Neck-body joint for guitar-like instruments

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved neck-body joint for a guitar-like musical instrument which joint minimizes the possibility of relative movement between the neck and body and permits the neck to be pitched at a desired angle relative to the body without weakening either element. The firm joint is achieved by (a) providing a tongue which extends from the end of the neck and a recess in the upper surface of the endblock, the recess being positioned and sized so as to permit the tongue to fit snugly therein and be secured therein when the neck and body are fully assembled; (b) providing a dove-tail projecton on the end of the neck which mates with a dove-tail channel formed at the mating end of the headblock and (c) reinforcing the body at a point substantially under the last fret of the fingerboard, such reinforcing being accomplished by securing first and second reinforcing bars respectively to the inside surfaces of the soundboard and the bottom board of the body at the point under the last fret with these bars extending from one sidewall of the body to the other, and attaching reinforcing bars to each of the sidewalls, the bars extending between and being connected to both the first and second reinforcing bars. The desired pitch angle for the neck is achieved by utilizing a soundboard having a large angle curve, the neck being pitched such that its upper surface is in a plane tangent to the curvature of the soundboard at the back end thereof.