Cliff Gress
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2004
- Messages
- 3,302
From Matt Hughes “Mr Banker Custom”
“Junior and special were budget guitars. They used block tenons. Basically the bottom of the neck is the tenon, and that was ok because it was a slab body and the upper part of the fretboard stood above the body.
On the standard, the fretboard sits flush on the top of the guitar. So the 3 degree neck angle also had to be cut into the top where the neck attaches. Otherwise the neck would stick out above the body. The thickness of those guitars is vastly different, so they used the thinner long tenon and mortise. Also, notice on the treble side of standards, there’s no body shoulder where the neck meets. It’s seamless. You can’t do that with a block tenon.
From a woodworking stand point, block tenons are way faster and easier to produce”
now I wonder ... doe these differences have an effect on tone?
Thanks man. Faster and easier on the less expensive model lines, makes sense. My dc Melody Maker has the block on both sides of the neck.