Probably on of the most challenging skills as a luthier is the building and customizing of a guitar neck. Every player has a different hand size and peculiarities which make this a very difficult and precise area of building a perfect guitar for a customer. At Bare Bonz Custom Shop Guitars we have developed specific build protocols that allow us to perform intricate dimensional and contour fabrication for a perfect end result. The three considerations to the building of a neck are the choice of fretboard wood and the sculpting profile of the neck wood combined with lamination or a uniform homogeneous construction.

FRET BOARD:

Choose from a variety of fret board woods. We believe that the fret board does have an impact on tone -- so this is an important consideration. But beyond the idea that a Maple 'board is considered brighter or more lively than the slightly smoother attack of a Rosewood fret board, what is the deal? Consider the wood itself. Oily woods like Rosewood and Pau Ferro do not require a finish. There's nothing between the string and the wood. Most wood requires an impervious finish to protect the wood from the moisture of your hands (and the environment), and that imparts a different feeling while fretting the guitar. With the new CITES [linky] regulations on certain endangered rain forest woods, alternate hardwoods are actively being explored. Bonz is a self admitted Maple 'board aficionado, particularly Birds Eye Maple. But there's so many cool alternatives. The grain pattern of Sycamore can look like exotic Lacewood. Walnut has gorgeous grain structure and some builders are experimenting with unfinished Walnut fret boards. "The future is wide open..." Beyond the wood, lets talk radius. Traditionally a fret board radius was 7.25 or 9.5". This makes chording easy but string bends in those screeeeemin' lead breaks harder to do because the string frets-out on higher frets. 10" or 12" radius is a common compromise - chording is good, and bends are a little easier. Some manufactures also offer compound radius fret boards and 10 - 16" is a common solution. This allows great action at both ends of the neck. Discuss your choice of radius when you order your guitar - we'll build you the fret board of your dreams.

FRETS:

Bonz is a moderate when it comes to frets. Not too big, not too small, not too wide, not too skinny. .084" tall, .039" wide -- it's called Medium/Medium, and it works well for guitar or bass. We use top quality nickel fret wire for long life and classic tone. However, if you want something different -- we'll do that too. Want mandolin frets? Want Jumbo/skinny? Want stainless steel? It's all available, and it's your choice.

To help you make the right choice regarding neck construction and profile we have put together some pertinent links which will help you understand what is involved.

NECK RADIUS:

Let's talk about 'feelings'. No, not that sort of feeling -- I love you too. But I don't want to say it publicly yet... No, what we're referring to is the feeling you get when you grab the neck of an unfamiliar guitar. Is it smooth or rough? Is it kinda slim or a little bit chunky? Round? Flat? What makes a neck 'correct' for your hands? There's no way to tell you what the ideal shape of a neck is. In fact, it varies by guitar. I also truly believe that sometimes the wood itself helps to dictate the final shape. When you order a guitar from Bare Bonz Custom Shop Guitars we'll discuss the general shape of what you desire. Maybe you'll even bring along a favourite guitar for me to see, play and measure. We'll discuss 'shape', and 'size' in general terms. We'll use words like 'fast' or 'sleek', or 'bat'. We'll use letters like 'C', 'D', and 'V'. These are descriptive terms, not measurement words. From there maybe you'll even try out one or more guitars from my collection. We'll narrow down your preference and I'll build the neck as close to your specifications as the wood will allow me to. I'm yet to make a neck that the client didn't love.

NECK FINISH:

At Bare Bonz Custom Shop Guitars, we want to build you a guitar that will bring out the inner Shredder, the inner Crooner, the inner Songsmith that's in you. How you interact with the fret board is dictated by how you are able to move around on the neck. Typically we use neck woods that require an impervious finish. With that said, we avoid thick, sticky finishes. A satin lacquer will become very very shiny, slick and smooth within a short period of time. The oils from your hand are absorbed by the finish. The skin of your thumb is considered to be equivalent to very fine sandpaper. Play time will make your neck better and better.

To learn more here are some web links to assist you...

Which neck is right for you

Thin vs. Thick

Terminology

Fretboard Radius Explained

The Fingerboard/ Fretboard