Guitar neck joint

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.

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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.

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.

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.

This embodiment is shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 3, &4where the locating features are the boundaries of the neck1tenon and mortised area13in the body2. In this embodiment the lateral mating force between the neck1and body2is provided by a wedge11. The side of the neck in contact with the wedge11is shaped so that the angle of the wedge11in combination with the angle of the opposing wall of pocket17provides a secure fit. The perpendicular force between the neck1and body2is also provided by a wedge12. The mating surface14on the neck1is shaped so that the angle of the wedge11provides a secure fit.

Because of the wedge12, this embodiment requires that the mortise is a full mortise that would typically be provided by top3. In order to seat the wedges in this embodiment the wedges11,12are accessed through the pick-up holes5in the top3. In this, and other, embodiments the wedges8,11,12may have features16that allow a tool to transfer a tapping force to seat the wedges8,11,12during assembly or unseat the wedges during disassembly. The location of these features16is not critical. Some embodiments may omit this feature16and use a tool with a point to penetrate the wedge8,11,12material to transfer the tapping force used to seat the wedge8,11,12.