Scarf Joint

[jcourtjr]

What is a scarf joint. Did they start using these on jackson soloist in a certain year?

[Dave L]

Re: Scarf Joint

A scarfjoint is the joint between the headstock and neck. Since Soloists (like most Jacksons) have back-angled headstocks they all probably have scarfjoints. I can´t imagine them ever being one-piece necks...but I´m not the resident expert on the early San Dimas-era, so others can probably be more certain.

[~K~]

Re: Scarf Joint

Scarf joints were and are the joint that attches the head to the neck as mentioned. On the older San Dimas guitars it tended to be around the 1-2 frets .. It later got moved a bit lower I think because they were dilling our for Floyd Rose nuts and it made for a weaker joint. The scarf is very visible on any unfinished neck

[Jim Shine]

Re: Scarf Joint

My '84 Soloist has no scarf joint. It is the three piece neck style. I can see the three seams start at the end of the body and travel straight through the headstock. My '84 Rhoads was stripped down on the neck and there was no scarf joint on that 3 piece neck either. Perhaps the scarf joint was started when the neck blanks were changed to one piece maple.

[~K~]

Re: Scarf Joint

Scarf joints were done early on and still are on bolt on necks ..

[charvel750]

Re: Scarf Joint

The lack of a scarf joint was very uncommon for Jackson. Robb Lane had a yellow Bengal Rhoads like that, but I've not seen another since.

[Jim Shine]

Re: Scarf Joint

Well, you can definately add these two to the list:




The Soloist has prominant seams and the Rhoads was completely stripped down on the neck, so I saw that one totally bare. I can't tell what is going on with my '83 Rhoads as the three piece neck seams are not very prominant on that one. I don't know if it is coincidence, but these two were made within a couple of months of each other.

[rhoads56]

Re: Scarf Joint

Just checked my Jan. 1985 Rhoads USA, and its a one piece neck (through neck).

[~K~]

Re: Scarf Joint

K .. maybe I'm writing it wrong.... Scarfs were on bolt-ons ..early and new ..

[diablomozart]

Re: Scarf Joint

well, from what i've been told the scarf joints are used for two reasons...1) increase strength in the headstock 2) with a tilt-back headstock, the thickness of the wood to carve the neck would have to be very thick (because of the angling back of the headstock...this doesn't mean that one piece necks dont exist (they could have been ordered that way) but does make them a good deal more rare as the wood wasted in carving the neck of that type would be pretty severe....thanks goes to greg curbow for the info...d.m.

[Razor X]

Re: Scarf Joint

On Jim's site I saw a picture of three different neck laminations, which one do you prefer? Necks

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: Scarf Joint

Well I haven't seen anyone actually explain what a scarfjoint is exactly. So I will try and explain a little:

A scarf joint is where two pieces of wood (in this case) join.

Instead of just glueing both pieces together, they will cut the pieces diagonally, or rounded, to make the contactplane between both pieces as big as possible. And this way more of the wood will touch, and when it's glued up it will have more strength and might have some intonation advantages as well.

[Jim Shine]

Re: Scarf Joint

"Scarf Joint" is slang in these circles for a Spanish Luthiers joint at the headstock.

I prefer 3 piece necks for their rigid feel. They glue the strips of wood together with the grain running in different directions which adds strength.

[Razor X]

Re: Scarf Joint

Thanks Jim, is the three piece neck(much)stronger than the "one piece with headstock seam"?

[Jim Shine]

Re: Scarf Joint

The strength is in the flexibility of the neck, not in how the headstock will hold up. One piece and scarf joint necks feel the same to me as the body of the neck is the same on both.