converting MIM Roland ready Strat to Amer. Stand.

[mixmkr]

Maybe dumb questions...but I would like to buy an American maple neck to replace the rosewood fingerboard (plus get the 22nd fret and the med jumbo frets VS the dinky 21 frets), and the "vintage style" trem to a two point trem system (without the height adjustment screws protruding up into my palm). Can I EASILY (like they will fit!!) just swap out these two items on my Mexi Strat with the desired neck and trem...AND, where is the best place to get a neck and trem/bridge??

 

[Buck62]

Hey, when you're done with that guitar can you convert my Hyundai into a Cadillac?

 

[mixmkr]

aren't you the guy that likes those Samick guitars??!

Actually, just trying to get a decent Roland ready strat for under $1000. As it is now, it is pretty nice for what it is. I just prefer the features on the Amer. series and the Ritchie Blackmore Roland ready is rediculously priced.

 

[Hard2Hear]

The place thats going to snag you is trying to convert it to a 2 point trem. You just can't to that right. There's too much wood already gone with the 6 point, and the cuts are different. If you have one of the mim's with vintage spacing (2-3/16" string spacing opposed to 2-1/16) you can replace it with one of the american vintage bridges which some on the AVRI guitars as well as many custom shop models.

The problem you are going to run into on the neck is the trussrod adjustment from the end of the neck on the guitar instead of up at the headstock. You will have to make a concession for that to happen on a mim body, also. The other thing is that US necks have the plate for micro-tilt, and you will probably have to deal with that on a mim body also. I don't know if there needs to be a spot in the neck pocket for that to fit right since the body wont have the micro tilt on it.

H2H

 

[ggunn]

Another prob you may run into is scale. You mentioned that you'd be getting another fret with the replacement neck; that implies to me that the length might be different, and that could place the correct intonation point of the bridge saddles outside the range of adjustability. It's something you'll need to take into account, anyway.

In my experience, it's better to get a guitar that's designed the way you want it than to try to make one into something it's not, and I've got the hacked up guitars that I never should have messed with (and consequently never play any more) to prove the point.

 

[acorec]

Maybe dumb questions...but I would like to buy an American maple neck to replace the rosewood fingerboard (plus get the 22nd fret and the med jumbo frets VS the dinky 21 frets), and the "vintage style" trem to a two point trem system (without the height adjustment screws protruding up into my palm). Can I EASILY (like they will fit!!) just swap out these two items on my Mexi Strat with the desired neck and trem...AND, where is the best place to get a neck and trem/bridge??

...........And the last problem you will run into is the neck pocket. It is narrower and shorter on the MIM. You will have to route it out (very accurately).

Forget it, you will be better off with a new guitar.

 

[Hard2Hear]

The neck pocket is not necessarily narrower or shorter. I don't know what the Roland Strat was based off of. If it's just a plain MIM standard, then it may be a problem. All of the MIM deluxes and Classics share that with US models.

As far as scale length, all Strats are the same 25.5" so that's not really a problem. The 22nd fret is part of an extension of the fingerboard over the end of the neck. And having owned a couple of 22 fret US Strats, I'll tell you that its pretty useless, too.

If it were me, I'd just pop the Roland unit in a US Strat. Less work and worry doing it that way. I'm pretty sure you'd just need to cut the pickguard and squeeze in the electronics. Maybe drill one hole for the output. That would be alot less work and work better than hacking into the mim. And you can score an older American Standard for $500-600 used, so it would probably end up saving you money. You could sell the mim for a couple hundred and offset that.

just a thought.

H2H

 

[acorec]

The neck pocket is not necessarily narrower or shorter. I don't know what the Roland Strat was based off of. If it's just a plain MIM standard, then it may be a problem. All of the MIM deluxes and Classics share that with US models.

As far as scale length, all Strats are the same 25.5" so that's not really a problem. The 22nd fret is part of an extension of the fingerboard over the end of the neck. And having owned a couple of 22 fret US Strats, I'll tell you that its pretty useless, too.

If it were me, I'd just pop the Roland unit in a US Strat. Less work and worry doing it that way. I'm pretty sure you'd just need to cut the pickguard and squeeze in the electronics. Maybe drill one hole for the output. That would be alot less work and work better than hacking into the mim. And you can score an older American Standard for $500-600 used, so it would probably end up saving you money. You could sell the mim for a couple hundred and offset that.

just a thought.

H2H

Maybe you are right, I have not dealt with too many MIM. I will tell you that MIJ is absoluely different, The only neck that fits is a MIJ neck. The reason is that the MIJ neck is an exact replica of the 54, 55 etc, strats. The dots on the 12th fret are spaced correctly. The MIA strats have these dots spaced too close and have other small changes. The MIJ necks are the only choice when you want to make a fake vintage strat. So, they had to change the neck pocket and width of the heel to make sure that the neck could not be used for forgeries. The MIJ Fender necks were better than a real Fender (current ) neck by far because they were really copies of great vintage necks.

 

[mixmkr]

thx guys. I like the idea of maybe just scoring another Am Strat and seeing about popping the pickguard and electronics onto that. I have an 88 Am Standard that is pretty much my favorite guitar now, but I DON'T want to even touch or alter that guitar. Maybe one of those weirdo 1983 Strats off Ebay! Yeah...that's food for thought.

 

[scottboyher]

In my experience, it's better to get a guitar that's designed the way you want it than to try to make one into something it's not, and I've got the hacked up guitars that I never should have messed with (and consequently never play any more) to prove the point.

This is the truth cause I have a bunch of hacked up old parts too! LOL!

Just save for what you want don't screw with what will never be.

 

[mixmkr]

In my experience, it's better to get a guitar that's designed the way you want it than to try to make one into something it's not, and I've got the hacked up guitars that I never should have messed with (and consequently never play any more) to prove the point.

I am not sure I agree with this or not, as I have a fair amount of really customized guitars, that have definately been better for it. Sometimes a "stock" guitar doesn't have what you really want...or is too expensive..as in this case (not to mention a year wait with the Fender Custom shop! )

After more searching, I have found a potential solution to the bridge at http://www.callahamguitars.com/ with retrofit saddles (and trem block) to possibly be a nice improvement. Same maybe with a Warmouth neck.

 

[bongolation]

Everyone already knows my (valid) advice on Frankencaster projects, so I'll spare the bandwidth and just tell you up front that you're not going to find an American Standard neck because they haven't been made since early 2000 and were totally phased out by August of that year.

I also prefer the dimensions of the "American Standard" necks to those of the "American" series. As I recall, there were six changes made in the neck in 2000, some quite subtle, but some of the exact details escape me at the moment. Geezer brains don't retain information the way they once did.

Bottom line is that if you're seeking the specific feel of the late "American Standard" neck, you won't get it on the current production item.

 

[ggunn]

I am not sure I agree with this or not, as I have a fair amount of really customized guitars, that have definately been better for it. Sometimes a "stock" guitar doesn't have what you really want...or is too expensive..as in this case (not to mention a year wait with the Fender Custom shop! )

After more searching, I have found a potential solution to the bridge at http://www.callahamguitars.com/ with retrofit saddles (and trem block) to possibly be a nice improvement. Same maybe with a Warmouth neck.

Well, it really depends on how much you want to do to it. My early 70's Les Paul is not stock; I replaced the bridge pickup with something hotter, as well as all the pots and caps; it now has center tap and phase options. I guess my rule of thumb is if you have to take up a wood chisel or router, then you are taking a significant risk of irrevocably making things worse. YMMV, of course.