Would putting a squire neck on a G&L be a disaster?

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

I've got a really nice ash body tribute asat that I bought for the body and the pickups knowing the neck was trash, thinking I would put a real fender neck on it and have a great Tele on my hands. I paid full price and tgen some because I loved the tone of the pickups, then shelled out for Bensonite saddles and a genuine Fender ashtray bridge. Went order a neck and found out I really screwed up because G&L necks have a deeper pocket than Fender, tried Warmoth and found no help either. I'm about 200 bucks over what this thing is worth.

I don't want to dump anymore money into it than I have to. I'd rather save for a MIM Telecaster.

So here's my idea, to put an affinity tele neck on and make a pick guard to cover the void left by the shorter neck heal. What or the ramifications tonal or otherwise I may run into? I don't expect perfect I just want it to be a reliable player.

Thank you in advance for your advice

 

[Zipslack]

As far as I know, only G&L necks will fit properly and you can only purchase them, MAYBE, directly from G&L.

 

[mjr428]

What's wrong with the neck it came with?

 

[andy__d]

I went through exactly this same mental process a few years back with a tribute strat that I had. In the end, the decision I made was to just sell the G&L, because I was concerned that, I’d need to be very careful to keep the scale length correct, and, for a strat at least, the way the scratch plate fits around the trem is very different, and I wasn’t finding good options for a replacement scratchpate. I was also worried that not having a neck that fitted right in the pocket, I might end up with something that I couldn’t intonate correctly.

Whilst you may not love the G&L tribute neck, I would ask if an affinity neck is really any much better? If you really like the G&L pickups, maybe take them out and put them in the affinity, rather than swapping the necks? (I wish I’d taken the pickups out of mine before I sold it…)

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

As far as I know, only G&L necks will fit properly and you can only purchase them, MAYBE, directly from G&L.

They are super spendy. If I can fix it for about 100 bucks, I'll set it up for slide r part it out.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

What's wrong with the neck it came with?

Frets need a complete level and the neck has a bow, truss rod nut is wormed out and the nut needs to be recut.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

I went through exactly this same mental process a few years back with a tribute strat that I had. In the end, the decision I made was to just sell the G&L, because I was concerned that, I’d need to be very careful to keep the scale length correct, and, for a strat at least, the way the scratch plate fits around the trem is very different, and I wasn’t finding good options for a replacement scratchpate. I was also worried that not having a neck that fitted right in the pocket, I might end up with something that I couldn’t intonate correctly.

Whilst you may not love the G&L tribute neck, I would ask if an affinity neck is really any much better? If you really like the G&L pickups, maybe take them out and put them in the affinity, rather than swapping the necks? (I wish I’d taken the pickups out of mine before I sold it…)

My Affinity tele neck is miles better than this neck. My thinking is as long as I get the scale length right my only problem is the gap, I can make a pick guard from scratch to cover the gap, but is that gap a serious tone or structural problem or only cosmetic?

 

[kifla]

My Affinity tele neck is miles better than this neck. My thinking is as long as I get the scale length right my only problem is the gap, I can make a pick guard from scratch to cover the gap, but is that gap a serious tone or structural problem or only cosmetic?

According to THIS article, you gonna lose sustain. Maybe, if you put a wooden "fillet/wedge" in the gap, this can be somewhat avoided? And then cover everything with new pickguard.

 

[Papa Che]

Neck not fitting all the way into the pocket might result bridge saddles needing to be moved very closer to the bridge pickup. This will certainly effect the tone.

Scale length will be fixed thanks to intonation, with the saddles. However the bridge pickup will get much brighter as the saddles move in closer to it.

You might love this effect or hate it. One can always remedy this by using a darker bridge pickup like the Lollar Special T or similar.

 

[RiversQC]

I understand that G&L necks have no overhang at fret 22, vs. 21 for Fender spec, which is why you can't swap them directly. (They may also be 1/16" wider at the heel, based on a quick google search?)

