The Back Angle

What is the back angle and how to create a back angle.

[@tracymcdougal6381]

Nice, I got it. I appreciate you and your older videos.

[@tekman55]

I knew the concept, but this explains exactly how to do it!

[@f1948s]

Thank you so much for all of this info as well as what you had on another video about the back angle. I purchased from a builder I found on Ebay and the unit was horrible. I had to completely rebuild it and change it from the four string I ordered to a three string due to a sorry build. When I rebuilt it I found you on youtube and say THANK YOU for all your help. I used your info and put the back angle into the unit as well as your idea of a bridge with fret wire insert. Both worked out just perfect.

[@NotJustSawdust]

That's how I do it always, also to be able to make an adjustable bridge (more hight). In fact, I just made a video on the same subject (online Friday), but with the actual building (routering) included. Nice to see that solutions seem universal! Greetings from Portugal!

[@caldivers]

Great job Del, I'm on build #23 now and have been building my necks with a back angle on most of them. I have noticed that the ones with this back angle do play better. Well, better is a relative term,do to the fact that I'm still learning and am a beginner at best. Lol keep the guidance and build videos coming. I'm always looking forward to Del's new video😀 God Bless my friend!

[@suckerpunch48]

That's awesome del, on my second build now will definitely be doing this from now on. Keep them videos coming mate

[@tracymcdougal6381]

I get it back space,groovy man. You look like my younger brother. He plays the guitar like Jimmy Page.

[@goodear1540]

You rock Del, thank you for the great advice! How about a bridge making tutorial for us beginners?

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

ok... i already have one in the archives...somewhere...buried in the rubble

[@JoeSeppy]

"Lower" and "Downer" and "Backer" Got it!

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

Joe Szanyi Heheheee YES!!!! 😎

[@74dartman13]

Awesome tip! Did my first 2 like your first. Might give this a try on #3.👍😎🎸🎶

[@normanacree1635]

Love your videos but would have helped if you had shown the neck being placed inside the box instead of just the lid. This would have shown how the notch at each end of the lid was cut to accommodate the neck.

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

be sure to check out my latest back angle video… it might help

[@normanacree1635]

looking for it right now@@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar

[@aiglesiasvera]

excelente enseñanza profe! muchas gracias!

[@castle5711]

That explains some issues I'm having with my first stick-through fretted cbg. Having a lot of bowing so that the 12th fret gap is seriously higher than the 1st fret.

[@davea5447]

If I'm following you, the top of the neck would then be against the bottom of the box lid, creating the declination. Is the next step to remove material so that the lid can vibrate, or is that not an issue when building an electric vs acoustic guitar? As a side note, it occurred to me that if before the cut you made the neck thicker by the saw kerf, then you could glue the cut-out wedge to the bottom and the neck would be in full contact with the bottom of the box.

[@graysaw]

Do you build them all with a break angle now?

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

yuppers

[@mcopado]

I guess I'm missing something obvious in the build design. I get the principle of the neck angle but I'm not seeing how, if the bottom of the neck is flat where it meets the box, And the angle of the lid is dictated by the sides of the box, how is the angle happening. I know someone below said you mount your necks to the lid, but I don't recall in any of your previous videos you showing that. I'm looking at my builds and most of them have that angle but I thought that was achieved by a happy accident combination of string tension and the correct bridge height. Could you maybe show a follow up video on this with you undoing a box and showing how your neck and the lid is mounted in this context? Like I said, I'm sure I'm missing something simple here. Thanks. Awesome ideas as always. My builds have steadily improved over the year and a half I've been building primarily because of your tips!

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

the bottom of the heel "is" flat... the part of the heel that touches the underside of the CBG is the part that is angled... so the shims (blocks) will need to be 'thicker" on the backside and 'thinner" on the top side to compensate ... this is very important in my opinion. absolutely necessary !!!!! makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD...but it's so subtle :-)

[@lorenzogiani7190]

Hey Del! Ever thought about a "headless" CBG? I just made my first, and it is like that :D

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

sounds interesting.... really interesting

[@Juampi1975]

Sorry, could you tell me in centimeters how to do it?? Or you can tell me exactly in inches to convert to centimeters?? Thank you

[@Grumpy_CBG]

25.4mm (2.54cm) = 1" 1 1/4" = 31.75mm 1 1/2" = 38.1mm 3/4" = 19.05mm 1/2" = 12.7mm 1/4" = 6.35mm 1/8" = 3.175mm Hope that helps mate 👍

[@johne7100]

Useful knowledge and thanks, but you already covered this in your excellent tutorial of 24 March 2017.

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

yup yup - but I've gained many new subscribers since then and i get repeated questions all the time about this so I figured I do a 'redo" video... i also get asked about strings and tunings .... i don't mind answering the same questions over and over and over... there are actually many many overlaps in all my videos .. this is just one of them.

[@johne7100]

Fair enough.

[@willsthomas812]

Excellent video Del as always, my question is about the box cover (lid) alignment. How does the different wood thickness impact closing and alignment of the box lid? Have you experienced twisting of the lid due to the difference in elevation when closing the lid?

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

yup - I use the lid to measure EXACTLY the depth of my cut when removing material to create this BACK ANGLE. Also - take your time to make sure all is in alignment ...flat...smooth...level (etc) BEFORE final assembly. ( i call it the "DRY FIT" )

[@willsthomas812]

Thanks Del for the clarification, so in other terms one side will be the depth of.the lid and the other side will.have a gap between the lid and the bottom portion of the neck inside the box. This is due to the back angle which has one end (bottom part of the neck) thinner than the portion closest to the fretboard.

[@loulamanna567]

This is where I struggle. Seems I'm always taking them back apart to redo the break angle. Especially when using a hard tail bridge.

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

i stopped using hard tail bridges for that very reason...

[@reltcl1995]

What is your bridge highth

[@rickhunt4107]

If you’re still mounting it straight (flat) on the bottom, how does the angle affect the string height? Doesn’t it just give the cover more vibration?

[@rickhunt4107]

Ah, you screw the lid to the top of neck following the cut. Got it. I’m used to screwing neck in from the bottom. Awesome vids!

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

we're not flat on the bottom. the shims are different thickness to compensate. i should have mentioned that little detail. whoops

[@TheDutchRanger]

@@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar I was wondering the same but why don't just cut the bottom at the same angle? Or is using shims just the easier job?

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

So, if I understand, you don't actually angle the neck down, you angle the box itself back? This makes no sense. Sorry.

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

it is a confusing concept i admit. i have other videos that also try to explain it also

[@zardozica]

Does this help prevent string buzz?

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

zardozica not really a factor for string buzz... string buzz mainly due to unleveled frets, bowed neck or action set too low...

[@brianq4.13.69]

Haven’t seen ya riffing in awhile?🎸

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

i need to step it up !!! i'll get right on that :-)