Neck Replacement

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JD01
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Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

OK, I have a shite old guitar to use as a project.

Not sure I can be arsed with re-fretting, so was thinking of just getting a new neck.

The guitar is a "strat copy" but its actually not quite right. The shape is slightly different to a strat although you wouldn't know unless you had a strat next to it.

The body is thinner and the position of the bridge and neck pocket is slightly different, I bought a strat pick-guard for it and it didn't quite fit - I had to modify it to make it fit around the bridge and neck pocket.

The scale length on this guitar appears shorter than a standard strat.

Question is, if I got a standard strat scale length neck, would it work with this guitar or would the difference in geometry make it impossible to intonate?
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Lt. Bob
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Lt. Bob »

gonna need to use a neck with the correct scale unless it's very close.


Very first thing I'd do is measure it and get the scale .... simply measure from the nut to the bridge saddles. And, of course, the saddles will all be in slightly different places but you should be able to sorta average them out.
Then come let us know.


Or you could just buy a strat body from Guitar Fetish for 40 bucks.
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

Lt. Bob wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 11:09 am Or you could just buy a strat body from Guitar Fetish for 40 bucks.
Then i'd just be buying a strat body and strat neck... I might as well buy a strat kit, which I'm not after anyway - the only reason I'm considering it is 'cos I have this old weird strat copy laying in bits. I'm gonna fit a pickup in it on the weekend and string it. Then I'll measure it.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Lt. Bob »

doesn't need to be strung to measure ...... you can get a strat neck at GF for 40 bucks too.
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

Lt. Bob wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 11:15 am doesn't need to be strung to measure ...... you can get a strat neck at GF for 40 bucks too.
I want to string it just to see how it sounds anyway - I'll be sticking the Duncan JB out of my custom in it and I haven't moved a mic or a knob since recording my test tracks before and after i fitted the Mutt-Pup! I'll be curious to see how different the pickup sounds in my shitty old strat copy compared to in my Custom.
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

Just found some info on it, its one of these:
http://planetbotch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/ ... uitar.html
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muttley
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by muttley »

Measure from the nut to the 12 fret and double it. Do not go by the saddle placement, especially on a cheap guitar. How much of a hurry are you in? I maybe able to sort you out.
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

muttley wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 1:40 pm Measure from the nut to the 12 fret and double it. Do not go by the saddle placement, especially on a cheap guitar. How much of a hurry are you in? I maybe able to sort you out.
No hurry at all. I'd just like to fiddle with this really - I'm initially just gonna wire the JB in straight to the jack with no pots at all. I'll string it and measure it up on the weekend.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by WhiskeyJack »

That's pretty cool JD. not sure if Warmoth is an option for you or not but they do some pretty cool stuff with necks and they also do strat clone necks and bodies, different scales and a pretty great selection of wood. i think they will even have it finished for you. they make nice looking stuff. but you pay for it. I sort of like bobs suggestion to be honest. if the guit isn't a gem no sense in sinking $$$ into it. A 40 dollar neck is probably the way to go and if it ends up being a a nice sounding strat there is nothing stopping you from upping your game to warmoth or similar brand product down the road.

Project guitars are good to have JD. We decided this week we will be flying home to Nova Scotia in July to get the fuck away from the madness that is our lives currently and i'll be bringing my old 70's sears-roebuck guitar back with me from my dads place. It truly is a piece of shit but there is a fair amount of sentimental value to it. Might be fun to tinker with.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Bubba »

WhiskeyJack wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 2:29 pm That's pretty cool JD. not sure if Warmoth is an option for you or not but they do some pretty cool stuff with necks and they also do strat clone necks and bodies, different scales and a pretty great selection of wood. i think they will even have it finished for you. they make nice looking stuff. but you pay for it. I sort of like bobs suggestion to be honest. if the guit isn't a gem no sense in sinking $$$ into it. A 40 dollar neck is probably the way to go and if it ends up being a a nice sounding strat there is nothing stopping you from upping your game to warmoth or similar brand product down the road.
A Warmoth neck would be quadruple the value of the rest of that guitar. I can't help but think this is a lot of wasted effort, but carry on. :biggrin:

Unless the frets are absolutely worn to death, It might be worth trying a fret dress. A shortish aluminium level, some various grades of wet and dry, a triangular file and patience and you might do a good job. Loads of videos on the net. :smiles:
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

Oh, it's a total waste of effort! But amusing, when I was stripping it my Mrs said she could tell I was really enjoying myself.

The frets are done. It's obviously cheap fretwire anyway and I played this thing to death! Saying that I'm already getting a little bit of wear on my custom's frets too and they're steel.
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Re: Neck Replacement

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Bubba wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 2:44 pm
A Warmoth neck would be quadruple the value of the rest of that guitar.
I see that's usually a concern for you and you do bring that issue up a lot.

