Master Class on Neck Shaping

Master luthier Ric McCurdy shows how to shape a guitar neck.

[@barryharrell3355]

"When you ruin one neck, you will never ruin another" Ain't that the truth! Thanks for the awesome video!

[@grangerousdesigns4678]

Thanks alot Richard. That les Paul neck looks sick. And the idea of sanding the neck in the same shape you hold the guitar neck when playing made me smack myself in the head, that makes total sense.

[@absolutmauser]

That jig for getting the neck taper is genius. *dashes to the workshop*

[@toddgrossman7333]

You're my favorite "unwitting mentor" Richard. This kid from the suburbs sends a gratitude filled Thank You. My shoulders are particularly happy about this video.

[@richardmccurdy9333]

Thank you, and keep making sawdust !

[@gennyhaley7014]

Wow, this is great--you are not only a master builder but a master teacher, Thanks!

[@rickeydenler4272]

This is the best neck shaping video I've seen thank you very much you carve an awesome guitar neck

[@hellbillyaustin6883]

Im greatfull that people like you are keeping the trade alive, watched many vid on making necks, but they only go so far, not explaining the main points and ways of doing the job properly. Thank you. All the best.

[@noelpatrick5074]

Simply the best complete video on neck shaping and finish that also includes the required tools,,, 👍👍👍👍👍

[@richardmccurdy9333]

You are very kind.

[@kevinjackson4237]

Hi Richard, the world is a better place when master craftsmen like you are willing to share hard earned knowledge and experience. I have learned more about Neck shaping in the last 14:40 minutes than in over 60 years. What a wonderful tutorial and what a wonderful person you are. My sincere thanks to you. Kind regards Kevin

[@richardmccurdy9333]

You are very welcome. Many people helped me.. a rising tide lifts all boats.

[@mikeg3660]

So well done … the best content I’ve seen on this subject.

[@Roy1271]

Great stuff sir. I enjoyed this so much. Saving me some money on tools as well.

[@trackie1957]

Very helpful description of the criteria you look at. Like the taper jig, too, but I have no power tools. I use a sharp draw knife to remove the bulk of the wood (quickly!) and proceed with rasps, wood files and chisels. You are right in that you learn something with each neck. That’s part of the reason why I’m not bored yet!

[@ArkRed1]

Thanks for this. I've got the acoustic body done, but shaping the neck really had me at a standstill. This video explained and answered a lot of questions for me. I feel more confident now. I only wish you lived closer.

[@johnnypk1963]

Very much like your simple approach. Also the back of headstock laminates’ tail blending into the neck is a great look. Thanks.

[@fretpoint]

Great video on shaping the neck. Thanks so much for putting this on KZbin 🙂

[@scubasteve4093]

lots of super helpful tips, thanks!

[@Kirk1795]

"Owned it in previous life" 😂 you are the best teacher for aspiring builder

[@benjaminwharton1595]

Thank you, some great tips there for my banjo neck building - much appreciated!

[@madgeniusmusic]

Best neck carving video on the net, thanks Ric.

[@newsoundacoustics7973]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You don't know how much you have helped me. I hope to meet you one day and shake your hand. I had a client that wanted a left handed neck and I had all my necks in righty CNC'd. Your video helped me nail the lefty! Thank you!

[@livingthattwelvelife2209]

What an outstanding video!!! I am an aspiring guitar builder myself, and after watching hundreds of videos on YT, this is absolutely in my top 10, maybe even my top 5. Please continue doing this, your teaching methods are fantastic. Thank you so much!

[@dave1812]

That Drill Press Jig is such a brilliant yet simple Idea! Gotta build one too

[@Blasthoff]

Thanks!! You keyed in on detail that is essential to the task! You covered what was missing in everything I've read or watched over 40 years!! I'm guessing you are aware of that as well and did a fine job of showing and explaining!! Thanks SO much!!

[@richardmccurdy9333]

Thank you and keep making sawdust.

[@garymontgomeryguitars3153]

Great video Richard. You can always learn something new.

[@markgrimm3564]

nice job a video on neck joint and setting would be awesome thanks so much for your time rick

[@michaeladamcaira9174]

Your videos are the best,I'm learning so much,keep them coming

[@roberthelmick9574]

Great video. Well spoken and very in depth. It really does help those of us building for the first time!

[@DavidLaFerney]

This is the best video on the subject that I've seen so far. The others mostly don't point out those key transition points - so thanks for that.

