Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Oceano

Oceano

New member
So i bought this really nice MIM Strat neck on ebay for a squier build I'm doing. To my surprise the neck holes don't line up, but they're just barely off. I don't know what to do. Should I drill the neck? Should I make the body holes just slightly bigger so the screws will fit (doesn't sound like a good idea to me, but idk)? Please help me bros.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Well... this is why I prefer to buy a neck w/o holes so I drill them based on the neck pocket holes.

Sooooo, I would fill the holes and re-drill in the proper location. Hopefully too, you don't have a lot of wiggle room in the pocket. That can be a nightmare if you're trying to make sure the high E doesn't fall off the fretboard, especially if you use an American-spaced bridge and an 1 11/16" nut.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

It doesn't really wiggle, but it is not as tight as I'd like it to be. Also, how do I go about drill holes in this thing?
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Drill press, ideally.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

I don't have one. I've heard it can be done with a hand drill. Will that work?
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

If you can hold it straight enough.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Either side can be doweled and re-drilled, but it's much easier to drill the neck to match the body than the body to match the neck. I would drill out the holes in the neck to make a clean, "threadless" hole, and glue in dowels that match the drill bit in size. Cut the dowels flush, fit the neck in the pocket, and re-drill to match the body's corresponding mounting holes.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

How much do you guys think it would cost to just get this done somewhere? I don't have a drill press and I don't trust myself with the most important connection on a bolt on guitar.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Buy some oak dowel and wood glue. Fill the holes with the dowels and cut them flush. Then sand them level and drill new holes. It isn't precision science and it doesn't need to be.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Verily I say unto you, beware false economy, for it is surely the work of Ba‘al Zəbûb.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

I dunno about dowels. I made a paste out of sawdust and wood glue and filled them in that way. I mean, when wood glue dries/cures, it's harder than wood. The absence of wood however, can cause the glue in the holes to crack, so the sawdust helps balance that and keeps it slightly more flexible, because the holes you drill will be almost in the same spot. I didn't have any issues when I retrofitted a Kramer neck on a Strat body years ago, doing that. You could try to find dowels that tiny, but it seems like more work than it's worth. Like was said above, it doesn't take a damn rocket surgeon to put a Strat neck on. Just breathe deep and don't think too much.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

IanBallard said:
I dunno about dowels. I made a paste out of sawdust and wood glue and filled them in that way. I mean, when wood glue dries/cures, it's harder than wood. The absence of wood however, can cause the glue in the holes to crack, so the sawdust helps balance that and keeps it slightly more flexible, because the holes you drill will be almost in the same spot. I didn't have any issues when I retrofitted a Kramer neck on a Strat body years ago, doing that. You could try to find dowels that tiny, but it seems like more work than it's worth. Like was said above, it doesn't take a damn rocket surgeon to put a Strat neck on. Just breathe deep and don't think too much.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Here I go guys, wish me luck.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

After the holes are filled, however you plan on doing it, use an awl to mark AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, the center of each body hole. Don't try to drill straight into the hole until you've made good, accurate marks.

Good luck!!
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

You can buy small dowels at Ace Hardware in my experience and probably at places like Lowes or Home Depot. You might have to check a specialty hardware store, woodworking store or other craft place, but they are out there.

In Colorado I was lucky enough to live within 10 blocks of an Ace Hardware and right across the street from them was a specialty woodworking business that carried all of the high end products needed for quality woodworking. Finding places like that can save you a lot of headache.

Good luck.
 
Re: Help! Strat neck hole alignment..

Hey guys I used the method Ian said with the wood glue and it worked great!!! I'm actually surprised at how easy it was, and now feel kinda dumb for how worried I was lol. Anyway, thanks so much everyone. I'll post pics of the finished project in another thread. FYI it's not a strat :naughty:

:beerchug:
 
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