I gotta tell you ... I've owned/bought/sold as much gear as most music stores and the one thing that has ZERO effect on what I do is resale value.
I mean literally zero ..... there's never been a single time ever that resale value has ever entered my mind.

I just don't care ..... I do what I do because it's what I want to do.
In this case in particular what he describes this guitar as is something that's gonna have zero resale value so if he puts a Warmouth neck on it may have $125 resale value after spending 200 for the neck .... ultimately he ends up being out more money in the end than the 40 bucks a cheap neck would cost.

makes absolutely no sense to me at all.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Bubba »

Lt. Bob wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 3:17 pm
Bubba wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 2:44 pm
A Warmoth neck would be quadruple the value of the rest of that guitar.
I see that's usually a concern for you and you do bring that issue up a lot.

I gotta tell you ... I've owned/bought/sold as much gear as most music stores and the one thing that has ZERO effect on what I do is resale value.
I mean literally zero ..... there's never been a single time ever that resale value has ever entered my mind.

I just don't care ..... I do what I do because it's what I want to do.
In this case in particular what he describes this guitar as is something that's gonna have zero resale value so if he puts a Warmouth neck on it may have $125 resale value after spending 200 for the neck .... ultimately he ends up being out more money in the end than the 40 bucks a cheap neck would cost.

makes absolutely no sense to me at all.
It might seem that resale value is on my mind, but it really isn't. I am completely different to you in that I have very rarely sold one of my guitars. Perhaps two in my life. I'm just trying to establish a realistic notion of how much money is worth investing in a thing. If I dropped my Fender Jag and broke the neck, then it would have to get a Warmoth or a real Fender neck in replacement. But on half a plywood beater? Not a chance! :biggrin: A 40 dollar neck might be ok but I thought he might get satisfaction out of making the existing neck playable.
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Bubba
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Bubba »

JD01 wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 2:57 pm Oh, it's a total waste of effort! But amusing, when I was stripping it my Mrs said she could tell I was really enjoying myself.

The frets are done. It's obviously cheap fretwire anyway and I played this thing to death! Saying that I'm already getting a little bit of wear on my custom's frets too and they're steel.
Knock yourself out then - I had a lot of fun pimping my old no2 guitar for the Shambollix - A Chord Tele that cost me 40 quid. If it's for the fun then go for it - just don't throw daft money at it! :lol:
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by muttley »

TBH you are all wrong. You should make a neck. It really really is not as hard as you all seem to think....:)

Would cost you 25 quid if you didnt want fancy timber.. A lump of maple or Mahog is under tenner, the fretboard is a tenner. I'll stand you some fret wire..and a duel rod for error backup is a fiver....
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Lt. Bob »

Bubba wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 3:42 pm I am completely different to you in that I have very rarely sold one of my guitars. Perhaps two in my life.
hmmm ..... I'm not sure if I've ever sold any of my guitars ..... maybe but I'm truly not sure.
Always equipment trades for me.
well ..... sometimes drugs.

:sherlock:

it does make sense to me that you might rather do the work on the old neck because that would be satisfying.
Last edited by Lt. Bob on Mon May 22, 2017 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by Roman »

I'd say if you have worn out the frets, then you must like it enough to have played the shit out of it.

I vote for just refretting the existing neck.

It has stood the test of time and is stable. You'll have the neck you're used to, and like. (an assumption on my part)

A new neck usually needs a fret dress, nut cut, some kind of finish. A quality neck is in the 200USD range and will NOT do anything for resale value. I can't tell you how many times I've seen warmouth or other "part guitars" go for much less than the cost of the individual parts.
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JD01
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by JD01 »

Yah, that was my first guitar, played on it a lot for 4 years.
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by WhiskeyJack »

muttley wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 3:51 pm TBH you are all wrong. You should make a neck. It really really is not as hard as you all seem to think....:)

Would cost you 25 quid if you didnt want fancy timber.. A lump of maple or Mahog is under tenner, the fretboard is a tenner. I'll stand you some fret wire..and a duel rod for error backup is a fiver....
What is the time estimate you figure to shape the back of the neck? And what tools would you use to do this? Also for the fretting surface? Does a radius get applied to that as well?
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Re: Neck Replacement

Post by muttley »

I can build a complete neck in less than a day. In my experience the average novice or first timer with reasonably tool skills can do one in less than a week. Yes the f/b has a radius except classical guitars which are traditionally flat. It isnt hard to make upsanding blocks to do the radius though. I can pass on any tips required.
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