It Worked for Me: Neck Angle Accuracy

by Kevin Rielly

Originally published in American Lutherie #119, 2014



The last instrument I made was based on plans for a 1957 Gibson J-45, an instrument I’ve always admired. The plans called for the neck to be set at an angle of 88.5°. Given my tools at hand, achieving such accuracy would be a daunting task. Other factors to consider that affect the neck angle are the angle of the sides to the top, and the arching of the top.

In their book Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology, Cumpiano and Natelson say that if a straightedge is placed down the center of the fretboard to the bridge, there should be no more than 1/16" and no less than 1/64" clearance between the straightedge and the bridge. Such clearance would allow for a saddle about 1/8" tall. To help me mark the correct angle to achieve this end, I developed a neck angle jig.