be installing three different types of truss rods in these necks. The Bloodwood neck on the right will be taking a small double action rod. The Purple Heart on the left will be using a slightly larger double action rod. While the purple heart in the middle will be taking a single action rod. The double action truss rods will adjust for both upbow and backbow. On the two Purple Heart necks the rods will be covered by fret-boards. The Bloodwood neck will have a maple plug (or skunk stripe down the center.

My next step will be to cut the thickness of the headstocks down to about 5/8 of an inch. Later, I will sand them down to about a 1/2 inch. I also will drill the tuner holes at that time.

In addition to these three necks I have another piece of Purple Heart that will yield two more blanks and a piece of Padauk and a couple if pieces of Maple, that I'd like to start working on for more necks. Given the number of mistakes that I have made on neck construction over the past two years, it's not a bad idea to have several neck projects going at the same time. Expect more neck updates in the coming weeks.