Maple neck for my project

[RorySquier]

Re: Maple neck for my project

The previous owner tried to integrate a CS-3 Boss Sustainer/Compressor into the body. I’ll install the maple neck into my current body and leave this body as it is. It is very heavy compared to the other, I guess mine is basswood and this could be alder, right? I’ll see if I can fill most holes and make it TOM bridge with strings-thru-body.


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Yeah I thought they sort of looked like guitar pedal knobs...thanks for the clarification.



;>)/

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Maple neck for my project

Well, now I'm not totally sure about the neck. In some pics it looks like a one piece. In other pics it looks like a maple board on a maple neck. I'd have to see it in person to say for sure.
Anyway, that's all beside the point and neither here nor there. Like I said, the neck looks fine, not worn out nor overly used. The heel-neck pocket issue is the thing. Enlarging the pocket is the most difficult way to do it. It's only 0.5 mm too small and won't make a noticeable difference in looks, performance, feel, etc of the neck, so my choice would be to file 0.25mm off of each side of the neck heel.

 

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: Maple neck for my project

I agree, it’s a small difference that can be sanded away. I’ve been looking closer at the neck pocket and it looks like is not perfectly flat on the side due to the paint. So I’ll take a wooden block with sandpaper and make the sides flat first, the try again with the neck and carefully sand either the treble or bass side depending on which will give better neck to bridge alignment.


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[ehdwuld]

Re: Maple neck for my project

The neck pocket on my project tele was super tight
The finish had ran down and need to be buff off with a dremel tool

 

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: Maple neck for my project

The neck pocket on my project tele was super tight
The finish had ran down and need to be buff off with a dremel tool

Looks like the same happened here. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.


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[playas]

Re: Maple neck for my project

That neck reminds me a lot of the neck from my Hohner ST Olympic.

The head shape looks exactly the same to me.

There are a few differences though:
- The trussrod adjustment on mine has a metal piece that protrudes out of the cavity, rather than the recessed bullet style on yours.
- The machine head holes have a slightly different arrangement. It appears that they are the same type of holes, if I´m right, on yours they are drilled holes, not treaded for screws....but on mine there are two parallel holes behind each tuner, not one in front and one behind diagonally, like you have. (i.e. on tuners 2-5 they look identical, but not on the first and last tuner, if you catch my drift).
- Mine has a rosewood board - hence no skunk stripe


Edit: On re-reading, for clarification I had better explain that the machine head holes I am referring to are not the main 10mm holes for the actual machine heads, but the smaller holes used for fixing the machine heads in place. I hope this is clearer.

 

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: Maple neck for my project

Ok, first step completed. I sanded the contour of the pocket and now they are smooth and the neck fits!

However, I just realized that the holes do not match, so I’ll fill the existing ones and drill new ones on the body. Also, I measured the distance from the nut to the tremolo screws (6-point) and the distance is 640mm instead of the recommended 641, so I’ll do this right too. No wonder why the saddles were always maced out with the old neck, because the scale was a tad too short!

Any advise on the drilling and measuring and getting the scale right?


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[Adieu]

Re: Maple neck for my project

Ok, first step completed. I sanded the contour of the pocket and now they are smooth and the neck fits!

However, I just realized that the holes do not match, so I’ll fill the existing ones and drill new ones on the body. Also, I measured the distance from the nut to the tremolo screws (6-point) and the distance is 640mm instead of the recommended 641, so I’ll do this right too. No wonder why the saddles were always maced out with the old neck, because the scale was a tad too short!

Any advise on the drilling and measuring and getting the scale right?


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With a tremolo bridge?

Youch

That won't be much fun.

Is it 1mm short to a maxxed out saddle, or 1mm short to the end of the trem plate? If to where the string sits in the saddle, consider shimming the neck pocket to back the neck out a few mm, just enough to get saddles intonated with the 6th string maxxed out

If to the end of the trem plate, thats too much for a pocket shim.... question becomes, do you even have enough space or would correct positioning force you to drill holes in thin air where the block cavity currently resides?

Might have to go hardtail then, something big like a tele ashtray. Or re-rout for a Floyd (Floyd saddles can sit pretty much directly over the block, or 20-25 mm further back, likely giving you plenty of wood to position the pivots in, instead of thin air)

PS check your neck's nut-to-12th fret distance to verify its scale. 25.5" is typical, but plenty of 24, 24.75", and even oddballs like 25 and 25.1" exist as well

 

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: Maple neck for my project

It is a tremolo, but I keep it blocked.

The 1mm difference is to the screws of the tremolo. Stewmac says 25.25” (641.35mm) and in my case is 640mm. I didn’t measure with the old neck, but since the saddles were maxed out, I figured this could have been the reason.

With the new neck in place, I an put a shim in the pocket to compensate for that “small” difference. The big question is if to drill the body o r the neck? And what is the best way to proceed?


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[Adieu]

Re: Maple neck for my project

It is a tremolo, but I keep it blocked.

The 1mm difference is to the screws of the tremolo. Stewmac says 25.25” (641.35mm) and in my case is 640mm. I didn’t measure with the old neck, but since the saddles were maxed out, I figured this could have been the reason.

With the new neck in place, I an put a shim in the pocket to compensate for that “small” difference. The big question is if to drill the body o r the neck? And what is the best way to proceed?


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Forget what stewmac says, especially when mixing and matching unrelated parts. That's presumably for eyeballing one specific trem and one specific saddle design.... 25.5" / 648mm to the actual saddle's string contact point is what matters

Lay out the bridge with a saddle mounted and see if you can get 25.5" + a few mm to spare for intonation adjustment with current holes as is... if not, can you get it by moving the neck a few mm out of the pocket? If not.... tele bridge time if you keep the trem blocked anyway

 

[Adieu]

Re: Maple neck for my project

I have no clue why they want 641 anyway, probably for more tremolo range? Ive got a perfectly intonated parts strat with screws at 644 mm from the nut, Fender/Fender-style 6 screw trems have some saddle range after all

Mine has like 5mm more to spare on the 6th string if you cut the saddle springs (might have to use short screws? Not sure), 640 should be doable then

Depends on your choice of saddles though I guess, I'm running oldskool bent ones


As a last resort, there's also THIS wacky approach, which will give you a whole bunch of adjustment range to spare:

(Image not mine, shamelessly stolen from telecaster people's forum)

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Maple neck for my project

What's up with the treated #10 deck screws at the joint? Am I seeing things?

I redo the frets....

 

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: Maple neck for my project

I finally had some time and took everything to the workshop. After about 5 hours of measuring, drilling, screwing and soldering I put everything together. Plays great and is perfectly intonated with 9-46 strings.

Thank you all for your help and advise, I couldn’t have done it alone.

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