Constructing the neck of Brian May's Red Special

This is a temporary list. I will create a more detailed description and include pictures when I have time.

Plan of Action

1. Transfer neck design onto MDF for the template.
2. Cut out template using jigsaw.
3. Refine template to exactly how you want it.
4. Roughly cut out the shape of the neck from your mahogany.
5. Attach the template onto the mahogany, DO NOT USE NAILS!!
6. Use your router, with a bearing guide, to duplicate the shape of your template onto the mahogany.
7. Mark out where the truss rod channel needs to be.
8. Setup a rig for your router to route the truss rod channel.
9. Use your router to route out the truss rod channel.
10. Finish off additional cavities for truss rod (depends on your truss rod).
11. Create a small piece of wood to sit on top of truss rod. This will force truss rod to bend against strings.
12. Create angle on headstock using jigs and your router.
13. Drill required holes in headstock (size depends on your machine heads/tuning pegs)
14. Create angle on the body end of the neck.
15. Create recess areas for the pickups.
16. Drill required holes for bolts (to the body).
17. Create clearance area for top of bolts (to the body).
18. Cut down bolts to required length.
19. Fix 'the single bolt' into neck using epoxy.
20. Fit the truss rod.
21. Glue the fretboard to the neck.
22. Shape the back of the neck using a spoke shave/router/sander.
23. Round off edges on headstock.
24. Dye the neck using red mahogany dye.
25. Fix the nut to the neck.
26. Apply sanding sealer, if necessary, to neck and fretboard. May need multiple coats. If so, use wet-n-dry between each coat.
27. Apply laqcuer to neck and fretboard. May need multiple coats. If so, use wet-n-dry between each coat.
28. Screw the truss rod cover to the headstock (requires pilot hole drilling).
29. Fix tuning pegs/machine heads to heastock (requires pilot holes drilling).
30. Finish fretboard off.

Page updated: Wednesday, December 5th 2007, 8:57 pm