G1 G2 Neck continuity, clean surfaced neck Rhino3d

Finally happy with the neck surfacing, Redid everything from scratch again. Try to list what I did. I feel I will forget this unless I keep practicing to make better

Four main parts to Modelling the neck
1. Heel
2. Neck profile
3. Volute section
4. Headstock

1. Heel section (dark blue curves)
Did the Highline Guitars method but instead of patching it I ran Network surface. 2 curves at base and of heel and end of neck profile and 6 guide curves, drawn carefully, tweaked curves manually. Try to keep curves straight in top view. 2 rail sweep could work also. Sometimes one works better than the other.

2. Neck profile (light blue curves)

  • Set up 2 main profile curves- He used the mirror technique, but since this is asymmetrical neck, couldn’t use that exact method.
  • I created a guide box in top view 14mm in height and 14.5mm for bottom profile.
  • Drew out a 3 degree curve for each half of profile, then match curved it to G2 specs.
  • Ran the first network surface. with 2 profile curves and 3 straight rails down the neck.
  • Created more guide curves, instead of dividing and sectioning and redrawing manually like Helix, I used the Extract Isocurve command, changed direction to generate the guide curves, way easier this way.
  • Deleted surface.
  • Created 2 more guide curves by the volute, I copied my first 14mm neck profile curves, manually snapping each curve, using gumball relocate and creating a points to snap to center line where the volute starts. Used rotate and scaled manually to snap to points.
  • Rerun Network surface with curves. Surface should go from top of the guitar nut to the heel.

3. Volute Section- (red curves)

  • Set up guide curves by creating points along curve that the truss rod comes out of. Also setup points on bottom of Volute along the isocurves.
  • Draw one curve for each section from the truss rod curve and bottom of volute. Do this for each side and then connect the curves with blendsrf, I think I used the tangent setting for this. Didn’t edit the blendsrf points. But I did have to adjust the first two guide curves manaully. Create straight line then used the “Change degree” command to 3 and adjust the curve points manually in top view.
  • Joined the curves together, think blendcrv can do this automatically.
  • Ran network surface- When picking edges, select surface edge for the first curve, this will allow you to tweak that first curve with the curvature setting.
  • Split or trim off with the extruded bottom of volute or whatever planar surface you want to use.

4. Headstock

Just extruded from original drawing- Elliots method. Or use Guides to create thickness and the dup edges or create edges manually nothing too hard here.

Asymmetric Neck design stumbled upon

Helix guitars neck thickness
0.551″ (14mm) 1st fret
0.570″ 14.5mm heel

Highline guitars neck thickness
.625″ 5/8 to .5″ 1/2 1st fret
.8 (8/10) to 12th fret to heel thickness

1/8 inch min spacing from truss rod at volute
Fretboard dimensions .1875″ or .17″

Yeah while modelling the neck I noticed the fret2find vector file was not centered. Not sure if it was something I screwed up on. I downloaded again I checked in illustrator, same issue, it was off center, maybe that’s the normal?

Found a website about asymmetrical necks.
https://www.kappi.com/blog/2012/10/asymmetric-neck-shapes/

Wasn’t really trying to be innovative. Mixed bag from users. Jimmy Page thinned treble side. Tosin Abasi did opposite. But why not give it shot. Seems like a perfect thing to try and mill on an CNC.
Chris at highline suggested keeping the neck min thickness at 1/2 and inch at 1st fret. Helix has his set at about .55″, 14 mm at 1st and 14.5mm at heel side. Seems too thin, I may have to tweak it, Chris normally sets it at 5/8″ (.625) at 1st and 7/8 (0.875″) or 8/10″ (.08″) at 12th. May try in the middle. Neck stability vs hand fatigue.

Thought about adding inserts but may not be practical. Will try .5875 tomorrow. At 1/8 inch min spacing from truss rod at volute. Also thinning fretboard to about 0.1875″ or .17″.

Mapcity guitar updates 22 frets HSS, rhino3d model, noiseless single coils, piezo preamp pcb

Yeah I know slow updates, been finishing past projects, will post images later. Learning rhino for 3d modeling, it’s really powerful, not just for making toolpaths. I can really model everything and use it for a design tool, can also calculate weight. So I’m learning to model all the parts.

Decided that I love the HSS setup, I can get spanky tones like position 4 of a strat but also the heavyness of a paf, in bridge. Not sure if I can get a PAF sound of a p90 though even if I match the dc resistance and inductance and resonant frequency of a paf. Love the sound of a prails p90. Got some data from antigua. Copied some data, so I can compare to my own tests.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17AbMaX95ynprSnic92H7s0_SY-k6yjlDwA15DsCJMS0/edit?usp=sharing

from http://www.echoesofmars.com/pickup_data/viewer/

https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/8127/links-resources-discussions

Map City guitar- Tried to make 24 fret version but it looked too funky and upper frets were not easy to reach without modifying the whole body, which Iv’e really grown to like. 22 frets looked better, also the neck pickup on 24 would definitely mess up the tone, I’d have to overwind the pickup to cut the extra treble.

Other updates, got a mojotone winder pickup. Another rabbit hole. But I can save user money by winding my own. Really thinking about noiseless single coil pickups, really easy to do. I can also split them like on a spectrum guitar. I can make it stereo but that would take the noiseless out of it. It’s basically a humbucker in a single coil frame, with RWRP wired in series. You can wire dpdt switches to split the bass end strings on neck and the treble (unwound). I heard this on the spectrum guitar, sounded really awesome. sorry janky wiring diagram I quickly did in google keep lol.

Other wip ideas, Piezo neck pocket preamp for electric/acoustic guitar, Made a test guitar and ordered parts, thinking about cutting a pcb board based on video below. Just not sure how I would mix active and passive pickups, I definitely want a paf in bridge. Debating this project, just don’t like the idea of the 9v.