THE NECK         click on thumbnail for larger image

After the wood was decided upon, many peghead shapes were tried  out, here are only a few.  The designs were gradually refined until the day I sent a photo of a Cubley banjo that I own. This was finally it. The shape we were searching for. It was delicate and totally reminiscent of the 1880's era of its creation.

      After the period of curing , construction proper began with ripping out the slot for the truss rod. The truss rod was then installed with the adjustment at the heel end to both strengthen the peghead and to allow the neck to have the appearance of necks made in the days before adjustable neck support. Peghead ears added, the peghead fingerboard underlay and overlay glued and trued.

Next the fingerboard and peghead overlays were glued.

After this the neck was prepared for its backstraps. The backstrapes were made of ebony and maple then glued to the underside of the peghead and neck.

Next came the heelcap.

After all was glued and cured, the Peghead shape was laid out.

Then the heel was cut to shape on the band saw. Then trued on the disc sander.

Next the peghead was cut to shape on the bandsaw. Then the neck profile was cut out using the bandsaw. Preparation were then made to carve the neck first by rough cutting the neck on the bandsaw. Bindings were applied. Then the neck thicknessed using the 'Safety Planner' The scoop was carved.   The the neck was placed in the neck carving fixture and carved to shape. Next the wood inlays were laid out, scribe and inlayed.

Soon it was time to carve the heel. After much thought about the design, drawings were made directly on the heel and carving commenced. As a side note much of the carving was done by hand while on board the River Explorer.  

A ebony dowel stick was made and bound with maple.

...more to come...

Knowles String Instruments

             107 East Ruff Street

           Paris, TN 38242        731-644-1157

dan@danknowles.net

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