For example, I may need to shave minute amounts  even one-100th of an inch  off the various surfaces of the dovetail so that the pitch, the angle at which the neck meets the body, is correct. The geometry is complicated. The pitch has to be perfect so that the height of the strings on the fingerboard, or the playing surface, is comfortable for the player.

What I do is a big responsibility, since it directly affects how easy it is for someone to play the guitar. Visitors who tour our factory and stop at my station often say I make it look easy. But it’s an art, and not everyone can do it. You have to have good eye-hand coordination.

By the time the two guitar parts reach me, there’s been a significant investment of time and material and I don’t have the luxury of making a mistake. If I’ve done my job well, there’s hardly any final fitting to be done down the line.

Just before I’m done with my part of the process, I write the serial number on the neck and the body so the parts are no longer interchangeable with other guitars.

I’ve been doing this job for almost 10 years. I love it. I look forward to getting up and going to work in the morning. I need a challenge, and of the 25 or so jobs I’ve had here, this is the most challenging. I just jumped in and learned how to do it from my boss and two other neck-fitters. It took me eight hours to fit my first guitar because I was so nervous.