quick one : need a maple board badly but...

greekdude

New member
But no room for more guitars. Should I just mod my old sunburst strat, and swap fretboard? Or should I retire this and buy a new strat with all the specs I want (maple fretboard, white body, 22 frets etc...)
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

Are we talking about removing the fretboard and putting a maple on or buying a new neck?
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

swapping the neck is easily the best answer

selling the sunburst and buying the one you want is second best answer

hacking off the fretboard to swap the slab is ....... ridiculous
new frets have to be cut in and installed on maple then the refinishing,
just incredible amount of work involved

EDIT
swap one and two
 
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Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

If you like the sunburst Strat, then get a new neck for it. If it doesn't really suit your needs, swap it out for one that will.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

but guys most of the tone is in the neck. If I swap the neck, basically I change the guitar. Also I want the old headstock. This is an early 80s Aria strat.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

Why do you need a maple?

Swaps on the Aria would be difficult. I doubt it has a standard neck.

Best bet would be a new guitar, IMO.

Bill
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

DO IT!

Its not hard removing them and gluing another on. The fret work will be the hard part.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

hacking off the fretboard to swap the slab is ....... ridiculous
new frets have to be cut in and installed on maple then the refinishing,
just incredible amount of work involved

it really isn't that much work. Buy a pre-slotted fretboard that will take out a heap of the work. Removing the old fretboard takes around an hour. Glue on the new one. Run it around a router table with a trim bearing bit. Then fret and finish.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

it really isn't that much work. Buy a pre-slotted fretboard that will take out a heap of the work. Removing the old fretboard takes around an hour. Glue on the new one. Run it around a router table with a trim bearing bit. Then fret and finish.

I dont have a router. Also what if the new fretboard is narrower ? Should one use standard PVA glue or animal glue which can be undone?
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

I dont have a router. Also what if the new fretboard is narrower ? Should one use standard PVA glue or animal glue which can be undone?

Use titebond original. Glue on a fretboard that is square at both ends then use the router table to trim it up to the neck.

I'm sure someone in your area would have one you could use.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

but guys most of the tone is in the neck. If I swap the neck, basically I change the guitar. Also I want the old headstock. This is an early 80s Aria strat.
I have (now) two Strats that have been configured a bunch of different ways. Swapping necks on them made a pretty big difference, I was shocked (everything else being equal).

I'd find another guitar you really like then sell the old one.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

I have (now) two Strats that have been configured a bunch of different ways. Swapping necks on them made a pretty big difference, I was shocked (everything else being equal).

I'd find another guitar you really like then sell the old one.

I agree on the 1st sentence. This is my first guitar from 1984, so either I honor it by further modding it and playing it, or I retire this to my parents' house and buy a new one, but I have already 6....... :33:
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

only six? dont replace the fingerboard.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

The neck contributes as a neck/fretboard combination. Changing the fret board will change the tone also. If you swap the neck, you could always go back to the original one if you want at some time in the future. Warmoth sells necks with both the modern Strat and CBS Strat headstocks. You could go with the CBS and have the same shape. BTW, I also like the CBS headstock. Been thinking of putting one on my Tele.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

I agree on the 1st sentence. This is my first guitar from 1984, so either I honor it by further modding it and playing it, or I retire this to my parents' house and buy a new one, but I have already 6....... :33:

I understand, I'll never get rid of my Epiphone Les Paul. It was my first real guitar.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

That's right. Since I wanna change fretboard/color/pups , I am retiring this. Sad but better than giving away or destroying. Also this might be an extra excuse to visit my parents as they get older.

Thank you ppl.
 
Re: quick one : need a maple board badly but...

But no room for more guitars. Should I just mod my old sunburst strat, and swap fretboard? Or should I retire this and buy a new strat with all the specs I want (maple fretboard, white body, 22 frets etc...)

You're asking a question that only YOU can answer!
 
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