Accurate DC junior neck template ?

PeteC

Hi, can anyone guide me to where I could buy an accurate DC junior neck template ?   Or perhaps advise me to make one ? 

I am embarking on my first serious build (as close as I can get to a 59 DC junior ) and have made an accurate body template in 1/2" mdf, but don't have a neck template yet.

I have all my selected wood, and I am ready to make a start. I just finished making a Myka-style neck pocket jig after watching this on e few YT videos and seeing how useful it would be.  And I just started making a scarf joint routing/sanding jig. 
Also been reading the books from Martin Koch and Melvin Hiscox from cover to cover repeatedly ! 

I have a very detailed pdf from another forum with comprehensive 59-61 DC junior dimensions, and I am wondering whether it would be better to make my own neck jig using 1/2" mdf taking measured dimensions from these plans?  

To give you a sense of my experience ( or lack of ) - this is my first guitar build, but I own plenty of good guitars, do loads of DIY stuff, and am an experienced valve amp builder, made most of the outboard gear in my home studio and like to think I am a reasonably good woodworker ( so far ! ) ...time will tell....

I am reasonably well kitted out with small bandsaw, mitre saw, good routers ( 1/4 and 1/2 inch ) and I'm just about buy a small table saw.  

I have a few necks I can take accurate caliper measurements from too - a 94 PRS McCarty, a 61 SG MIJ Tokai , and a MIJ Tokai LS150.  I also have a '76 Firebird with a really fat baseball bat of a neck, but I doubt know if this is anything like the profile for a 59 DC for example !. 

Any advice from the experienced builders here ? 

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.  Great forum btw - inspiring ! 
Cheers
Pete 

FelineGuitars

https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Necks_and_Fingerboards/Neck_Shaping_Templates_for_Electric_Guitar.html

https://guitarsandwoods.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=neck template&description=true

If you are making a guitar to play these should get you in the right ballpark, and the rest is really personal taste

After all you are making a guitar to fit your own hands I think

We know it will go from about 1+11/16" or 43mm and taper out to 56-57mm in width, but I'm sure any decent set of plans gives you that .

They weren't all the same anyway on the old ones - varied a bit

Danielsguitars

They're not really big necks tbh, I've got a 58 dc basket case that I'll restore, it's got a lovely neck that i use for most of my stuff

I start my neck thickness around 23mm at the first 25mm at the 11th or 12th depending on how big you want it and end up a bit under that when final sanding is done, it's a soft v profile to me

PeteC

Thanks guys.   Would you recommend making an mdf lateral profile template or simply measuring and marking out the side profile before bandsawing and routing ? 

PeteC

Interesting about the 58 neck size.  I have a Richie Kotzen Tele and that neck is even fatter than the 76 Firebird.   Incidentally if anyone wants accurate measurements of the Firebird neck etc I would be happy to do them  
cheers. 

Danielsguitars

I just mark my thickness after making my fretboard and bandsaw close and use my router to get my thickness taper, i do use an overhead router so it's down to your own set up how to best go about this, I'd highly recommend useing alot of hand tools for necks as less chance to muck it up