Wild idea- stacking fretboard on guitar?

[Chiogtr4x]

We were at an 'all used' music store ( Atomic, DC-area) a few weeks ago and there was a guitar there that literally had 2 fretboards on the neck ( with strings/tuners) literally at almost 90° angles. I guess for 2 different tunings, on the fly? So the neck shape was /_\

You rotated the neck you wanted to play to the top ( w/pickups/body)

Too weird and not comfy and $1K+, used- pass!

 

[Boreas]

If you want to have a laugh, head over to an Instagram page called @aguitaraday. There you'll find picture after picture of guitars that have been butchered, hacked at, or otherwise molested in unspeakable ways. Some are amusing, some are deeply offensive.

Personally..I prefer to enjoy an individual guitar for what it is, not attempt to make it into something it isn't. If you like the guitar in every other respect, learn to live with the thinner profile. If you want a guitar with a fatter neck, go find one.

Any excuse to own more guitars is a good one as far as I'm concerned.

If I am going to be playing Barre chords all day, I prefer a thinner neck profile. Otherwise, I prefer a little more heft. I have never heard anyone complain about having one of each!

 

[JukeJointJunkie]

If you want to have a laugh, head over to an Instagram page called @aguitaraday. There you'll find picture after picture of guitars that have been butchered, hacked at, or otherwise molested in unspeakable ways. Some are amusing, some are deeply offensive.

I love the Blackguard acoustic. LOL

 

[mtglick]

IMO, in terms of stacking, no. Way too complicated, and fraught with potential problems (laminate failures, dead spots, etc.) Somebody else mentioned the correct solution, though--remove the fretboard and put a thicker one on. If it were me, I'd find a suitable piece of ebony, but rosewood, cocobolo, ziricote or any of the oil-rich woods should do OK in thicker pieces.

 

[Mojotron]

That is not a bad idea at all - if it was a neck that you were in the middle of making - I've done it on necks that I made that were a little too thin - before cutting the fret slots, it's totally doable. Here's a picture of a 12" radius Strat that I did that on prior to putting in the initial frets.

It's a similar approach to what Fender did on their Veneer necks from 1962–1966.

Doing that to a fretboard that is already done and likely has a dense wood like rosewood as a fretboard would require that the wood on top match very closely the radius for the wood on the bottom (bending the thinner wood over the top of the old fretboard would likely not work in that case), and the neck would likely need to be removed, the side markers would be a bit out of position and the binding would have to be reworked or live with the sides of the old frets would show.

Like you mentioned, it's doable, likely an interesting project - but a lot of work.

 

[NoTeleBob]

Problem is it's an LP Jr style single cut with Telecaster electronics and bridge and a 25.5 inch scale. A $3000 Fano is out of my price range (and doesn't have a set neck).

You could get an EPI Jr that takes humbuckers and use adapters to install Strat coils if you want single coil sounds... although it will be a 24.75 scale. You'll have to be selective to find a neck you like - some are slim D shapes.

 

[edvard]

Well, if you really want to know if it's possible and how to do it, well, it apparently is possible because somebody done do'd it and these links are record of how it was done:

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/if-it-is-possible-to-enlarge-a-strat-neck.158684/#post1789506
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/enlarging-a-strat-neck.166154/

Basically, 5 layers of veneer (dude in the post used pine; you can probably find maple veneer or whatever strikes your fancy) very carefully clamped to the back of the neck with tightly-bound fabric so the pressure is even, then shaved down to a usable profile. I'm going to close my eyes and walk away now, the rest is up to you.

 

[pypa]

Apologies if someone sa this already. Two issues I see:

1) Your fretboard is radiused, so you'd have to radius the bottom of the top fretboard to match. This would be difficult.
2) If you raise the frets up, you will have to raise up the saddles by the same amount in order to achieve the same action as you have now. Do you have enough travel for that? You could raise up the bridge, I suppose.

 

[stormin1155]

I have removed the fingerboard and sandwiched a 3mm piece of wood between the fingerboard and neck to give more thickness. It was on an antique acoustic that the owner has pumped all sorts of money into to keep it alive. Material had to be added to he bridge as well. On an electric, your bridge and pickup adjustment would surely have enough to compensate. Now whether a procedure like this is worth doing on your guitar is a good question. I think I'd side with everyone else in suggesting that you just get a guitar with a fatter neck.

 

[Bob J]

Try wearing gloves when you play. It will make the neck feel fatter.

 

[Mahogany]

Do it for the story, if it goes south the re-neck option can be exercised.

I have removed the fingerboard and sandwiched a 3mm piece of wood between the fingerboard and neck to give more thickness.

Conceptually close, scroll down where the OP uses a 2mm veneer.
From here:https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/1960-burst-restoration.1993738/