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Ok, so I should've noticed this by now, but I am fitting up my neck to the lefty SJ I'm building...last one with the "old" heel block...all the new have John's neck joint with the "paddle"...anyway, the angle (slope) of the top above the sound hole is too steep...I've sanded as much as I dare (it's starting to show at the top edge of the sound hole)...I still have almost a 1/16" gap at the 14th between the bottom of the f/b and the top of the body...and the angle is 1/8"-3/16" too high for the bridge...my thoughts are:

1. Add an ebony "patch" to the f/b bottom from the 14th fret down and taper it from the 14th to "nothing" at the end of the f/b extension.

2. Add a 1/16" or so ebony "bottom" to the bridge.

After that, I'm out of ideas...any wisdom/ideas/"I've been there" advice? TIA.

Larry

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pics would help. how about making a canterlevered fretboard like Mcphereson is doing? You would have to put a different bridge on tho...Dave-SKG38720.6192361111

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I have used the Ebony wedge before & it worked great. My issue was the opposite of yours, (I oversanded the top under the fingerboard) but same principle.
I stuck my wedge on a ramped board & passed it through the thickness sander 'till it was the right size.
Good luck with the fix.

I don't think humidity did it...I think somehow I sanded the upper bout area too much with the bowl on the neck joint area...the top takes a dip toward the cutaway area...I'll post a photo in a bit...

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Okay, here are a few pix...don't know if they captured the issue...





The angle is just bizarre...I think something at the top of the heel block must've ended up low, and I glued the top on without catching it...must've been high on LMI white!

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Bump

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Larry,

This is what I did with one of mine. The fingerboard extension is floating and not glued down:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

That is clever Dave. Anything that looks intentional works.

John

HERES SOME PICS OF A MCPHERSON USING THE CANTILEVERED NECK/FRETBOARD:

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Thanks for the quick response and all the info guys...(I love this forum! )...looks like the ebony tapered wedge is gonna work out...I used an Ebonoid head plate that I had left over from Allied and it looks good...(HARD to sand tho! )...that stuff is WAY harder than sanding regular ebony! I'll post pix when it's all done.

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