This pattern can be made from thin material, like plexi-glass, thin plywood, or even cardboard. More durable materials will provide a longer useful life. This pattern is intended to be used with a traditional dowel stick design.
Step By Step Instructions
- Mark a straight line that is the intended length of the fingerboard.
- Add between 5 and 7 inches to accommodate for the length of the peghead.
- In the pattern shown here, the peghead meets the fingerboard at about 7 degrees. Use a protractor to find the angle.
- Using the line that represents the peghead as a starting point, mark a rectangle about 3/8″-1/2″ thick, this makes the peghead part of the pattern.
- Go to the opposite end of the line that represents the fingerboard and make another straight line at 90 degrees perpendicular to the fingerboard line. The length of this line will correspond to the intended depth of the rim, I usually go about 3″. This measurement can easily be adjusted at the time of marking depending on the intended depth of the rim.
- The height of the neck heel can be between two and three inches. I usually aim for three. Starting at the line that represents the depth of the heel, make another mark at 90 degrees that goes back towards the peghead.
- The neck gets thicker towards the heel. I usually start at the peghead with a thickness of about 3/4 of an inch. The thickness I aim for down by the heel is usually around 1 to 1 and 1/4 inches. Starting at the peghead, mark a line that connects it with the heel.
- The last thing to mark is the radius that joins the heel and the back of the neck. It’s pretty easy to freehand this. Use a compass if you wish.
