Neck Bolt Insert Kit

[mom]

My tele neck screws are starting to strip, again. It's my favorite guitar but I'm sick of the neck moving around on me so I want a permanent fix - no more toothpicks, glue, dowels, etc... What's the best way to go for the neck insert kit? I don't trust myself to do it so couldn't I just buy the kit, or better yet, buy the inserts and bolts/screws at the hardware store and have my local guitar tech install them? If so, what size inserts, screws, type of metal (i assume some type of steel), etc. I don't really want to send my guitar off to vintique or onyx forge or whoever and pay $100+ for them to do it. Also I have the Callaham neck plate, if that matters.

[Buckocaster51]

Check this out.

Cheers

[Ronkirn]

Ain't no biggie... go to one of the larger Ace hardware stores, they will have the inserts ... about 50 cents each, and the Stainless Steel screws... get the steel insets not the brass or zinc... you will have to cut the 2" screws down to 1 3/4".

buy a couple of extra inserts... drill a hole in a scrap piece of lumber, and run in the inserts... do it a couple of times and you will be on top of the learning curve...

It's so easy even a drummer could do it... hehehe yeah right, but it is easier than solving Fermat's Last Theorem with a bent slide rule.

Ron Kirn

[otterhound]

Since the inserts will be installed on the underside of the neck , are you concerned with being able to get proper alignment because of the curvature of the fretboard ?

[lamprey999]

If I understand otterhound's question, the fretboard shouldn't be a problem. If the neck is aligned now, it should be afterward.

The screw holes in the back of the neck are the pilot holes for the inserts. They will need to be drilled out a little, but that's no big. The existing holes will guide your bit.

If you are anxious about being plumb while drilling, you can make a little jig out of a piece of 1-by. Drill a plumb hole, the size of your bit, through the 1-by. Push the bit 'til the tip just pokes out, line it up over the existing hole, and drill.

Lay the neck on a towel or something to protect the FB, and keep the neck stable. I'd also put a piece of tape on the bit, as a depth guide, so that you don't have to put any extra MOP dots on the fingerboard to cover your boo boo.

As far as the fretboard goes, I've been trying to get on top of that learning curvature the greater part of my life!

[Chet Johnson]

Check the " Stripped Neck Screw "Thread
and scroll down.

I Tap the holes after drilling for ease of threading them in without splitting, chipping, or cracked wood. Maple is very solid.

Otterhound,
They make a much tighter neck joint, and don't effect neck curvature and fretboard radius.

[mom]

Originally Posted by Chet Johnson

Check the " Stripped Neck Screw "Thread
and scroll down.

I Tap the holes after drilling for ease of threading them in without splitting, chipping, or cracked wood. Maple is very solid.

Otterhound,
They make a much tighter neck joint, and don't effect neck curvature and fretboard radius.

Exactly WHICH inserts should I get and why? Self-tapping, thread locking, knife-thread high-strength hex drive, self-locking with adhesive seal, knife thread for hard wood. Too many choices. So far I'm leaning toward the stainless steel knife thread inserts for hard wood with the 10-24 internal thread i found here...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsWood/hardWood.html

The ones Chet shows pix of on the stripped neck screws thread look more like these...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsMetal/stainlessSteel.html

Also, exactly what SIZE insert and screw?

[Chet Johnson]

Originally Posted by mom

Exactly WHICH inserts should I get and why? Self-tapping, thread locking, knife-thread high-strength hex drive, self-locking with adhesive seal, knife thread for hard wood. Too many choices. So far I'm leaning toward the stainless steel knife thread inserts for hard wood with the 10-24 internal thread i found here...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsWood/hardWood.html

The ones Chet shows pix of on the stripped neck screws thread look more like these...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsMetal/stainlessSteel.html

Also, exactly what SIZE insert and screw?

I would recommend 8-32 Inside thread. 10-32 insert outside dimensions puts them veryclose to the edge of the neck, and the body holes haveto be enlarged for the bigger screws.
8-32 is more than sufficient for clamping power.

8-32 vs. 10-32 comparison

[mom]

Originally Posted by Chet Johnson

I would recommend 8-32 Inside thread. 10-32 insert outside dimensions puts them veryclose to the edge of the neck, and the body holes haveto be enlarged for the bigger screws.
8-32 is more than sufficient for clamping power.

