Official Luthiers Forum!

For those of you using carbon fiber in classical necks, what size are you using and are you just running 1 piece down the middle where a truss rod would be on a steel string, or 2?
Thanks, Wendy

You might want to check out
http://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/i ... f194171566
pretty much all classical guitar discussions; the" luthiers" section has many on neck reinforcement
regards
pvg

Don't know yet Filippo, I've never done it before and I'm still in the considering stage. What do you recommend?

Thanks PVG, I will definitely check that out.

Hi Wendy,

I use .200 x .250" Carbon Fiber Neck Reinforcements (strips) from DragonPlate. I run a single strip down the center of my neck blank in a routed slot.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Same as Max - one piece down the center of the neck.

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

I just in the middle of doing a classical and used 2 - .125 x .325. Also from Dragonplate.

I haven't used carbon fiber. I was taught to use a hardwood reinforcement. Ebony was approved. Ipe is my current favorite. The dimensions I have tacked on my shop wall are: .790" x .415" . I wonder how those dimensions in Ipe compare in stiffness to the scantlings that have been suggested for carbon fiber. I love the traditional name given to the hardwood reinforcement: "Alma".

I've used on my last two builds just one 0.200" x 1/4" rod down the center.

I've got one classical guitar build in 1960 and a few other older ones as well as several I have built with nothing done on the neck and they are still tip top. Not sure it's even necessary but it can't hurt I guess.

I sometimes use wood inserts, from 6 to 8mm in width, full depth, rosewood or ebony, depending on the stiffness and density of the neck and FB, and the desired neck thickness, which varies from 22.5 to as low as 20mm. When I want to flip one side, I will add a 3mm insert just for aesthetic reasons (a direct joint would look bad imo). So I am doing it precisely for homogenizing relief between various neck qualities and not really for some "improved stability".

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Build log

Thanks for all the answers. The reason I'm thinking of an insert is because I am using a flatsawn birdseye maple neck and the carbon fiber will make me feel a little more secure. I normally don't use it for mahogany or Spanish Cedar. I know there are a million flatsawn maple necks out there on electrics, but they all have truss rods, so I thought I would just use a little extra insurance.
Wendy

You could make an ebony insert. It would make a nice contrast to the maple. I find maple necks a little bland usually, even if very figured.

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Build log