looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

[Pickngrin]

I'm looking to keep the character of the instrument intact... anyone have a suitable neck they'd like to sell? I need intact frets, as I'm replacing a neck with worn frets.
Thanks

[ErikH]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Question, how worn are the ones on the stock neck? They can probably be leveled, crowned and polished for less than a new neck.

[bungalowbill]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Have you considered a re-fret? That way you get to keep the feel of your instrument intact and choose what frets you want......just a sugggestion.....Joe

[PoorMan]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

I have a MIJ standard and was going to put a new neck on it. The neck pocket is a really weird size and none of the necks I have lying around fit. That may not be true of the reissues (I haven't checked). But I'd measure the neck pocket just to be safe.

[BachToRock]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Warmoth necks fit my MIJ strats perfectly...

[Pickngrin]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Before considering a new neck, I looked into refretting, and was shocked at the quotes I received locally (I'm in CT)... $300...$275...
My concern re: crowning is that there isn't very much fret for them to work with. I've never had neck work done before so this is new territory for me. I don't want to spend more than I did for the guitar when it was new.
Any other suggestions?

Also, if I do buy a new Warmoth neck, is it pretty much "plug-and-play", or do I have to have a luthier cut or shape the nut, do anything to the frets, etc?

Thanks

[BachToRock]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

I just ordered 3 necks from Warmoth... they are plug & play if you get it with one of their great Corion nuts... you just have to install tuners... if it is a FINISHED Maple fretboard you will have to remove the thin layer of finish that is on the frets with Steel Wool.

[Pickngrin]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Thanks... fortunately I found a palatable solution... first, I brought my Strat by a local music shop today and the guy had the balls to tell me it would be ~ $120 for a fret grinding/polishing, which may or may not suffice, and that if it required
refretting, it would run $500+. Out of his #*$@)# mind, if you ask me.
I also brought it by another shop, where the luthier spoke with me for quite awhile, and I am going to have him to fret leveling and grinding to the tune of $75 with a setup. It is my wife's birthday present to me...it will be great to have my old strat back in good playing condition!

[ErikH]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Thanks... fortunately I found a palatable solution... first, I brought my Strat by a local music shop today and the guy had the balls to tell me it would be ~ $120 for a fret grinding/polishing, which may or may not suffice, and that if it required
refretting, it would run $500+. Out of his #*$@)# mind, if you ask me.
I also brought it by another shop, where the luthier spoke with me for quite awhile, and I am going to have him to fret leveling and grinding to the tune of $75 with a setup. It is my wife's birthday present to me...it will be great to have my old strat back in good playing condition!

Cool. $75.00 is more like it. Sounds like you found a good luthier. Nice. Some people just don't know they're doing or how to do it right so they charge extra to do what they do know how to do, which is one thing, complete refret. I'm not luthier, but $500 is insane for a refret. I can get one done here for $150 to $200 depending on neck binding or no neck binding. Good for you for searching around. I hope she plays like butter when you get her back. Let us know.

[Pick_n_grin]

Re: looking to buy a replacement neck for 50s MIJ strat reissue

Thanks again for the input...
I got my Strat back a couple of weeks ago and it plays great! That said, I haven't had enough playing time lately but the fretwork is a great motivator.
Now I'm thinking a tweed case would be nice to have (I have a regular, molded Fender case I got in the 80s)...