It is always exciting to arrive at neck setting day when working on a new build. Several weeks of careful work precede setting the neck: Rosette making; bending and boxing; bindings and purflings; inlay work; voicing and tuning; all separate skills that combine as the work progresses to make a work of art that looks more and more like a guitar.
But it all really comes together when the neck is set to the body. It’s a temporary pleasure, for as soon as the set is completed the elements are separated again for final neck carving and then on to the finish room. But for a few minutes the builder gets to see a glimpse of the final product, not yet finished but enough to contemplate for the first time how all the design elements look together. A lot of thought and planning goes into the selection of wood and appointments, and today the fruit begins to bud!