Anyone ever have a neck shaved, or re-profiled?

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I contacted a guy down in PHX to see if he can do a Gibson 50s LP neck and turn it into a 60's neck.

He told me yes, but if have to have a neck that he could match the new one to .. I imagine it's a copy machine he's got that shaves of one neck as the original gets touched and copied.

He hasn't let me know what it costs yet.
Any ideas what some of you have paid for that service?

Is there any chance of weakening the neck too much by doing that?

Has anyone ever just sanded one down themselves?

I'm pretty handy, might be able to learn how and just do it myself... Just a thought.

 

[ICTGoober]

First thing... GETTING the 50's Gibson neck to carve down... WTH don't you just get a 60's Gibson neck to begin with? Don't tell me you want this done to a real 50's Gibson?

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Ha ha, no. . . It's an LPJ with a 50s maple neck.
it is beautiful, satin, and I had to have it.. . I bought it used... And they don't come with 60s necks so.

The 50s necks don't bother me too much, but I like the slimmer style more.

Just curious how many other guys have had it done is all


Truth is, I haven't even got the guitar yet, I ordered it off reverb and it should be here Thursday or Friday. I'm basing what I think off of owning a different LPJ.

 

[Mincer]

I've never had the back of a neck re-profiled, but while refretting an older Fender, I got a flatter radius.

 

[solspirit]

I've rasped and sanded the hell out of some Strat necks.

 

[orpheo]

I reshape necks regularly. It's not that interesting to be honest. The biggest issue you'll run into is colormatching the new raw wood to the old, and then putting on a new finish. My necks are all either unfinished or protected with something called nanocoat, which is a wipe-on product that'll cure into a hard, thin film (akin to shellac). So I have never really had issues in that regard.

The neck can end up a bit more flopppy, but also a LOT stiffer because the trussrod becomes a greater percentage of the neck (and that thing is way stiffer than a guitar neck).

 

[Top-L]

What could go wrong?

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

What could go wrong?

I took a freehanded drill to my prized Gibson's headstock one time.
I'm not worried at all about sanding a neck ha ha ha

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I reshape necks regularly. It's not that interesting to be honest. The biggest issue you'll run into is colormatching the new raw wood to the old, and then putting on a new finish. My necks are all either unfinished or protected with something called nanocoat, which is a wipe-on product that'll cure into a hard, thin film (akin to shellac). So I have never really had issues in that regard.

The neck can end up a bit more flopppy, but also a LOT stiffer because the trussrod becomes a greater percentage of the neck (and that thing is way stiffer than a guitar neck).

Luckily, On this specific Les Paul I'm not concerned about matching anything up.

Do you just sand until it feels right? Or kind of get a feel for it after
doing a few of them?

Interesting stuff, I was assuming I'd leave it raw underneath, but I'm not opposed to sealing it back up either. I'll look into this nanocoat, thanks.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

In my head it's not a lot of wood being removed.

 

[orpheo]

Luckily, On this specific Les Paul I'm not concerned about matching anything up.

Do you just sand until it feels right? Or kind of get a feel for it after
doing a few of them?

Interesting stuff, I was assuming I'd leave it raw underneath, but I'm not opposed to sealing it back up either. I'll look into this nanocoat, thanks.

I shape my necks to be a baseball bat to begin with, and I only reshape when I feel it is truly too chunky (26mm is too thick ) or when a customer wants it thinner. By now, I kinda have a feeling for it but I still use calipers to check my progress.

Nanocoat is really, really expensive. Like, 800 euro's per liter.

 

[Aceman]

Anyone got one of those that includes 70s / Norlin era?

 

[orpheo]

In my head it's not a lot of wood being removed.

half a millimeter feels like a lot

 

[GuitarDoc]

I think your arm will fall off before you remove that much wood just by sanding. You need to start with a wood rasp/file, then sand with 100, 180, 220, then 320 grit sandpaper.

If you're not concerned about color matching, at least put on a seal coat and/or shellac.

 

[Mincer]

Anyone got one of those that includes 70s / Norlin era?

My Norlin era's neck is fantastic...I wouldn't touch it.

 

[JMP/HBE]

First thing... GETTING the 50's Gibson neck to carve down... WTH don't you just get a 60's Gibson neck to begin with? Don't tell me you want this done to a real 50's Gibson?

Zactly.
If he alters the guitar it will be worthless trying to sell. :wrf:

 

[Top-L]

In my head it's not a lot of wood being removed.

Getting it just right will be difficult. How do you remove less from the sides and more from the underside? It could end up with a little bit of "V" shape. And how would you make it a gradual taper increase towards the heel? If sanding by hand might not be uniform thickness. How would you even know you got it right?

I know myself, and if I did that kind of surgery, I would always be asking my hands "does this feel right? did I take off enough here?" and "does this section feel a little weird?" and "maybe I should of left it as is, it feels a little thin." And "I don't think it has the sustain it used to, but I'm not sure..."

My vote leave it alone because it could open any number of rabbit holes, and the most important thing is to just play and make music.

 

[Aceman]

My Norlin era's neck is fantastic...I wouldn't touch it.

Just wondering where it fits in the whole 50's/60's/59 scheme of things.

That's the neck my hand grew up on.

 

[Mincer]

Just wondering where it fits in the whole 50's/60's/59 scheme of things.

That's the neck my hand grew up on.

I don't know. I don't know how to compare.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

So what I'm reading from most of you is.... "you're a fool to change your neck profile" ha ha ha fair enough.

We shall see when it gets here if I feel like changing it or not.

This is only a $1k used LPJ.... Not anything fancy whatsoever.

I'm not thinking about turning it into a Jackson or a wizard neck lol, just a touch off the fatness, if it makes it a little V shaped, I'd be ok with that as well.

I'm not afraid to change things up just wanted to get everyone's opinion, or try to see any possible pitfalls.