Guitar Mill necks?

[LaMarr-Bruister]

My tastes have changed over the years and I'm considering a replacement neck. I have a Parklane neck that I enjoy, but the recent issues with timing and delays turn me off.

Guitar Mill advertises as having level frets, rolled edges, removing the finish on a maple board, etc...

Has anyone used one of their necks and was that your experience? I'm wondering how ready to go it really is out of the box. My experience with Parklane and Warmoth was that they both benefitted from a fret level before installing. If Guitar Mill is doing that, and it saves me a stop at the tech's shop, then I'm all for it.

Any experiences would be appreciated!

Why buy our guitar necks? | Guitar Mill Luthier Shop

Why you should be buying your guitar necks from Guitar Mill Luthier Shop in Murfreesboro, TN. Vintage correct replacement guitar parts.

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[trandy9850]

That’s Mario Martin’s company and I would have zero qualms about doing business with them…I used to sell his guitars and they were of excellent quality.

 

[Hodgo88]

Yep, very nice quality, don’t kill you by hiding the options behind extra costs. I’ve bought two and they took 6-8 weeks. I did not order finished necks and both took a little fret levelling to get them perfect after I finished the necks.

I think most any neck, even PLEKd setups, will benefit from a level after being shipped across the country and acclimating to your house.

 

[tfunk182]

Not a fan of Musikraft?

 

[ahiddentableau]

I sympathize with your aim, but I think you're asking for the impossible.

I don't think it's possible to guarantee a neck won't need a level after installation. At least, not if it's made of wood. A company can promise that it'll be level when they ship it, but if the climate of the place it ends up differs from the climatae of the building environment, then the hygroscopic nature of wood means there'll always be the possibility that it will move around, knocking that perfect fret plane out of true. And the world being the way it is, there will almost always be differences in climate.

 

[Unionjack515]

You won’t find a bigger supporter of Mario’s companies than me. But Guitar Mill’s necks need some light fretwork after installation just like everyone else’s, in my opinion. The necks on their fully built Mario Martin guitars are a different story; the Guitar Mill stuff is great quality and in my opinion their selection of wood is way above average, but yes the frets need a nice level and crown after installation. I own four Mario Martin guitars, probably half a dozen Guitar Mill bodies and about the same number of their necks. I’ve been very satisfied with every piece I own from them, and their customer service is also outstanding.

 

[LaMarr-Bruister]

Not a fan of Musikraft?

I'm a fan of having the neck finished and not having to ship it to another vendor and wait again, etc...

If Musikraft finished necks in something beyond oil, I'd be in without hesitation. I've never had one of these purchases happen on time, and adding in a finisher seems like another hassle.

 

[Euripidespants]

I am waiting on one now! I am pretty excited but have a feeling it'll take longer than I'd hope.

2nd on Musikraft + MJT, I'm sure quality is great but it's amazing how hard it is to find someone who builds necks and does in-house nitro finishing.

 

[monkeybanana]

I bought two last year. The ones that were already made so I didn't have to wait. Didn't need to level either necks. The ends aren't perfect on one of them, looks like it was done hastily though it doesn't affect function they just don't look pretty.

 

[Euripidespants]

I bought two last year. The ones that were already made so I didn't have to wait. Didn't need to level either necks. The ends aren't perfect on one of them, looks like it was done hastily though it doesn't affect function they just don't look pretty.

Were they maple boards? Curious how thorough they were with scraping lacquer off the frets etc.

 

[schmee]

There are some bargain necks now days that are great. Just like guitars I guess.

 

[monkeybanana]

Were they maple boards? Curious how thorough they were with scraping lacquer off the frets etc.

Yes, both were maple and I didn't see lacquer on the frets. It is sprayed on thin as well so I don't get the gummy necks like my modern Fenders and Gibson. I'm happy with them.

 

[Euripidespants]

Excellent, I couldn't be more excited. Re-building my nocaster reissue into a no f'ing around machine. It's funny how your tastes in necks/frets/radius etc can change over the years...

 

[Euripidespants]

Finally got mine, looks and feels sick. Will post pics when installed.