[@jeremybrooks6705]

Thanks for the video, I did try out a most of the steps (I used a Shinto Saw Rasp to rough out because I don't have a belt sander) and few tools used here and I got a neck very similar to the one I was copying and much better than the others I completed before. A couple things I picked up in my experience trying these things out: the Nicholson 4 in Hand that I picked up at Home Depot didn't cut well at all, the 36 grit flat board worked very well, and the contour hand sanding worked great. I did have trouble with the contours around the heal and the headstock with the tools I had since the 4 in hand didn't work well, but I eventually got the results I wanted with a dowel and sandpaper. Thanks Richard!

[@richardmccurdy9333]

You are right. I like that Shinto rasp too and Nicholson has been bought out by a hedge fund. . The new files are duller than my 5-year-old ones.

[@TheGreatGig73]

Great video. I built a few guitar bodies but you just gave me some inspiration to attempt the neck. Thank you.

[@azalea_moon-kee]

Thank you! This video popped up on my feed exactly when I needed it. I'm about ready to start my first guitar neck on a CBG and it's interesting to know the kinds of things that make a neck feel good or bad. I have stubby fingers and tiny hands and I was thinking that the CBG guitar neck would feel more comfortable naturally, but with the things that you pointed out about what makes a neck feel thick or thin or comfortable showed me that there's some counterintuitive things to the art of neck making. This was a very nice clear Master class.

[@larrycortner6321]

Awesome video, thanks for the good tips.

[@robking5896]

Thanks for the extra tips as you made the neck. Lots of things I have noted and will use.

[@donvanco3078]

I love this video - I come back to it time after time.

[@sandervandervoor9238]

Great video, thank you for sharing this with us. Very clear explained and very clever to set the hight in the middle of the neck before removing material from the edges. i am going to do it the same way with the neck of my first built guitar as is seems very logically. Thanks again. Regards Sander van der Voort from the Netherlands.

[@richardmccurdy9333]

Many thanks.

[@rustyaxelrod]

Thanks for sharing a look at a professional way to get this job done correctly. As you pointed out, there is no substitute for skill and knowledge (unless you count luck, lol) and what you showed us can go along way to learning how to get a good result. KZbin at its best when a true craftsman is willing to film a post like this👍

[@Badhands55]

Awesome instructional video

[@Fernando.Canal2]

Great explanation, thanks for sharing and all the best to you

[@NeoRichardBlake]

I will never be able to afford or own a hand made guitar, I'm sure (unless I make one myself some day), but I'm glad that so many people still do this. It's that's an awesome neck.

[@americansamiam]

Great Video and So helpful.. Appreciate it Richard! About to attempt my first Guitar - Firebird!!! Wish I had your skills!

[@karlstine2065]

Well done and explained. Thanks.

[@andyp4851]

great job I'm not sure I will use a belt sander as I don't have one in my shop but will for sure be using and thinking about all your finishing techniques, thanks man....

[@francoisvanheerden670]

Hi Richard, thank you very much for sharing some secrets. I'm busy shaping my first neck and really appreciate your advise

[@tonybennett5377]

Wow you are the best, I've made five guitars, those finer points you gave me puts me in the ballpark, next l hope you do one on fretting and setup. I know it's an extreme skill set, but I've taught myself the basics. Thank you so much.

[@floodgatestudios1825]

Sincere thanks!! The sharing of your knowledge is an incredible gift to others

[@wayneconn1079]

Great work Richard . Well done buddy 😊

[@artanddesign8561]

Thank you so much for making this great video it’s very kind of you to share your knowledge!

[@donosogutierrez]

Hi Richard! Men.... would love if you could keep making videos like this... You´re such a gret builder, and your designs are amaizing. Even really good at explaining. Wish you the best and greetings from Argentina.

[@JimB73C]

Excellent demo thanks!

[@chrispaulick]

Nice job, thanks for sharing.

[@geemac7267]

These are great videos. Very informative and helpful. Thanks for doing them Ric.

[@jonmatthews4254]

Cheers, great advice.

[@danagos]

Very impressive skills demonstration and knowledgeable explanations .. I finally know what to look for in a comfortable neck .. Thanks & keep up the good work .. - Dan

[@patrickluley555]

I like that backstrap. Would be cool to see a video on how you did it.

[@ekw555]

I'm going to be "that guy": farrier's rasps are not for shaping horse *shoes*. they are wood rasps used to shape horses' *hooves* as part of the shoeing procedure.

[@MrFritzzz666]

Thank you for being that guy.

[@absolutmauser]

Ah they are for shaping horse feet! 😁 thank you for being that guy ten months ago.

[@megusta9045]

ekw555 unimportant fact that makes no difference on the context of the video. You earned a cookie for the effort!

