The neck slot isn't just any old part of the guitar that you can route and not care about how it comes out because you have a pick guard to cover it up; it's an essential piece that holds the neck in place and makes sure that the guitar doesn't snap in two when there is string tension on. So, to get the router to precisely cut the slot, I fabricated a jig that would support both sides of the router when cutting to ensure a clean, even cut. Since the router is a bit low tech and only locks the height adjustment on one side, I had to be sure not to put too much pressure on the non-locking side (putting too much pressure on would cause the bit to tilt and cut too deep).
This is what the fitting looked like after the routing was complete. Looks pretty good, huh? Wrong. The neck wasn't even close to fitting. Still, I was pleased that the surface that the neck attaches to was nice and flat.
A few hours, a lot of sanding and a little chiseling later, the neck finally fit. I was able to bolt it on using the correct size screws, and voila! A guitar appeared before my eyes. I can see it now.... just a little more shaping, and the body will be complete!
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