Sounds like your options are:
-get lucky and find a used G&L neck listed?
-build a new neck or find someone local and/or experienced to do it for you.
-check custom builders... Google suggests Musikraft might do it. This listing of theirs for "JNL" necks at least seems to show a 25.5" neck without the 22 fret overhang: https://musikraft.com/product/jnl-neck-custom-build/... maybe that's it.
-Fender made some MIC "Modern Player" guitars a while back with 22 fret necks without overhang, maybe that's an option for used too. Needs more research.

I wouldn't try to bolt the wrong neck to the guitar. Probably better to part things out yourself. It's not a great situation but don't rush it if you can avoid it.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

According to THIS article, you gonna lose sustain. Maybe, if you put a wooden "fillet/wedge" in the gap, this can be somewhat avoided? And then cover everything with new pickguard.

I think this is what I'll do before I part it out, if I inly lose a bit of sustaine its a win in my book given the gravity of the whole situation.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

I understand that G&L necks have no overhang at fret 22, vs. 21 for Fender spec, which is why you can't swap them directly. (They may also be 1/16" wider at the heel, based on a quick google search?)

Sounds like your options are:
-get lucky and find a used G&L neck listed?
-build a new neck or find someone local and/or experienced to do it for you.
-check custom builders... Google suggests Musikraft might do it. This listing of theirs for "JNL" necks at least seems to show a 25.5" neck without the 22 fret overhang: https://musikraft.com/product/jnl-neck-custom-build/... maybe that's it.
-Fender made some MIC "Modern Player" guitars a while back with 22 fret necks without overhang, maybe that's an option for used too. Needs more research.

I wouldn't try to bolt the wrong neck to the guitar. Probably better to part things out yourself. It's not a great situation but don't rush it if you can avoid it.

I'm looked into those necks but can not be done for 100 or less, I'll see what comes of trying the Affinity neck and if it does not work its either set it up for slide or part it out.

My next Telecaster will be a nice used MIM tele with all standard specs.

If I do part it out I can put the pups and bensonite saddles on the MIM.....that clear finish Ash body is just so sexy though....

Knowing myself, Ill buy a MIM telecaster, swap all the parts only to later buy a custom 400 neck for the g&l lol

 

[kifla]

Will this one fit your guitar?

G&L TRIBUTE GUITAR Neck- Comanche RW PH

Style: Comanche w/ painted headstock (Olympic White)Profile: 1-5/8" nut widthRadius: 9.0"Condition: B stock, light scratches Possible scratches, mineral stains, and small dings, otherwise OK. Frets not dressed. See photos for detail. Will not fit 3-bolt or USA G&L guitar bodies . Neck...

g-l-online-store.myshopify.com

It's $100

 

[badscrew_projects]

Yep, their b-stock necks aren't expensive but might have defects.

Answering to the original question: G&L necks are slightly wider and the neck cavity is one fret longer. You can put a Fender neck there but it will be ugly (or badly intonated and also ugly)

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

Will this one fit your guitar?

G&L TRIBUTE GUITAR Neck- Comanche RW PH

Style: Comanche w/ painted headstock (Olympic White)Profile: 1-5/8" nut widthRadius: 9.0"Condition: B stock, light scratches Possible scratches, mineral stains, and small dings, otherwise OK. Frets not dressed. See photos for detail. Will not fit 3-bolt or USA G&L guitar bodies . Neck...

g-l-online-store.myshopify.com

It's $100

I don't know, I need to look up the specs, that is super cheap thanks!

 

[fenderchamp]

musikraft makes replacement necks for G&Ls

 

[superduperfly]

no disaster there, if it fits.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

musikraft makes replacement necks for G&Ls

They do, but are very expensive.

 

[TheOtherNeill]

They do, but are very expensive.

Do they still? They did around 10 years ago, but I don't see it on their current site.

 

[fenderchamp]

Do they still? They did around 10 years ago, but I don't see it on their current site.

they're called J and L or something like that I believe. I think they are around $200 or so.