-Spanish Neck
-Spline Neck
-Tenon Neck
-Dovetail Neck
-Mechanical Neck
phone/fax:
(808) 847-1541
718 Puuhale Rd.
Honolulu, HI
96819
|
Spanish Style 'Ukulele Neck Construction
The 'ukulele, like the guitar is commonly built employing two
methods with variations on the joinery of each method. Following is a
description of "Spanish Style" neck construction.
|
|
1. The traditional method is called "Spanish
Style Construction" whereby the 'Ukulele's
side pieces are end matched and then inserted
into the neck piece by means of precut slots
that are made in the neck of the instrument.
There is no separate head block.
|
|
|
|
|
In "Spanish Style Construction" the neck
end extends into the body of the 'ukulele
beyond the slotted side inserts and forms
a table or platform for the back and top plates.
The sides when fitted into the larger neck
slots are then simply wedged from the inside
of the side piece to ensure a tight fit when
looking at the side joint from the outside
of the 'ukulele.
|
|
|
|
|
The sidepiece is usually NOT glued into the neck slot,
just tightly wedged! The outcome is a one-piece neck construction
with the heel of the neck on the outside of the 'ukulele and the
tabled one-piece neck headblock on the inside of the 'ukulele.
|
|
|
Pros and Cons of Spanish Style neck construction
The Spanish style of construction provides a very strong and
tight fit between sides to neck. Centerline alignment and true
flatness of both neck and body (soundboard) surfaces is easier
to accomplish.
Inserting a carbon fiber fixed truss rod into the neck surface
also helps improve stability. This ease of alignment will aid
in final string set-up especially for the bridge and saddle
height adjustments.
This style of construction also allows a delicate heel shape
since you will not need the extra mass in the heel for mechanical fasteners.
The Spanish Style however has a few drawbacks in that when binding the
'ukulele the trimmer to cut binding slots is not free to cut around
the body in it's entirety and must stop at the neck connection.
The remaining binding channels must be hand cut and relieved
into the soundboard at the neck to body connection. The attachment
of the sides to the soundboard/neck piece also requires a different
work board to glue the sides to the soundboard neckpiece.
Try all methods of construction and choose the method that
suits your mode of working.
|
|
