Neck For Tele Build

daniellopez · June 19th, 2008, 08:58 AM

hello,
i have a body that i've bought, and have fitted hardware to (pictured here)

my next problem is the neck. i wanted to put on a maple.
i was just wondering if any of you guys had any advice on buying a neck.
its not so much how to fit the neck or about dimensions, its mainly trying to get a suitable one in the first place, i've never done it before.
is it a bad idea to get something online? how can u tell if its right for your hands?
i have tried all my local places and they don't have necks on thier own?
hopefully someone can guide me in the right direction?
many thanks in advance
regards
dan

Rich Rice · June 19th, 2008, 09:20 AM

Stateside, my two favourite suppliers would be Musikraft or USACG. AllParts provides a nice neck for less money. Many swear by Warmoth, although your options can be costly. I'd avoid other, less expensive outfits.

Musikraft

USACG

Warmoth

AllParts

e-merlin · June 19th, 2008, 09:25 AM

My advice, if you don't know what you like in a neck, is to go to a well stocked guitar shop and play as many as you can. When you find something that feels good, take notes of what you like about it and what model it is. Then, e-mail a few of those companies Rich mentioned, asking if they have a neck similar to what ever model you like.

daniellopez · June 19th, 2008, 09:29 AM

i know what i like, its just finding it, are the place you mentioned above accesable from the uk?

romo · June 19th, 2008, 10:02 AM

I've had good experience with Allparts. Nice neck and the finish was well done. BTW that tele is gonna look badass with a maple neck!

daniellopez · June 19th, 2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romo

I've had good experience with Allparts. Nice neck and the finish was well done. BTW that tele is gonna look badass with a maple neck!

thanks romo!
i have a thing for bound tele bodies...any colour, IMHO looks damn nice with a bound body

daniellopez · June 19th, 2008, 02:15 PM

oh yeah.... one more thing.
some of the tele necks that i've seen, do not have the overhang of fretboard, where the neck meets the body. my rosewood tele neck does. why is this?
thank u

newtwanger · June 19th, 2008, 02:20 PM

21 frets vs. 22 frets. No overhang on 21 frets.

romo · June 19th, 2008, 02:21 PM

The fretboard overhangs a little because it was extended for a 22nd fret. Necks that don't have this have 21 frets.

daniellopez · June 19th, 2008, 02:25 PM

ok, does that make any difference in the fit?

Rich Rice · June 19th, 2008, 02:44 PM

It can, but usually isn't an issue. Sometimes an overhang can conflict with a pickguard, the other problem you can have is needing to pull the neck loose in order to remove the pickguard, which sucks if your neck pickup is body mounted...

Taipan · June 19th, 2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniellopez

hello,

... Black with with top binding ....fab combination...
Can't go wrong with Allparts, or Musikraft. Have not tried USACG yet but from what I have read it's all good. One thing is that the Allparts neck is ever so slightly larger and the heel width wise so you will get a tighter joint with the neck pocket.

daniellopez · June 21st, 2008, 10:24 AM

thanks
the new plan is to maybe try a tele deluxe/custom style black pickguard, while keeping the existing control layout.
i think that would look well nice

candletears · June 21st, 2008, 10:35 AM

cool, but bear in mind that Deluxe and Custom screw patterns are NOT the same. So choose the one that will minimise the amount of extra holes you will have to drill. I'm putting a customised Deluxe plate on a Custom as the pickup config has changed on my guitar, and I am going to have to make a new Deluxe plate and then fit the holes in it to match my guitar body. I don;t want stacks of holes in my guitar body. What a mission. Sigh.

daniellopez · June 24th, 2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taipan

One thing is that the Allparts neck is ever so slightly larger and the heel width wise so you will get a tighter joint with the neck pocket.

the neck pocket on this guitar is 57mm wide and most necks are 56mm wide at the heel. will that mean that there will be a gap? or is 1mm tolerance acceptable for a good fit.
am a bit worried. have tried looking at various dimensions and plans but all measurements are in inches, and i don't know how to do them!

daniellopez · June 25th, 2008, 11:27 AM

bump

Rich Rice · June 25th, 2008, 12:37 PM

1 mm is a considerable difference, but certainly nothing to worry about. In reality, a tight neck pocket is more important cosmetically than functionally. I like 'em tight, but as long as the screws are tight your guitar would be fine with a gap. If the gap is big enough to bother you, you can always laminate a thin piece of veneer to the inside edge of the pocket to close it up. A bit of touch-up paint will mask it, and you can go about your business as usual. Don't sweat it, you may need to make adjustments- which is normal.