8-32 vs. 10-32 comparison

Cool....but what KIND of inserts??? There seems to be more than a few reasonble choices...so which ones? Please be specific. Also, thanks for all the help so far.

[jhundt]

Cool....but what KIND of inserts??? There seems to be more than a few reasonble choices...so which ones? Please be specific. Also, thanks for all the help so far.

I think that you should look at the first reply you got, from Buckocaster. Look at the link.

A fellow TDPRI member has worked all this out and is offering a do-it-yourself kit for a very reasonable price. And he has been very good about not making any commercial announcements on this thread... so I will do it for him.

http://www.tdpri.com/phpclassifieds/...t/13553/cat/83

[Doug 54]

Onyx Forge in CA

http://www.onyxforgeguitars.com/Insert%20kit.html

[Ronkirn]

Here ya go.... have fun


http://www.mcmaster.com/#threaded-inserts/=2l4ho7

http://www.mcmaster.com/#91802a204/=2l4ic2

Ron Kirn

[PCR985]

mom,

Just send it to Chet. He's a vendor here, and I'm a customer. He did an awesome job on my Tele neck in Dec, at a very reasonable price (cheaper than if I had to buy the tools to do it myself), and turned it around quickly (faster than if I had added this to my long list of other projects that I never get around to). I just packed my neck in one of those USPS tubes, and sent it off... few days later, presto... inserts installed.

Here's a few pics of the inserts he installed in my neck.
Neck Inserts

The only thing you'll have to becareful about is how tight you screw down your neck. You can really crank down on it if you're not careful because the screws slide in so much easier.

BTW, my only affiliation to Chet is being a happy customer!

[mom]

After a conversation with Phil at Philtone Guitar Co. ( http://www.philtone.com/ ) I went with the 3/8-16 10-24 carbon steel inserts for metal and ss 10-24 2" phillips machine screws (they may have to be shortened to 1 3/4") - the same specs as the Vintique stuff. On phils site - http://www.philtone.com/inserts.html . I found them locally and bought them today. Here's what they look like...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsMetal/carbonSteel.html and again...

http://www.philtone.com/inserts.html scroll down for pics.

[Chet Johnson]

Originally Posted by mom

After a conversation with Phil at Philtone Guitar Co. ( http://www.philtone.com/ ) I went with the 3/8-16 10-24 carbon steel inserts for metal and ss 10-24 2" phillips machine screws (they may have to be shortened to 1 3/4") - the same specs as the Vintique stuff. On phils site - http://www.philtone.com/inserts.html . I found them locally and bought them today. Here's what they look like...

http://www.ezlok.com/InsertsMetal/carbonSteel.html and again...

http://www.philtone.com/inserts.html scroll down for pics.

This is an interesting approach. I would just buy the correct screw length however. 1 3/4" or longer requires a deeper hole than the depth of the inserts. My inserts only require 1 1/2" screws. Anything longer than that is not really needed in my opinion.

I agree with some of the Philtone process, and some of it I do differently. To each his own.


The awesome thing about this forum is the multitude of ideas from fellow users.

Keep it rollin' everyone!

[mom]

Actually I didn't read how Phil installs the inserts because I'm having a local luthier do it. I just needed to know exactly WHICH inserts to get and what size. As far as screw length I was following Ron Kirn's advice...

"... get the steel inserts not the brass or zinc... you will have to cut the 2" screws down to 1 3/4".

The hardware store I went to only had 1 1/2" and 2" screws so I thought I'd play it safe. Should I go back and get the 1 1/2"? Also, Chet, I noticed you like the adhesive where as Phil doesn't. What else do you do differently from him?

[Chet Johnson]

mom,
I sent you an email with the information you asked about. Its a lot of info, and pics, and a file that I don't think will attach here. There is no sales attempt, it is just the answers that you asked for.

Oh, and yes, 1 1/2" is all that you need. Screw threads that thread out the other side of the insert don't hold them any stronger.

[EW57]

I just got my neck back from Chet & couldnt be happier. Great service at a great price with quick turnaround! By the time I'd have bought all the stuff to do it myself, I'd have more than paid Chets fee & not only that, but I'd still have to familarize myself with the method, fixture my neck, drill, tap etc etc.

[Buckocaster51]

I'm going to give Chet a shout-out.

Good guy to work with.

[Chet Johnson]

Thanks guys. Its great hearing anytime I made someone happy.