Neck support block

DLJeffs

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While I'm waiting for braces to dry on my second guitar, I want to make a neck support block. I've seen Stewmac makes a half circle block with a rounded groove for the neck. That groove has cork sheeting glued in it to protect the finish. My coach has a rectangular block that is covered in carpet and it sits flat on his bench. So I'm reaching out to you other guitar makers to see what you use for supporting the neck when working on your guitars. Hoping for photos with some dimensions so I can cheat off them and make myself a support block. Thanks.
 

Arn213

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I am not a fan of those half donut/bagel neck rest because there is not enough cushion on the “cove/concave” for the neck profile to rest on and to me not enough surface area for the base. Yes, carpet, cork, thick leather, material that is cushioned with foam internally or some kind of soft rubber. If you use carpet- do not use 100% wool because it is more on the abrasive side. Use tight piling that has 60-100 count per inch…….basically you don’t want the backing material showing or it will scratch your finished neck!

If you are planning to build one, make one that is versatile and multi-function. The great grandfather of Archtop, Bob Benedetto came out with one that is proprietary that is multi-functional that has two separate slots (east and west) coexisting in one base- this allows you to work on the guitar laying on it’s back/front or on it’s side. It was available for sale from what I remember and it has been for awhile listed as “sold out”. These photo’s are from his website.

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DLJeffs

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Thanks Arn. I like the functionality and flexibility of this design. I'd make the base bigger so I could clamp it down or secure it somehow. I'd alos figure out how to clamp the neck into the support so I could use it to file, sand, plane, etc. Maybe make the taller section with a moveable section that can be tightened as needed.
 
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barefoot

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Makes sense. I use my heavily-padded parrot vise to secure the neck in any position necessary for anything that requires pressure. But I do like that Benedetto neck rest and would find it handy (and faster) for many things, so I think I'll build myself one. It would help to have the bottom made so that it could be tightened with a screw. As you noted, Doug, that would require some redesign. Maybe, for me, it's overkill, but lacking a parrot vise, it makes a lot of sense
 
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barefoot

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Oh, the other thing I use is simply a block o wood with a heavily-padded top covered in fine leather. It's the one that usually will support a guitar with the back flat on my bench so there's little movement. But I like the Benedetto style and will make one o those with a couple modifications for securing the neck better.
 
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