First Stewmac order came ......question

Pretty excited to have my first box of stuff arrive from Stewmac today. Got some things I need to try a neck, my first. Was inspired by the Colt Knight neck build thread..........Thanks for all the info Colt.

http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t468/jlaceytrc/002-2.jpg

I do have one question about the fret board. When I line it up with one of my Teles there's a fret slot where I need to round off the board with the neck heel. I did not want to have an extra fret there, that close to the end of the board even though it's apparent that I'll have to let the fret board run past the neck heel. Crap........not what I wanted at all..... COLT, HELP !!!

http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t468/jlaceytrc/004.jpg

Thanks , Jeff

I think you can rout it flush with the neck like you want. Put that last fret in and trim it to match the rounded corners of the neck. I think if you try to fill it, it will be pretty noticeable.

I pulled up the pic in Colt's thread and I see where he built 22 fret necks outta both of these boards. No big deal. Man looking at that Tele board will make you drunk if you look at it long enough ! Took me a minute to figure it out until I remembered something about a trash can and a dirty word .....

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Build%20X%204/100_3930.jpg

....or you can overlap the board :grin:

Easy. If you want to do a 21 fret neck, make the neck shorter (and the neck pocket also shorter). If you want to make it 22 frets, either plan for an overhang OR make the neck longer and the neck pocket longer.

That's a bugger. That gap looks like it could match a thick bit of binding - you could consider binding the fretboard to extend the length a bit. Not traditional for a tele, I know, but it'd look tidier and more deliberate than a filled slot. Either way, I hope you find something that works for you man.

If you want 21 frets, saw it off at fret 22 and make that the end of the neck. That minor difference will be taken up by the saddles during intonation. People won't notice any difference if you do a nice job making the neck. Every neck I ever made in a fender style was done this way. If the neck heel is 2 -3/16 wide at the widest point and if the curves have the correct radius... it should drop right in. According to the stewmac fret calculator, that distance from 22 to 16 should be 2.964. Fender strat specs of old are 3"+/- 1/32" and if I'm not mistaken it is the same in the Ducchoisoir book drawing (1980)...mine is hard to read at this point.

I think you are in the ballpark.

Yes, exactly 3 inches less 1/32 .......I measured it. We might be on to something here. Thanks to everyone.


Jeff