Building new, alternative to dovetail ?

[Valerie]

I am finally getting around to building some acoustics that have been on my mind for decades. I love working with wood, have done so all my adult life, and truly appreciate machining fine joints as much as the next gal.

So, it is not a lack of skill that is making me consider an alternative an alternative to the dovetail neck joint. The fact that a loved and played acoustic will eventually need a neck reset is making me challenge the prejudice I instinctively carry for anything but the time honored dovetail. ( By comparison... I am not willing to use anything but hide glue for most assembly, it was the great hide glue explain on frets.com that got me to this forum, thanks )

So, here is my question...Is there much in the way of experimenting/ experience / consensus among fine hand builders regarding alternatives to traditional dovetail joints ( for the purpose of disassembly, not ease of construction !! ) that do not compromise sound at all ?

I am sure there is prejudice against bolt on's from buyers in the marketplace ...but I am not concerned about that as I am not trying to sell my work.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Rory]

I've been using bolt on for some time now & now this thread is going I'll ask this supplementary question: Everyone is saying 'i use bolts' but not indicating if glue is used as well. So, are you bolting the mortise/tenon absolutely dry- no glue, a little bit of glue, or flooding with glue, in addition to the bolts? I asked a guy who does a lot of martin repairs and he said Martins hes seen with bolted neck joints have lots of glue in there.

Rory

[Tim Mace]

no glue neck to body....dwy

[Ned Knepp]

I'm an amateur at this, Rory, but I have worked with wood since I was a kid and I can not think of very many mechanical joints that are strong enough, in the long run, that they wouldn't be better with some glue. Every purely mechanical system I can think of ultimately suffers in the long term because wood is not stable. In some cases, flexibility in a construction is desirable but, personally, I want my neck joints to be as ridged in ten years as they are when new and I just don' think a purely mechanical solution will do that.

Ned

[Valerie]

wow, everyone, thanks for all the relevant responses...Thanks to Jeff and the mention of Stauffer which led to me to...William Cumpiano's hardware-based neck joint, that Gary also linked to above -that link is clear as day and very cool, as I get easily bogged down when I try to reinvent any wheel. A dovetail would actually be easier for me, but now a few days after posing this question, I am of the mindset that bolt on is a perfectly valid system and I am gonna go for it. Thanks for all the other ideas too.

Funny thing is I bought Cumpiano's book as soon as it came out in the eighties, but for some odd reason I just assumed he and all other luthiers are all busy working away in ye olde shoppe with hand tools and no computers :-))...ok so thanks everyone for getting me up to speed so quick, I see there is a wealth of info, new ideas and very generous people willing to share/ help on the web.

I have been rereading Irving Sloane and William Cumpiano's books and finally have the time to turn my book knowledge in real world guitar building. For me this does require inventing a wheel of sorts....I love my little Gibson LG-1, I want a baritone, I sorta want to combine that thought in an instrument that only has to please me. I have asked a two experienced luthiers if they will collaborate with me on ideas so I might have a chance at building something decent.

I am usually not one to join a group but... here I am, and I will work on learning what one does here and about "My Page" on this forum, since maybe this is a way to post my work to a group of people who might be interested in what others are building.


Thanks again for the welcome and info with all your responses !

Valerie