Breedlove experimental neck joint

I don't believe I have posted this one.

20 years ago when I worked for Kim Breedlove, I was always trying to get him to move away from the big blocky square neck joint that they used for about 6000 mandolins and to move towards a more rounded traditional neck joint. This is one of many that I made up using all of the same existing shop fixtures and the same connections that they used to fabricate the square one. It was rejected by the office dorks who consistently called the neck "The handle"....as in, "Shut up 'n git back to work putting those handles back on the guitar bodies or I'll dock your $7 and hour paycheck!" :disbelief:

It worked well and I used the design for a few of my early mandolins.

Dorks be dorks, no changing that! Now if ti was time saving or material saving then maybe you would have had their attention, but even then it is a big maybe!

Anybody that spent any real time in corporate America has most likely watched someone in management ignore a good idea. Most factories aren't looking for their workers to innovate and that's actually pretty sad.

I have used bolt on necks using knock down furniture hardware in the past with excellent results.

James if I recall, you now use a traditional dovetail joint that utilizes a clever shaping jig you made.

That is correct Charlie. I've been using traditional dovetail joints for almost 20 years for the mandolins and have no plans to change them. I do use several different bolt on methods for some of the guitars and also for the removable neck double basses.

Have you ever had a chance to talk to bass maker James Hamm? I met him a few times at violin events over the years. Pretty innovative guy.

Did Breedlove become a captive of his financiers? They always seemed proud of their innovation in design. I have one of their guitars from before the Two Old Hippie days and their use of the Bridge Doctor, the bridge design itself and several other things all departed quite a bit from standard methods.

James Hamm is a friend & bass building mentor of mine. I use a similar process to his for the rib garland on the double basses.

I don't know anything about the current Breedlove company. I worked for Kim 20 years ago, during the second version of that company right after the takeover from Steve Henderson, when they had approx. $980,000 in debt and it was chaos every day, all day long....