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....Extension. I am going to shorten the length of my next fretboard extension as I have no use for last 5 or 6 frets, maybe more if it's a 12 fretter, and was wondering about some opinions on the structural forces and issues with shortening the extension.

It seems like the added resistance to the neck pulling up or back toward the bridge would be missing but does the extension serve that purpose or any real strutural purpose at all? And if so how would one compensate for those forces if it were shortened?

Thanks In Advance
Larry

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Yes. a good portion of the torque inparted from the neck into the upper portion of the sides at the joint and onto the top is transferd into the upper tansvers brace by the fretboard extension and there by distributed across a the upper bout of the top by this brace. Remove that load transfer and you increase the deforming load on the upper bout.

Another disadvantage is the rosette joint. Now you must make a solid ring rosette because you have nowhere to hide the seam of a laid up rosette.MichaelP38793.5216319444

[QUOTE=MichaelP] Yes. a good portion of the torque inparted from the neck into the upper portion of the sides at the joint and onto the top is transferd into the upper tansvers brace by the fretboard extension and there by distributed across a the upper bout of the top by this brace. Remove that load transfer and you increase the deforming load on the upper bout.

Another disadvantage is the rosette joint. Now you must make a solid ring rosette because you have nowhere to hide the seam of a laid up rosette.[/QUOTE]


Thanks Michael, had pretty much those same thoughts and may simply leave the extension without frets, but what if there were another way to transfer that load? An additional X brace across the upper bout? Or a way to transfer that load to the existing X brace? Seems like without the extension it would also increase the upward/outward pressure at the bottom of the neck joint as well?

The rosette issue popped into my mind as well but it seems that joint could be cleaned up with the same care other joints are cleaned up?

Larry

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Here is an example of what you can do with the fretboard extension if you don't use it. Scroll down on that page about halfway for some close-ups. Very classy and functional. Good luck!
Tracy

WOW Tracy, thanks so much for that link. It has opened a few more possibillities. Beautiful guitar as well.

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Very cool link Tracy, thanks!