stiffening a neck
The action on this Velazquez classical guitar was high due to excessive relief (bow) in the neck. A thin fingerboard was contributing to the weak neck as well as the high action. Stiffening the neck and making a new thicker fingerboard was prescribed.
Manuel Velazquez was one of the finest classical guitar builders of the 20th century.
Great care and patience are required to remove the fingerboard cleanly.
On the workbench are the heating elements and tools used to remove the fingerboard.
A jig is used to rout a slot along the centerline of the neck shaft.
Several passes with gradual adjustments are made to insure the correct depth and width of the slot.
The fingerboard also received a thin strip of carbon fiber for additional stiffening.
The thin strip was taken from a scrap of carbon fiber sheeting used to make a soundboard.
The carbon fiber strip is epoxied in the slot slight proud of the surface to allow for some sanding.
The strip has been sanded flush. In the background is the jig used to glue the strip. The new fingerboard is now ready to be installed.
The fingerboard is glued with the nut in place to insure precise location.
The fingerboard edges are filed and sanded flush with the neck shaft and is ready for fretting.
Fretting completed the guitar is ready for setup.
The new fingerboard looks elegant with a minimal amount of relief.
Though the action is comfortably low the height of the saddle has the optimum height.
The higher saddle and more acute break angle of the strings optimizes volume and tone. The owner was delighted with the results: "HARRY! - It's magnificent! You pulled off perfectly what in hindsight seems extremely tricky and perilous an undertaking. I like the new frets too. Your choice of manner for stiffening the board is perfect because it strengthens the neck exactly along the center (as a proper neck would already be) and at the same time lets the neck vibrate more freely along the sides, also like a proper neck. Intonation is too, and this makes the guitar sound literally like an orchestra. The harmonics and harmonic integrity are flawless (which isn't possible!), but still, they are.
THANKS again!!!!!!! -your the man."