how to make an aluminum guitar neck
Do your necks get a full fret job?
Our necks get a full and premium fret job. They are tested and played on prior shipping.
Are our easy to build electric guitar kits any good?
Our easy to build electric guitar kits work great. We’ll help you do it well. Grow with Us! Let us help grow your instrument business by outsourcing part of your production.
Can you build your own body and neck?
Or, if you are ore experienced and adventurous, then we will build your body and necks to your specification. Buy them in kits with all the other parts like tuners, bridge, and pickups – or just get the body and neck and supply your own components.
How many Travis Bean guitars were made?
The original Travis Bean Guitars company made, by most estimates, somewhere around 3600 guitars between 1974 and 1979, before closing up shop, at least partly due to outside pressures to cheapen the product.
Where are Jim Normandy guitars made?
Since 2007, Salem, Oregon’s own Jim Normandy has been making aluminum-bodied guitars and basses, creating the first aircraft aluminum archtop. These guitars have the classic look and feel of a vintage Gretsch or Gibson, but with a decidedly modern flair and aluminum’s distinctive full-range resonance, combined with a more traditional feeling wood neck. Normandy’s archtops feature Bigsby vibratos, Normandy pickups, and a variety of finishes, from chrome, to powder coats, to anodized, in many colors. In addition to their affordable production models, The Normandy Custom Shop is quite prolific as well, turning out instruments in varying styles, finishes, and feature sets at prices that are surprisingly low. Normandy endorsers include Frank Black, Billy Zoom, The Eagles of Death Metal, and My Morning Jacket.
Where are EGC guitars made?
EGC, based in Pensacola, Florida, has been at the forefront of the aluminum guitar resurgence since 2003. Machinist and musician Kevin Burkett started the company after taking note of the rapidly rising market value of his beloved Travis Bean guitars, and wanting something similar that he could play at shows without fear of damaging a rare, vintage instrument. Since then, EGC has done Bean one better, making instruments entirely of aluminum, rather than just an aluminum neck and center section with a wood body. They do make hybrid instruments as well, with aluminum necks and wooden or acrylic bodies, but the all-aluminum models are the company’s singular achievement, one unmatched by any of their competitors in the tiny world of metal guitar manufacturers. EGC instruments are all over the place in the world of heavy, weird guitar, with players from The Melvins, Failure, Isis, Neurosis, Mastodon, and Shellac, singing (or riffing) their praises. EGC makes a wide range of production and custom guitars, as well as signature models for Duane Denison, Buzz Osborne, Scott Kelly, Brent Hinds, and Agostino Tillota of Uzeda. The prices are reasonable, considering the incredible quality, but it’s a small company and the wait for an instrument is 9 months to a year, so get in line now.
When did aluminum guitars start?
Luthiers have experimented with aluminum for over a century now, likely starting with The Aluminum Musical Instrument Company in the mid 1890’s, a manufacturer of aluminum-bodied mandolins, lutes, banjos, and guitars. Other builders followed, with the more well-known pioneers of this tiny sub-industry …
Is aluminum good for guitars?
Besides its tone and resonant properties, a case for aluminum guitars can also be built on the material’s durability and sustainability. As one of the most abundant elements on our planet, it’s in much less danger of being severely depleted than, say, mahogany or rosewood, and once the instrument is built, it will effectively last forever with little to no energy devoted to upkeep. An all-aluminum instrument requires virtually no maintenance, and one good setup will last indefinitely, as there’s no truss rod to adjust, and no wooden bits to warp, swell, or shrink.
Does aluminum absorb string vibrations?
This affects the feel in interesting ways, as well as the tone, because aluminum doesn’t soak up string vibrations the way a plank of wood might. Instead it takes your picking input and spits it back at you with an immediacy that no wooden instrument can achieve.
Who plays Travis Bean’s guitar?
High profile supporters of Travis Bean’s iconic guitars, including Steve Albini and The Jesus Lizard’s Duane Denison, have done a lot for the aluminum guitar’s reputation amongst lovers of caustic underground rock, and this influence has been gradually, but perceptibly, trickling into more mainstream corners of the guitar universe.
WHY ALUMINUM?
When looking for a neck, there are a lot of different variables to look at. Structurally, a solid billet of aluminum will offer the most rigidity of the option possible. There is no truss rod or other materials to stress and strain during temperature or moisture changes. Additionally, that additional strength can help with the wear and tear of tour, stages, and other bumps and bruises any guitar will have to sustain during it’s lifespan.
WILL THIS FIT MY GUITAR?
YES: For the most part, if you’re running a Telecaster, Stratocaster, or Jazzmaster, you should be able to bolt this neck directly onto the body.
WHAT IS THE 700 SERIES?
The 700 Series is the first set of necks that I designed , named after the thickness at the nut for the design . I will be continuing this convention for each style going forward, so anything with this thickness will be in the 700 Series, and further designs may be in a new series for their specific design requirements.
Why did Travis Beans stay in the case?
My buddy had a few Travis Beans, they stayed in the case during cold weather months because they would take some time to "warm up" from the cold.
Does Buzzo have a thick neck?
Buzzo, according to an interview on youtube, has short thick fingers so the thin necks are his preference.
Can you use a guitar for a gig?
Thermal expansion/contraction. At gigs, I could only use the guitar for the first song or two. After that the aluminum swelled and the guitar went hopelessly sharp. When our singer would use it for a couple tunes in the middle of the set, our stage tech had to take it offstage and retune it. Admittedly the venues usually were cool before the show, and the lights were hot. For home use this might not be a problem. Also, modern lights seem cooler than a rack of old school incandescent par64s – those things could give you a sunburn.
Does aluminum guitar vibrate?
And much liveliness of feel resides in the neck. Aluminum is rather lifeless in terms of feel. Yes, it vibrates, but it doesn’t have the elastic feel of a nice lively piece of wood. Also, it’s pretty heavy.
Is a truss rod straight?
Absolutely straight, permanently. No truss rod, no warping or twisting issues, ever. Rigidity has a downside, however – see below.
Can you play outdoor gigs in cold weather?
Avoid any outdoor gigs in cold weather!