Plan for Double Neck?

[Gordon Bellerose]

Does anyone have a plan, or know where to find a plan, for a double neck guitar?

One of my customers wants a Bass, Strat combination.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I should mention that I only need a basic plan for the body. Necks are standard measurements.
I have noticed that some double necks have different angles off the body for each neck.
I assume this is done to make more room for the headstocks, and help separate the necks.

I can draw up a plan, but it would be nice to have some advice from someone who has some experience.

[Freeman Keller]

http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Dou ... necks.html

https://luthiersupplies.com.au/gibson-e ... uitar-plan

If you decide to build a double neck, ask me about the one I worked on. It was truly the guitar from hell

[Gordon Bellerose]

http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Dou ... necks.html

https://luthiersupplies.com.au/gibson-e ... uitar-plan

If you decide to build a double neck, ask me about the one I worked on. It was truly the guitar from hell

IMG_2727.JPG

OK. I'm asking. What was so difficult about it?
We may as well keep the discussion public, so others can possibly learn also.

[Freeman Keller]

Gordon, I know you would not make the mistakes that I saw on this guitar but the fact that a reputable factory did make them makes me want to pass them along. This guitar was a double neck 6 string 12 string, deep double (triple?) cutaway, set necks, carved top with two tune-o-matic bridges. I'm guessing the body was basswood but it was still incredibly heavy. It was also totally neck heavy with eighteen tuners way out on those long necks. The guitar had terrible balance when I tried to play it standing with a strap, it was impossible to play sitting. The other thing for me trying to play it that neither neck felt good or "right", moving between them was not at all natural and I kept bumping into the other neck when I tried to play it. In other words the ergonometrics were terrible.

That has nothing to do with the construction issues that brought the guitar to me. As I said it was a set neck with 24 frets and the body joint at 20. (Tell me, how many 12 string players do you know who needs two octaves?). Both necks had short tenons that didn't extend all the way into the p/u cavity. The factory failed to remove the paint from the sides of the neck so glue failure was eminent. When the joint failed the owner thought he would fix it by pouring 5 minute epoxy into the cavity.

I pulled the neck, cleaned up the joint so it had wood to wood contact, reglued it and told the owner that it was only a matter of time before it failed again

My humble advice to you is to really think thru the geometry of your guitar including scale lengths, where you want the body to join each neck, how much access you need to upper frets on both necks. Think about the weight of the necks and tuners, how the guitar will balance, where you should position the strap. Think seriously about the neck to body joints - how far they will extend into the body, how they will be supported. Remember that while your customer is playing one neck the other is waving around in the air and is pretty darn heavy.

Good luck

[Bob Francis]

Well his pickups were color coded so he had that going for him

[Gordon Bellerose]

My customer wants a 4 string bass on top, and a Strat/Tele style on the bottom. It's a good thing he is a BIG STRONG BOY!!
He only wants one P-Bass pickup on the bass, and only one blade style pickup in the bridge position, and a piezo bridge pickup.
He wants bolt on necks. I would also build small headstocks to help with balance.
I can use some light weight tuners for the bass, and also for the 6 string.

My thoughts on building the body is to rout some cavities into the body in the upper bout areas, and leave some solid wood in the lower bouts; except for control cavities.
This will also help with the balance.
I will most likely build a longer upper horn for balance also.

I am wondering about some of the other concerns you raised Freeman.
Distance between the necks is a big thing.
As you stated, it was clumsy switching between the guitars. Too close together and you are hitting the other while playing. Too far apart and it would be really difficult to play one or the other.

[Freeman Keller]

Somewhere, maybe Fretboard Journal I remember an article about Paul Bigsby experimenting with neck spacing on his doubleneck mando/guitars. I would think it would be worthwhile building a dummy body out of some cheap wood and maybe slotting the neck mounting holes so you could move them around. Obvious make big pockets so the necks aren't tight. Let your customer tell you what works.

[Mark Wybierala]

I've built a couple of double neck instruments. From a player perspective, they are awkward and never fun. The whole point seems to be to be part of the on-stage act and I don't mean to say that the entertainment element of a performance isn't important. They are always neck-heavy and one instrument ends up feeling too high while the other feels too low.

Its not a big deal to take on a project like this. You're just building two instruments that happen to be connected to each other. My advice is to let the client make all of the decisions so that in the end, they are responsible for what has potential to be and awkward instrument that isn't fun to play. I strongly suggest using foam board to create a mockup addressing the configuration and neck angles. Enable the client to make the decisions and that would include the wiring switching strategies. I'd suggest bolt-on necks with neck pocket specs that permit the interchangeability of standard Fender sized replacement necks.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Mark. Thanks for chipping in!
I would make this a bolt-on for sure.
The customer wants to buy the necks.

Some good ideas, and warnings I have to pass on to the customer.

[Mark Wybierala]

Don't screw up like I did and fail to document the build if you do it.
...and then come back here and tell us what you learned.
My little SG mandolin double neck was a real sweetheart despite being a double neck. I built it totally by the seat of my pants with no drawings or measuring devices with the exception of a fret spacing guide. I brought it to the shop I work at and the next day it sold to greek musician for an offer that took me by surprise and I took less than six quick snaps with my phone before I never saw it again. I'd like to make a few more - not because its a good instrument but rather because of its tongue-in-cheek silliness.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Mark,

Thanks for your input. If I end up building this instrument, I will definitely take pics along the way.
I'm leaning toward advising against the build, but this guy seems determined.