JasonRobert · June 25th, 2008, 02:36 PM

I see you are in England... I buy most of my parts from Axes R Us. Although I have not ordered a neck from them yet, I can say that I have never had any problems. They also deliver very quickly.
http://www.axesrus.com/axenecks.htm

daniellopez · June 26th, 2008, 09:06 AM

thanks jason.

i have the body, now:
- i need a neck
- i need a bridge (the existing one is a toploader, i want strung through)
- i have neck pickup to install, need to aquire a bridge pickup
- new pickguard - have tele layout diagrams i got a few months ago, so i was thinking of making my own. (the diagrams were from T. DOWNS)
any suggestions on materials for pickguard?

daniellopez · July 1st, 2008, 12:38 PM

i have ordered the neck
it is a 'honey nicotine' gloss neck with 22 frets from axes 'r' us.
http://www.axesrus.com/acoustics/NICO1.jpg
yes i know that is a strat neck, and i know it may be considered blasphemous on these pages, but i really do like it.
i have ordered the bridge
it is a wilkinson vintage style bridge with compensated brass saddles
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2007_16627524

they both should arrive in the next couple of days, so ill post some more pics when they do
untill then, adios!

GilmourD · July 1st, 2008, 12:40 PM

I see no problem with a Strat neck on a Tele. Didn't Clapton do that at one point?

daniellopez · July 16th, 2008, 10:02 AM

hi again all.
the neck and bridge arrived. the bridge was fine and is on.
the neck, as expected is a bad fit. too wide for the neck pocket. and heel is too high, as follows:

so i started sanding

daniellopez · July 16th, 2008, 10:05 AM

eventually it fits

Rich Rice · July 16th, 2008, 10:06 AM

Be sure to keep your angle right. playin' with fire over there...

daniellopez · July 16th, 2008, 10:07 AM

daniellopez · July 16th, 2008, 10:24 AM

hello

all seems to look ok,
that is untill i string her up.

there is a bigger gap on bass side than the treble side ( distances from either e string to fretboard)

i took off equal amounts of either side of the heel while sanding down to fit the pocket. maybe i shoudn't have.
the bridge seems to be positioned right according to the neck pocket.

the nut is a piece of s@@t. there is a real dead feel to some of the strings and i cant get the action low enough. plugged in she sounds nice, and doesn't play too badly. but it's not what i imagined and am not happy.

so i've stumbled upon another neck. 21 fret rosewood fingrboard. strat headstock again. so am gonna try that out.
unfortunatley, the heel of the new neck is loose in the neck pocket. so i think i'm gonna have to slice some kind of fillers in to the gap.
its about 1mm gap.
is that the right thing to do?
i'll post some pics of new neck. its much better quality than the maple.
i got it from a local luthier. he used it previously on another project, and it had a blue sparkle headstock. looked very cool, but not for this guitar....so i sanded down too wood and treated with danish oil.
it also has been modified to accept a nut as per a gibson type.
hopefully my problems will be overcome.....

June 19th, 2008, 08:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	Neck For Tele Build hello, i have a body that i've bought, and have fitted hardware to (pictured here) my next problem is the neck. i wanted to put on a maple. i was just wondering if any of you guys had any advice on buying a neck. its not so much how to fit the neck or about dimensions, its mainly trying to get a suitable one in the first place, i've never done it before. is it a bad idea to get something online? how can u tell if its right for your hands? i have tried all my local places and they don't have necks on thier own? hopefully someone can guide me in the right direction? many thanks in advance regards dan

June 19th, 2008, 09:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,598 11 Photos	Stateside, my two favourite suppliers would be Musikraft or USACG. AllParts provides a nice neck for less money. Many swear by Warmoth, although your options can be costly. I'd avoid other, less expensive outfits. Musikraft USACG Warmoth AllParts __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

June 19th, 2008, 02:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
newtwanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada Posts: 814 5 Photos	21 frets vs. 22 frets. No overhang on 21 frets. __________________ _________________

June 19th, 2008, 02:44 PM	#11 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,598 11 Photos	It can, but usually isn't an issue. Sometimes an overhang can conflict with a pickguard, the other problem you can have is needing to pull the neck loose in order to remove the pickguard, which sucks if your neck pickup is body mounted... __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

June 25th, 2008, 12:37 PM	#17 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,598 11 Photos	1 mm is a considerable difference, but certainly nothing to worry about. In reality, a tight neck pocket is more important cosmetically than functionally. I like 'em tight, but as long as the screws are tight your guitar would be fine with a gap. If the gap is big enough to bother you, you can always laminate a thin piece of veneer to the inside edge of the pocket to close it up. A bit of touch-up paint will mask it, and you can go about your business as usual. Don't sweat it, you may need to make adjustments- which is normal. __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

June 19th, 2008, 09:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	i know what i like, its just finding it, are the place you mentioned above accesable from the uk?

