Soleras

[needsmorecowbel]

Planning on making a Solera soon; probably out of either plyboard/ MDF or particle board coated with some form of sealer. Just had a bit of difficulty understanding the concept of the neck ramp angle on the solera. Courtnall suggests cutting a ramp from where the neck meets the body down to a depth of 3mm by the time the ramp reaches the nut. 3mm seemed a bit steep to me and a google search had a few acoustic forums threads posting very similar things regarding the ramp slope. Perhaps someone with classical knowledge can chime in and enlighten me and save me from my confusion.

Stu

[kiwigeo]

On a classical the neck rake is positive (cf negative on a steel string)..this is accomplished when building spanish method by ramping the neck shaft of the work board from the body/neck join to the nut. The difference is a few mm...on my solera its about 3-4mm

[charangohabsburg]

Hi Stu, Courtnall proposes a relatively "steep" neck angle (accompanied with planing down the fingerboard towards the soundhole if necessary) and a very shallow top doming. Some (many) Spanish makers use a solera which leave the neck without any angle at all but create the "neck angle" by A) planing down the fingerboard towards the soundhole and B) using a greater top doming than Courtnall suggests.

[needsmorecowbel]

Thanks for clearing that up guys I have pretty much all the tools I need now to get started on some acoustics except a rasp or spokeshave or drawknife for shaping the neck. How do you rate the Auriou rasps for neck shaping Martin? Is there a particular rasp you find very helpful with the roughing of the blanks?

Stu

[Allen]

Personally, I'd save the money from an Auriou rasp and go with the Dragon Rasps from StewMac. A course and a fine one and your good to go. I've got about 20 of them in all for students and of course myself, and everyone that uses them can't believe how well they cut.

[kiwigeo]

Personally, I'd save the money from an Auriou rasp and go with the Dragon Rasps from StewMac. A course and a fine one and your good to go. I've got about 20 of them in all for students and of course myself, and everyone that uses them can't believe how well they cut.

I'm of the opposite opinion. Ive got both the Dragon and Auriou rasps and have a preference for the Aurio's. Theyre both good rasps but the Aurio's get my vote.

[Allen]

Huge difference in the price the last time I looked though.

I've tried a couple Auriou's and yes they are nice.....they aren't that nice.

[jeffhigh]

I built my solera from the courtnal design using the 3mm drop to the nut.
It's not a bad place to have it cause you can then shim it up to have 2, 1, or zero if needed.

[kiwigeo]

I built my solera from the courtnal design using the 3mm drop to the nut.
It's not a bad place to have it cause you can then shim it up to have 2, 1, or zero if needed.

Or you can go negative and build a steel string Williams style

[kiwigeo]

Huge difference in the price the last time I looked though.

I've tried a couple Auriou's and yes they are nice.....they aren't that nice.

My dragons give a much rougher cut than the Auriou's. Ive just been shaping a neck out in the shop and while Im rasping up close to the edge of the fretboard the Auriou is the tool for the job.....if I manage to rasp against the fretboard the scratch's are easier to sand out then if I was using a Dragon. Horses for courses of course.

[Kamusur]

The Liogiers are doing ok.

Steve

[charangohabsburg]

Herdim is also fine.

I think the dragons are the least expensive of those four brands, but I am not sure if I would like the tapered shape.