Question about neck pockets...

Building a one-off for a friend. Its someones take on an Explorer, I think. Anyway the plans call for a set neck, but I would like to change it over to a bolt on. Only problem I see is that from the end of the body to the neck humbucker, Ive only got about 2" to work with. I am worried that a neck pocket length of 2" will not be enough to sufficiently secure a bolt on neck, as most other bolt ons I have built usually have a 3" pocket length. I will more than likely wind up moving the neck pup cavity an inch or so up on the body, but I was wondering if anyone here has made a neck pocket that short, and if so, what were the results?

You could extend the neck till under the neck pickup and use two screws a.la PRS, after routing to depth, of course...

I don't thhink two inches of neck pocket will be a problem though...

You could extend the neck till under the neck pickup and use two screws a.la PRS, after routing to depth, of course...

I don't thhink two inches of neck pocket will be a problem though...

I had thought of that but wasnt sure it would work. I didn't know PRS guitars had bolt on necks. I always assumed they were set necks. Ill have to do some google image searching on PRS necks. Thanks for the info.

Just adjust the neck and pickups to something like this:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--EPIEXGT

or

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Radical/Xplorer.aspx

If you haven't cut the wood yet, just extend the wood an inch where the neck pocket is. I also saw someone go up the side of the body with the neck pocket.

The decision to make it a bolt on was made after I had already cut the body. Only options I have now are to move the neck pickup or cut a PRS neck heel.

Moving the pup an inch isn't going to KILL. It should be aight. two inches might be fine anywho. But I think your best bet would do the PRS. No clue how that works. Don't really care to research it either. :lol:

I have a plywood SG copy ( epi maybe? ) in my junk pile. It has a 2.5" long neck cavity with the holes roughly 1 - 5/16" center to center. I'm thinking 2" is a bit too little. Did you rout the pickups yet or drill the bridge holes? If not... then there isn't a problem, and it should be like all the bolt on explorers of the '70's and 80's that had strat necks on them.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=70%27s+explorer+style+guitar+body&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS391US391&biw=1245&bih=505&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=HhkIye6LvptHwM:&imgrefurl=http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D232805&docid=b7xAsP5ASUeZCM&imgurl=http://www.deanguitars.tv/userpics/lib9/mhdm7.jpg&w=432&h=576&ei=Bl8cUJjgPKXZ0QGp44GwDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=575&vpy=131&dur=1823&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=113&ty=187&sig=103212607959409356147&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=107&start=12&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:12,i:168


http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mitey+mite+explorer+body&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS391US391&biw=1245&bih=505&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsfd&tbnid=BYxhDUVZ1Nn0AM:&imgrefurl=http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D180202&docid=MDRw0hDBaKs5jM&imgurl=http://www.deanguitars.com/userpics/lib3/179charvel.jpg&w=624&h=456&ei=mV8cUMCoMKnt0gGq1YHYAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=939&vpy=198&dur=24&hovh=192&hovw=263&tx=136&ty=159&sig=103212607959409356147&page=5&tbnh=150&tbnw=201&start=65&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:65,i:339

I have a plywood SG copy ( epi maybe? ) in my junk pile. It has a 2.5" long neck cavity with the holes roughly 1 - 5/16" center to center. I'm thinking 2" is a bit too little. Did you rout the pickups yet or drill the bridge holes? If not... then there isn't a problem, and it should be like all the bolt on explorers of the '70's and 80's that had strat necks on them.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=70%27s+explorer+style+guitar+body&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS391US391&biw=1245&bih=505&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=HhkIye6LvptHwM:&imgrefurl=http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D232805&docid=b7xAsP5ASUeZCM&imgurl=http://www.deanguitars.tv/userpics/lib9/mhdm7.jpg&w=432&h=576&ei=Bl8cUJjgPKXZ0QGp44GwDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=575&vpy=131&dur=1823&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=113&ty=187&sig=103212607959409356147&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=107&start=12&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:12,i:168


http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mitey+mite+explorer+body&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS391US391&biw=1245&bih=505&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsfd&tbnid=BYxhDUVZ1Nn0AM:&imgrefurl=http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D180202&docid=MDRw0hDBaKs5jM&imgurl=http://www.deanguitars.com/userpics/lib3/179charvel.jpg&w=624&h=456&ei=mV8cUMCoMKnt0gGq1YHYAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=939&vpy=198&dur=24&hovh=192&hovw=263&tx=136&ty=159&sig=103212607959409356147&page=5&tbnh=150&tbnw=201&start=65&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:65,i:339

I havent cut anything but the body shape. hopefully I'll be able to move the neck pickup and not have to move the bridge or the bridge pickup.

If you moved the bridge then the scale would be off and you'd need a new fretboard.

Moving the pup an inch isn't going to KILL. It should be aight. two inches might be fine anywho. But I think your best bet would do the PRS. No clue how that works. Don't really care to research it either. :lol:

I looked at them last night. It's basically a bolt on heel that extends into the neck pup cavity. Once in the cavity the heel steps down to accommodate the pup and obviously shorter screws are used to secure that end of the heel. Probably what I will do, or at least attempt.

If you moved the bridge then the scale would be off and you'd need a new fretboard.

Haven't made the neck or fingerboard yet. I could move everything up one inch, get my three inch pocket length and alter the neck length/recalculate fret positions if I wanted to keep the scale on the plans.

Not that I'm going to do all that work :) Im going to try the PRS method.

Whip one of these up. :mrgreen:

http://www.kenparkerarchtops.com/Resources/MrsNaturalInside1K.jpg

That's a good idea. XD

What in the world is that?

What in the world is that?

Finally a pretty Parker guitar! :grin:

If you moved the bridge then the scale would be off and you'd need a new fretboard.

Haven't made the neck or fingerboard yet. I could move everything up one inch, get my three inch pocket length and alter the neck length/recalculate fret positions if I wanted to keep the scale on the plans.

Not that I'm going to do all that work :) Im going to try the PRS method.

If you move everything up 1", bridge, PUs and neck, there's no need to recalculate or rebuild anything. The scale would stay the same and the pocket would lengthen by 1". Sounds like a simple solution to me.

If you move everything up 1", bridge, PUs and neck, there's no need to recalculate or rebuild anything. The scale would stay the same and the pocket would lengthen by 1". Sounds like a simple solution to me.

What I meant was I'd have to alter the plans because they are drawn out for a set neck. I'll
probably just draw up my own neck and use the headstock from the plans, then once assembled to the body measure distance from wherever I put the nut to the bridge and check everything on the stewmac fret calculator. I rarely ever go by the fret positions or scale on the plans, even if I am building the guitar to the specs on the plans. I always use the stewmac fret calculator once my bridge and nut locations are final.

What I meant was I'd have to alter the plans because they are drawn out for a set neck. I'll
probably just draw up my own neck and use the headstock from the plans, then once assembled to the body measure distance from wherever I put the nut to the bridge and check everything on the stewmac fret calculator. I rarely ever go by the fret positions or scale on the plans, even if I am building the guitar to the specs on the plans. I always use the stewmac fret calculator once my bridge and nut locations are final.

Sounds like a plan. Looking forward to seeing this come together.

I had a friend who wanted a custom Explorer and we got all the way thru the design stage and then bailed on it. Too bad, I wanted to build that one. :sad: