Scarf Joint

[Steve]

I'm sure that this hasn't happened to anyone else here before, but I've just made an impromptu change to my neck design (some may call it a cock-up). Rather than having the scarf joint under the peghead veneer, this one's going to be under the fretboard. I was just reviewing my design (discovered my cock-up & about to re-do it) when I recalled seeing pictures of this design before. I guess I prefer the idea of a bigger gluing surface when the joint is under the peghead. Any thoughts?
This is a piece of White Beech that somebody gave me. The peghead's in the foreground...

[kiwigeo]

I've done it...once.

There has been a previous thread on the pros and cons of doing the scarf joint this way. If it was me I'd start again...chop up the old neck and use it for heel blocks.

Cheers Martin

[Taffy Evans]

I have done it this way quite a few times over the years, no problems, just got to do a good job with the glue joint or hiding it.

[Stephen Kinnaird]

That's standard operating procedure for Ibanez, isn't it?
I believe all their necks are done with that "alternate" scarf joint.

Well, at least the alternate scarf-jointed necks are....

Steve

[Kim]

As Steve suggest, just as long as the glue joint was well made it should be fine as is Steve. You are certainly not the first to orientate the scarf this way in error and it is done with full intent by some makers/builders who prefer not to have the joint visible from the side of the headstock directly above the "E" tuners as you can see in this one of mine.

hs_bindings1 (Medium).jpg (57.62 KiB) Viewed 7645 times

Cheers

Kim

[Nick]

That's standard operating procedure for Ibanez, isn't it?
I believe all their necks are done with that "alternate" scarf joint.

Well, at least the alternate scarf-jointed necks are....

Steve

I've done all my leccy necks this way, as long as you have a good joint (as Taffy pointed out) & dont remove too much material (reducing your glue area which will be reduced further by truss rod slots later on) then I can't see a problem. Had one fail on me once which was my fault & I hadn't got a really good joint (rushed it then didn't apply enough glue). All of my acoustic builds have utilised laminated necks so I haven't done a scarf joint for ages.

[Taffy Evans]

I did not post pics in my last post so here is a few of my joints. The old looking neck, my first guitar, is 35 years old, the shiny neck with black plate is 20 years old and I still play them. Also a budget bass neck repair done 5 years ago and still strong, and a repair job on one of my resonator guitars peghead broken by a customer. I made a new peghead but had to move the scarf joint under the fingerboard, you might be able to see the original joint on the peghead.

[Steve]

Thanks very much everyone for your responses. Sounds like either option is fine, if done well. Well, I got into this position because I wanted to get the neck glued up before lunch - not my best effort. I'm going to re-do it.
Steve