Abstract:
A neck joint for guitars providing a secure joint with tight mechanical bonding that can be removable and maintainable. It is configurable so that it is adjustable in two directions to accommodate variations in string height and neck angle.

Description:
APPLICATION CROSS-REFERENCE(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/986,540 filed Apr. 30, 2014. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0005]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a partially exploded view revealing the details of a neck joint in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a guitar neck with a tenon seated in a mortise in a solid-body guitar in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded view, without a top, revealing the details of a neck joint in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a view revealing the details of a neck joint in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment a guitar neck joint comprises a tenon with features that locate the tenon relative to a mortised area in the guitar body and wedges that provide force in two substantially perpendicular directions that serve to precisely attach the neck to the guitar body without the need for adhesives or other additional bonding agents. The mortised area may be a full or partial mortise. 
         [0012]    This type of neck joint provides the benefits associated with a tenon, long-tenon or through-body neck joint while retaining the serviceability of a bolt-on neck. It also facilitates precision adjustments to the neck angle or string height while providing a tight mechanical fit. 
         [0013]    When maintainability or serviceability is not required in a particular design or application, the guitar neck joint can also be used with adhesive or bonding agents to permanently affix the neck to the body. In an embodiment that uses adhesive or bonding agents the joint provides precision adjustments to the neck angle or string height while providing a tight mechanical fit prior to setting of the adhesive or bonding agent. 
         [0014]    This embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 , &amp;  4  where the locating features are the boundaries of the neck  1  tenon and mortised area  13  in the body  2 . In this embodiment the lateral mating force between the neck  1  and body  2  is provided by a wedge  11 . The side of the neck in contact with the wedge  11  is shaped so that the angle of the wedge  11  in combination with the angle of the opposing wall of pocket  17  provides a secure fit. The perpendicular force between the neck  1  and body  2  is also provided by a wedge  12 . The mating surface  14  on the neck  1  is shaped so that the angle of the wedge  11  provides a secure fit. 
         [0015]    Because of the wedge  12 , this embodiment requires that the mortise is a full mortise that would typically be provided by top  3 . In order to seat the wedges in this embodiment the wedges  11 ,  12  are accessed through the pick-up holes  5  in the top  3 . In this, and other, embodiments the wedges  8 ,  11 ,  12  may have features  16  that allow a tool to transfer a tapping force to seat the wedges  8 ,  11 ,  12  during assembly or unseat the wedges during disassembly. The location of these features  16  is not critical. Some embodiments may omit this feature  16  and use a tool with a point to penetrate the wedge  8 ,  11 ,  12  material to transfer the tapping force used to seat the wedge  8 ,  11 ,  12 .