![$vboptions[bbtitle]](../../gifs/tdpr-headTRANS.gif)
Stubee
May 4th, 2007, 09:34 PM
I'll try to keep it short, though it's been mind-boggling to me: Got a 50's & '60s Classic Tele. Didn't like the '50s neck, sold it, put the '60s neck on the '50s, fit great, needed virtually no height/relief/intonation adjustment.
But I wanted a maple neck on the '50s. Got a Musikraft from a TDPR guy, nice neck, first tried it on my '60s as that body was bare. Fit great, no adjustment needed. Cool. Then put it on my 50's body. After a week of fits & starts, I concluded it just doesn't like that body: very hard to seat in the pocket, didn't want to seat right when screwing down (lower screws wanted to "show"), when finally in after many careful tries, had to shim the upper pocket like crazy to get it to play at all, strings laying right on frets. Took off repeatedly, inspected everything, removed all debris from screw holes, tried & tried again. Got it to play OK w. saddles very high, two business card shims...but it wasn't "right" to me, and played only "OK" (yep, adjusted truss rod too).
So today gave up: put it back on '60s body, fit like a glove, zero adjustment needed to strings. Plays like a dream, fits tight, no shim, no monkey busines. And the neck sounds great on that body/pups. Really great, actually.
So the '60s neck is back on the '50s, where it also looks & sounds great & plays wonderful after lowering the saddles a ton...to where they should be.
Now I'm happy, just wanted to share this story as I found it fascinating that that neck would not fit the '50s, while the '60s welcomed it & the 50's welcomed the '60s neck w. no issues. Learned how imperceptible--to me--fit issues can cause big-time playability problems. Thanks for listening.
But I wanted a maple neck on the '50s. Got a Musikraft from a TDPR guy, nice neck, first tried it on my '60s as that body was bare. Fit great, no adjustment needed. Cool. Then put it on my 50's body. After a week of fits & starts, I concluded it just doesn't like that body: very hard to seat in the pocket, didn't want to seat right when screwing down (lower screws wanted to "show"), when finally in after many careful tries, had to shim the upper pocket like crazy to get it to play at all, strings laying right on frets. Took off repeatedly, inspected everything, removed all debris from screw holes, tried & tried again. Got it to play OK w. saddles very high, two business card shims...but it wasn't "right" to me, and played only "OK" (yep, adjusted truss rod too).
So today gave up: put it back on '60s body, fit like a glove, zero adjustment needed to strings. Plays like a dream, fits tight, no shim, no monkey busines. And the neck sounds great on that body/pups. Really great, actually.
So the '60s neck is back on the '50s, where it also looks & sounds great & plays wonderful after lowering the saddles a ton...to where they should be.
Now I'm happy, just wanted to share this story as I found it fascinating that that neck would not fit the '50s, while the '60s welcomed it & the 50's welcomed the '60s neck w. no issues. Learned how imperceptible--to me--fit issues can cause big-time playability problems. Thanks for listening.