June 19th, 2008, 10:02 AM	#5 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 229	I've had good experience with Allparts. Nice neck and the finish was well done. BTW that tele is gonna look badass with a maple neck!

June 19th, 2008, 02:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	oh yeah.... one more thing. some of the tele necks that i've seen, do not have the overhang of fretboard, where the neck meets the body. my rosewood tele neck does. why is this? thank u

June 19th, 2008, 02:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 229	The fretboard overhangs a little because it was extended for a 22nd fret. Necks that don't have this have 21 frets.

June 19th, 2008, 02:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	ok, does that make any difference in the fit?

June 21st, 2008, 10:24 AM	#13 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	thanks the new plan is to maybe try a tele deluxe/custom style black pickguard, while keeping the existing control layout. i think that would look well nice

June 21st, 2008, 10:35 AM	#14 (permalink)
candletears TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: 108 hodgkinson st clifton hill vic Posts: 22	cool, but bear in mind that Deluxe and Custom screw patterns are NOT the same. So choose the one that will minimise the amount of extra holes you will have to drill. I'm putting a customised Deluxe plate on a Custom as the pickup config has changed on my guitar, and I am going to have to make a new Deluxe plate and then fit the holes in it to match my guitar body. I don;t want stacks of holes in my guitar body. What a mission. Sigh.

June 25th, 2008, 11:27 AM	#16 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	bump

June 25th, 2008, 02:36 PM	#18 (permalink)
JasonRobert Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paddock Wood, Kent, England Posts: 564	I see you are in England... I buy most of my parts from Axes R Us. Although I have not ordered a neck from them yet, I can say that I have never had any problems. They also deliver very quickly. http://www.axesrus.com/axenecks.htm

June 26th, 2008, 09:06 AM	#19 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	thanks jason. i have the body, now: - i need a neck - i need a bridge (the existing one is a toploader, i want strung through) - i have neck pickup to install, need to aquire a bridge pickup - new pickguard - have tele layout diagrams i got a few months ago, so i was thinking of making my own. (the diagrams were from T. DOWNS) any suggestions on materials for pickguard?

July 1st, 2008, 12:38 PM	#20 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	i have ordered the neck it is a 'honey nicotine' gloss neck with 22 frets from axes 'r' us. http://www.axesrus.com/acoustics/NICO1.jpg yes i know that is a strat neck, and i know it may be considered blasphemous on these pages, but i really do like it. i have ordered the bridge it is a wilkinson vintage style bridge with compensated brass saddles http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2007_16627524 they both should arrive in the next couple of days, so ill post some more pics when they do untill then, adios!

July 1st, 2008, 12:40 PM	#21 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	I see no problem with a Strat neck on a Tele. Didn't Clapton do that at one point? __________________ Good deals: Joel Terry Layla Skye Sunny Wally Franky Honey Wolfy

July 16th, 2008, 10:02 AM	#22 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	stuff arrived.....doesn't fit....just as expected. hi again all. the neck and bridge arrived. the bridge was fine and is on. the neck, as expected is a bad fit. too wide for the neck pocket. and heel is too high, as follows: so i started sanding

July 16th, 2008, 10:05 AM	#23 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	eventually it fits

July 16th, 2008, 10:06 AM	#24 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,598 11 Photos	Be sure to keep your angle right. playin' with fire over there... __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

July 16th, 2008, 10:07 AM	#25 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25

July 16th, 2008, 10:24 AM	#26 (permalink)
daniellopez TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: england Age: 27 Posts: 25	hello all seems to look ok, that is untill i string her up. there is a bigger gap on bass side than the treble side ( distances from either e string to fretboard) i took off equal amounts of either side of the heel while sanding down to fit the pocket. maybe i shoudn't have. the bridge seems to be positioned right according to the neck pocket. the nut is a piece of s@@t. there is a real dead feel to some of the strings and i cant get the action low enough. plugged in she sounds nice, and doesn't play too badly. but it's not what i imagined and am not happy. so i've stumbled upon another neck. 21 fret rosewood fingrboard. strat headstock again. so am gonna try that out. unfortunatley, the heel of the new neck is loose in the neck pocket. so i think i'm gonna have to slice some kind of fillers in to the gap. its about 1mm gap. is that the right thing to do? i'll post some pics of new neck. its much better quality than the maple. i got it from a local luthier. he used it previously on another project, and it had a blue sparkle headstock. looked very cool, but not for this guitar....so i sanded down too wood and treated with danish oil. it also has been modified to accept a nut as per a gibson type. hopefully my problems will be overcome.....