Conversion Neck Build Questions

[Flux'D]

First post here! There's a wealth of great build info on this forum


I'm going to carve a 24.75" conversion neck (1pc curly maple, V-neck, headstock adjust) for my Highway One Strat. I've built a few guitars before but I've never done a Strat-style neck or anything where I designed the neck around the body. Being new to this method I had a few questions..

1. What's the best method for radiusing with a sanding block? I thought about sanding against a straight edge to keep my block from twisting.

2. Truss rod.. I was originally going to do a 2-way (flipped upside dow)n to avoid routing a curved channel until I saw Motor City Tele's build where he used a flat channel and a curved fillet. Has anyone else done this?

3. How deep should the nut slot be?

4. How would you do an overhang with a 1pc neck? Apparently you can only fit 21 frets onto a 24.75" Strat neck and I'd like to get the extra 22nd if possible

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by Flux'D

First post here! There's a wealth of great build info on this forum


I'm going to carve a 24.75" conversion neck (1pc curly maple, V-neck, headstock adjust) for my Highway One Strat. I've built a few guitars before but I've never done a Strat-style neck or anything where I designed the neck around the body. Being new to this method I had a few questions..

1. What's the best method for radiusing with a sanding block? I thought about sanding against a straight edge to keep my block from twisting.
I rub pencil over the fretboard, and sand free hand with a radius sanding block. The pencil allows you to monitor the removed material to make sure you are keeping it straight.



2. Truss rod.. I was originally going to do a 2-way (flipped upside dow)n to avoid routing a curved channel until I saw Motor City Tele's build where he used a flat channel and a curved fillet. Has anyone else done this?

This method works just fine, but building a jig to route a curved slot is a lot easier than it looks.

3. How deep should the nut slot be?

I cut mine about 1/8" deep.

4. How would you do an overhang with a 1pc neck? Apparently you can only fit 21 frets onto a 24.75" Strat neck and I'd like to get the extra 22nd if possible

You would cut the neck blank with the over hang as a solid heel. Then make a seperate template to route away about 3/4" - 13/16" of wood under the overhang.

[Jack Wells]

3. How deep should the nut slot be?

Same depth as the fret slots.

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by Jack Wells

Same depth as the fret slots.

Jack always has good answers.

[guitarbuilder]

The extra fret sometimes is mounted directly at the end of the neck wood and the remainder of the fretboard hangs off the neck. My challenge neck is a 22 fret gibson scale on the neck and could accomodate 23 with an overhanging fretboard. I will move the saddles forward 3/8" from normal position to intonate by using longer saddle screws.

[Flux'D]

Thanks for the info guys! So you're saying that the 22nd will JUST make it on the neck then? I can live with that. I'll also be finishing this in Truoil with an amber tint, I found a build thread from 2010 where someone doctored up aniline powder with acetone and mixed it straight into the Truoil. I'll probably try this method

I've always done my woodworking by hand and never used powertools really. It's not that I'm afraid of them (I'm a machinist) I just prefer to work with my hands when I can. So I'll have to see about cutting the overhang by hand with some of my saws if I can..


EDIT: How close should the truss channel be to the surface of the fretboard? I'll be cutting a flat channel and using a curved fillet strip..