Neck Joint --- Dovetail or Spanish Heel??

[Brad Heinzen]

I prefer Spanish heels for CG's, but I like to use the solera for both CG's and SS's. For SS's I still use the solera even though the neck might be bolted, dovetailed, or tenoned. I usually just take the neck off and on as needed to allow me to take advantage of the solera method. As I see it, the primary benefits of the solera are the ease of setting the neck angle, and ease of maintaining a good center line. If I make the neck removeable, I also get ease of binding and finishing, as well as allowing future neck resets.

The order of assembly for me is as follows:

1. Assemble the ribs at the tail block.
2. Attach the neck block/neck to the ribs (regardless of the type of neck joint).
3. Attach the top linings to the ribs.
4. Attach the neck/rib assembly to the top on the solera.
5. Attach the back linings to the ribs & shape the back taper and dishing.
6. Attach the back to the neck/rib assembly on the solera (face down, of course).
7. Pop the neck off, and do the end graft, bindings, etc.
8. Put the neck back on, and attach the fingerboard (with the fingerboard extension dry).
9. Pop the neck off, and finish the neck and body.
10. Reassemble for fretting (I prefer to fret after assembly), bridge installation, detailing.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I've been thinking quite a lot about this lately, as is made obvious by this thread.

The solera is actually just a radius dish with an integral adjustable outer form. As long as the radius is correctly done, the solera will work as intended. I will have to make another radius dish for the back if the radius is different than what I've carved into the solera.

The adjustable sliding block/clamps are there to hold the ribs/sides in shape while assembling. This would save having to build another outer mould if you build a different shape.
The spool clamps are another part of the solera that are simply "built in".
You could even use it with a Go-Bar clamping system.

I'm still listening though. I know I have a lot to learn.

[Jason Rodgers]

The solera is actually just a radius dish with an integral adjustable outer form. As long as the radius is correctly done, the solera will work as intended. I will have to make another radius dish for the back if the radius is different than what I've carved into the solera

While some folks do in fact build a radius (an actual, mathematical spherical section) into their soleras, this is not historical practice. Check out some of Eugene Clark's great articles in American Lutherie. IIRC, his soleras are flat at the heel and upper transverse brace, then begin a sort of pear-shaped dishing below the soundhole, with the deepest area beneath the bridge. All edges are in a single plane. This would not be the result if you built a solera with a commonly used steel string top radius.

Clark's method, as he claims, is rather Spanish traditional. Compare this with the solera design presented in Bogdanovich's book (I'll let Waddy and others talk more to this style) that has a ramped lower bout. Compare this with a solera used by (I think) Greg Byers that has a ramped upper bout. All of these shapes have a neck plane plan built in.

Whatever you choose, understand that it should all be part of a system that addresses top doming (which relates to strength and tone), side stability during assembly, and neck angle as it relates to "optimal" string height off the soundboard at the saddle and string action over the fretboard.