The last build was the first time I built a "set" neck.
 
With my current understanding there are basically three types for electric guitars;
The bolt-on.
The set.
The neck-through.
 
All previous builds were neck-thoughs.
 
I "felt" my way with boards and clamps to align the neck with the body. It wasn't easy
because of many reasons...to many to get into here.
 
So I've been working on this. It's not completed.
The body is set on a center-line.
The two adjustable rails are what's cool....they're used to align the neck to the
body and used to guide the router the body neck pocket.
 
What's not in place yet is the "bed" for the body. I still have to come up with
a clamping method.
 
Once the neck is aligned and the rails are tightened down then the neck is removed
for the body to be routered out.
 
For a first shot I think it'll work but I'm thinking it really thinking the "bed" should reach
to the end of the head so the center line scaled full length. The guide rails wouldn't need
to reach farther so fine as is.
Of course a simple string from center of nut to end of body would confirm alignment and
jig size the same.
 
I know a few that are considering building so thought it may be an interesting post for some.
I'll update when it's finished.
 
 

Nice

would a felt lining to keep the wood safe when clamping down be a good idea or do you think it would mess with your alignments. Or is that something not to worry about when using it at that stage of the build?

Looking good though 

Fascinating stuff as always Michael, I enjoy following these projects.

Possible dumb idea - when I laid laminate flooring in a bathroom I used one of those handy little profile gauges to get the shape of the WC and hand basin, then drew the shape onto the boards - it just struck me that a large version of one those would be ideal to hold a guitar body in place...or not..

Great questions guys.

The body could be in ruff or nice condition for this step.

This is not my original idea - if it even has an originator so your ideas
are very worthy of consideration while I figure out how I want it to be.
James I have used the wood left from trimming the body shape many times...really
helped when clamping wings to neck-through design....If I'm understanding
your gauge idea correctly.

The part of the design that has caught my attention are the rails.
The inside of them that the router bearing will ride and the possibility
that the weight of the router can flex them.
Both are major concerns naturally because an issue with either can ruin
the pocket.

I'm sure I'll just shim under the rails to stabilize because the bodies could
be different thickness and I have to assure the plane of the rails are parallel to body and also
accurate for and degree of tilt so design focus is on stability- not on preventing the body from moving.

Not much to this and think it will make the "set" neck build a little easier and excellent accuracy.

spacey


James I have used the wood left from trimming the body shape many times...really
helped when clamping wings to neck-through design

Oh yes..of course..that's ideal eh?

I was imagining a big 'profile gauge' that could be used for any body shape..probably over-thinking it. 

Super cool!

Cool!

Great! :)

so cool you can do this. 
I don't know how you can get the neck template centered/square for the routing.
I mean square to the bridge.

Wouldn't an installed bridge or the bolts (a stud tailpiece I presume) give you something more to work with to determine "straight" in relation to 'something' ?

I'm sure I'm not getting something about the jig. 

OH.... maybe I get it. So, as long as you maintain the jig width the bridge will center within it?
Awesome.. I'm sure it wouldn't work for me though.... Too many random 1/32"s waiting to surprise.

Appreciate the kudos my friends but please take note lol...I don't know what
I'm doing...just sharing the trip of trying to build a jig that might help me.

Tim from the very start of building a guitar everything...everything works from
"the centerline".

I'll try to explain the function of this jig better.... first know that the jig has a center-line.

The body also has a centerline (all guitar bodies do) and will be placed in the jig in alignment
with the jigs centerline and secured as not to move off of center-line.

The rails will help in aligning the centerline of the neck with that of the body. Once the two are aligned
then the neck can be removed and the rails guide the router. This will establish a neck pocket that will
hold the neck in alignment with the body.

Many that own bolt-on necks know that they may have to loosen the neck bolts and adjust the neck
to correct the alignment...they know it's out because one of the outer strings will slip off the edge of the neck.
I have two deluxe Strats that I've had to straighten...it happens because of the design...there is room for slack.
( something I've never understood while people making claims of the importance of the neck to body fit..and combined
with the tilt adjustment on them...must mean that the fit doesn't matter or it does but at least the sloppy joint can
be adjusted so at least one can still play it.....I don't know, to each his own.)

One can see that with a set neck there will be no loosening anything to align it. There is one shot....the first one and
it should be perfect. I know if I pay for one I don't want the strings to slide off the side of the neck when I play it. lol.

My first set neck build is the one in the other thread. It was perfect to within a thousandth of an inch. ( accuracy that I can't
get with the metric system rulers I have...don't know if they have some with less than mm)
But it wasn't easy because nothing was really connected to anything else...I don't know a better way to explain. That is the purpose
of a jig really...to help hold stuff in place and to help put stuff in place more accurately...well that's what it means to me. :)
I ran out of hands fast and had to rig because I had no jig.

When you look at a guitar with a nice two piece figured wood...where they meet in the middle is the centerline. It runs from
head to tail and everything is located from it. The bookmatched pieces when placed on the body were aligned to centerline.

If one can imagine the exact center of the nut, the end of the neck and the center of the bodies butt-end then one can see
that a "v" could easily be created by the neck and body joining...even a little "v" means that alignment is out. Not a good thing.

If it's still fuzzy...when I get farther along I'll post some pics. Much easier when one can see it rather than listen to my BS.