Neck won't fit in pocket

Mr. C

Mr. C

New member
I just picked up a cheap body and neck which should go together. I measured both the pocket and neck and they may be off by a millimeter. So my question is...is it better to sand the heel of the neck itself or the pocket to get a good fit? The finish on the body seems pretty thick in the pocket if that makes any difference in a decision. Thanks.
 
find the centre line on both the neck and the body. You will then be able to determine if the pocket needs adjusting or if you need to ease the neck. Normally you would work on the neck pocket to fit the neck. The neck must be centred to get the strings to pass over the pickups correctly and the neck must be centred to get the strings spaced at the edge of the neck correctly. A long straight edge and small bits of masking tape for pencil marks will help line it up.

If it is the depth of the pocket that is the problem then adjust that.
 
Although I'm no expert like Mutt, I suggest putting the parts in a cool room first to see if they will contract. If they were stored in heat and/or humidity, they might have swelled a bit.

Similar to a teak backing plate for a thru-hull fitting, right Muttley?? :)
 
Muttley, what would be the best or easiest way to find the center line on the body? It's a strat style body.
 
Mr. C said:
Muttley, what would be the best or easiest way to find the center line on the body? It's a strat style body.
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Work to the centre of the pickup cavities and project a line to the centre of the bridge. That line "should bisect the neck pocket and then by definition the neck and up to the middle of the nut. When you fit a neck to the body it is a process of keeping that line perfectly true and you work out what to remove to do just that.
 
Thanks for the help Muttley. I looked up a way to find the centerline before I read your reply but either way got it. It appears that the neck pocket is off by around a millimeter towards the low E side. In other words I'll have to sand the pocket on the low E side to get the neck centered. I'm sure I'll have some more questions as I go along here. I put together a partscaster before, but ended up having to pay for some fixes! This body already has everything cut and drilled, so hopefully will go a little easier.
 
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