[@jasonrickett561]

Well played sir.

[@buddybeetle]

It’s a big bastard.

[@zachcerasani3043]

Thank you for this!! I keep watching it over and over! Making my first couple necks now and I hope they turn out!!! Thanks again and can’t wait for your next video!

[@brianknickerbocker8518]

Thanks, very cool. I should have been doing this 20 years ago.

[@barrychristiansen4579]

probably not running out to build any necks in the forseeable future but if i was i would really be looking over this info. for sure. most interresting. i love woodwork but love playing guitar more . thx Richard. well presented and explained very intelligently. Blessings!

[@motorcaster57]

nice point about the asymmetrical part of the neck's feel...

[@huckodonnell]

GREAT PROCESS AND INSTRUCTIONS.......

[@toddmayer6859]

I've been watching these tutorial videos for hours ... and glad I watched this one last. One tutorial is pretty sad. Anyway, I learned the most from your video Rick. Thanks much for all the fine detail of tips. I have an Epi Dot which I like quite a bit ... except for the wide neck. I love the Player series necks that Fender has ... the Modern C shape. So I am going to get the contour of one of those, and then reshape the neck of my Dot. I realize that going up past the 10th fret I will not be able to get the same contour of the Fender bolt on neck, but I will transition into that area. Thank you! The neck is mahogany and the finish on the rest of the guitar is that cherry red. Some state to experiment with red dye & water on a blank piece of mahogany till I get the exact shade I want ... and then apply that to the neck. One luthier recommends Watco Teak Oil Finish, applying it with 1000 grit wet or dry. Do you have a red dye brand you would recommend? I intend to have the headstock finish wind up into that sort of V shape you did on this neck, to get the two finishes to blend together better

[@richardmccurdy9333]

Many thanks. Tinting it to the correct color will take much time and a full set of TransTint stains from Stu-Mac. Why not mark a hard transition to the colored section with masking tape and oil finish the neck. It will feel great to the hand. I’ve used both Watco oil and Tru-Oil gunstock finish which are easy to apply and are a durable, professional finish.

[@toddmayer6859]

@@richardmccurdy9333 Thanks much Rick. I bought the scrap piece of Mahogany to test out the TransTint, which is Cherry Red. I may need to also purchase black, in case the red is too bright. The Epi Dot colors are not all matching anyway. I did use blue painter's tape to mark off heel and headstock before I lightly sanded the finish to get a satin feel. That turned out very well, like you stated, it looks like a natural transition doing that .... ( both ends it juts into the neck area, not a straight line). Thanks again Rick!

[@joecurmaci5880]

You're very impressive I like your style kind of go right at it

[@johnjakubowski2304]

Very well done.

[@Urnimin]

Wow, thank you this was a fantastic video. Very informative, will definitely be watching more of your stuff.

[@Ibaneddie76]

Love this video I watch it at least once a month.

[@jack8162]

The asymetrical neck tip is something I would have never thought of. Thank you. Will always remember that going forward.

[@d0nn13br45k0]

Extremely helpful and well made video 😍 ... Thank you so much !!! I'm crafting my first neck, and you've enlightened my path 😃🤘

[@kuhboom22]

Excellent video!

[@AvaPxiaO]

A cheaper way to practice this, instead of laminated hardwood and the perfect piece of maple, is to find cheaper wood, as dense and heavy as you can get, like a leg from an old table, and try to make a neck out of it. This helps each one to learn what not to do, what not to overdo, and when you feel more comfortable and have come up with your jig system, then make a real one. One thing I did with a dry stored dead tree trunk of the right size and shape was to make something like a practice through neck headless guitar. It ended up being so good I put pick ups on it.

[@Ibaneddie76]

EVEN BETTER ADVICE THAN THIS VIDEO. THIS IS GREAT FOR HIS STYLE OF BUILDING, I CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO FIND THERE OWN WAY TO BUILD. OF COURSE TAKE TECHNIQUES FROM EVERYONE BUT TRYING TO MIMIC SOMEBODY TAKES THE ART OUT OF YOUR BUILD.THIS IS A GOOD VIDEO THOUGH, MINUS THE BELT SANDER, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE WOODWORKING SKILLS WILL GET THERE SHIRT CAUGHT UP IN THAT THICK GRIT AND YANKED RIGHT INTO THAT SANDER, I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN ONLY IT WASN'T A SHIRT IT WAS A BEARD, YIKES.

[@Jefferson-ly5qe]

WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?

[@absolutmauser]

If you just want to practice you can just go get a half decent 1x4 of a cheap hardwood and saw and glue til you have a moderately stable blank. I agree, starting your first neck with meticulously assembled blank of nice hardwoods is just a recipe for being sad about ruining said hardwood!

[@Ibaneddie76]

Great Idea man, shit if it turns out good use it as well.

[@keithclark2136]

@@Jefferson-ly5qe SOME OF US DON'T SEE THAT WELL.

[@banjomanToddTaylor]

Great video! you really taught me some great things, you are the man! thank you for this video.

[@randyrhoads64050]

Wow that's amazing. Great job! I'm planning to build my first Les Paul in a few months and this is an awesome video. I was concerned about building a guitar that doesn't feel good, so thank you for posting this video.

[@rockereb]

Thank you for sharing Rick!

[@bigfootingermany]

Thanks for the video Richard! That's a really good video! Very helpful. Bob in Germany!

[@kphoey]

Excellent video!! Thank you

[@jamessanscrainte9533]

Great info! GREAT! Thanks, and please keep it coming!

[@markdalton293]

Great job 👍

[@snellyd]

Great masterclass

[@bileshake]

Great video, people often blur over vital details like these. Thanks

[@edadpops1709]

hello, Im enjoying your master class vids alot. Id like to suggest vids on dovetailing and fitting an archtop neck including the neck extention shaping, as well as how best to mount the finger rest without using a Gibson style bracket.

[@richardmccurdy9333]

Cutting dovetails really just takes some tooling. I would suggest getting the Bob Benedetto book or videos. Luthiers Mercantile has a good solid jig; and there are many others. I attach the pickguard into the side of the neck with two screws and a small ebony block. If you have built-in pickups I put a small block on the pickguard and screw into the bridge pickup ring too.

[@rickeydenler2385]

Awesome thank you !!!

[@gRosh08]

Super fantastic! Thanks!

[@bramdriessens5942]

This video is gold!

[@javanthomas4122]

You could use sand paper on the neck instead of the belt sander since you said there's a problem that happens in the center.

[@mikaylaboo1]

Richard, I like your style! I just subscribed for more tips. I am a newbie, so this is very important education.

[@SkyscraperGuitars]

I'm glad I stubbled on to your channel. Fantastic insight Ric.

[@samhunt2117]

Great video, very helpful 👌

[@econohound]

Great tips, thanks .

[@majortwang]

well done!

[@nojyeloot]

Thank you for this! Amazing instruction that is super helpful. If I lived near you I would be on your doorstep demanding you apprentice me

[@PabloRomero1991]

Great video thank you for this!

[@ukguitaryogi2888]

hey Rich thanks for this super great video man.. I am amateur hobby guitar tech about to make my first neck and this is a true master class . can you make some on hand carved strat / tele / les paul bodies and show your secrets as a living master? thanks from the UK

[@richardmccurdy9333]

The metal leveling disc has been discontinued. I’ve seen something similar at Home Depot; or you can have one made by a local machinist.

[@michaelre4192]

Fantastic video

[@donzr33]

Beautiful. Thanks

[@Ibaneddie76]

Can't find that steel sanding disc anywhere, I use a safety planer the same way but would rather use that cool sanding disc.

[@persephonecarden5751]

Great stuff! Thank you!

[@tommayle4752]

great advice, thanks!

[@ravvij9643]

I really enjoyed this! I'd love to get into making my own guitars someday and I think this has been one of the most informative videos I've seen! I'd love to know your thoughts on the Siggi Braun guitar necks and how they bolt to the back of the guitar instead if the top.

[@barrymoretzky8084]

Great video. Can you leave links/list to all of the hand tools you used? How thin can I make a Mexican Strat neck? I do not have the longest fingers.

[@davepuxley7387]

I agree - this is the best neck shaping video I have seen. I have a question regarding your comment about a favourite neck. My favourite neck is a classical guitar I have had for nearly 20 years. What I would like to build is an electric version of that neck, flat fingerboard and all, for use on a piezo loaded electric guitar. This would be neck through construction; could I reasonably continue the general shape of the neck (as you were showing with the straight edge relative to transitions at either end of the neck) into the body - like a long groove on the bass side of the neck - without weakening the instrument structurally?

[@Jefferson-ly5qe]

I'm not a luthier, but I would expect it to be stronger than a regular guitar, as you could build it from one piece of wood and avoid the weak point of the join between the neck and the body. It's a cool idea, I'd like to try it myself sometime!

[@richardmccurdy9333]

My experience has been it will work fine. I would leave as long a tenon as possible. Good luck!

[@davepuxley7387]

Richard McCurdy Thanks!

[@MomusFilms]

Great tips!