Putting neck on body??

[Mr. C]

I'm wondering how difficult it would be to put a neck on a guitar body. I was thinking of possibly buying a body, then putting a neck on it. I'm looking at putting together a customized guitar but don't want to build from scratch so I've been looking at bodies and have seen a few that appeal to me. I'm thinking (possibly incorrectly) that this would be a better route to go rather than build from scratch.

 

[Farview]

It really isn't hard. The trick is shimming it to get the angle right. If you buy the neck and body from the same company, this might not even be a problem. It has been about 20 years since I did this, so I don't know what companies are out there any more. Chandler made the best necks in the 80's.

 

[Light]

Chandler made the best necks in the 80's.

The best made necks in the eighties and nineties where made, without question, by Warmoth. These days, a lot of companies are making fine necks, including Warmoth.

Go to Stew Mac's website and get some books, including Dan Erlewine's repair book, and give them a read. They will give you step by step instructions for assembly.

The other possibility is you could have your guitar assembled by a good repair shop. Most repair shops assemble hundreds of Strats/Teles a year, if you include repairs, and so they have a lot of experience in doing so. In our shop, if you have a finished body and neck, you are looking at about $600-$750 for assemble, if we do everything ($65 an hour for as long as it takes). You can reduce that cost, however, by doing the parts you are comfortable with (for instance, perhaps you are comfortable with a soldering iron, and can do your own electronics), which can make a big difference in the cost.

Try not to think of this as a way of saving money, because then you will invariably cut corners, and you will be unhappy with the results, or else you will do everything right, and it will end up costing you double what it would have other wise cost.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Scooter B]

Carvin has a decent looking kit they call a "Bolt Guitar" and have good necks.

Warmouth has the best reputation for high quality adn they usaully have a close out section on their website.

I second the redomendation on Dan Erlwines Guitar Repair Book there is a huge section on set up and also wiring options etc.

I did a fretless bass from scratch save buying a neck through from Carvin with a little research and Dan's book for reference and body wood from Stew Macs.

 

[Dani Pace]

Don't forget to consider the length, you have to have the same distance from the nut to the 12th fret as from the 12th fret to the bridge. Keep this in mind when setting the neck as well as the tilt of the neck and you should be allright.

 

[postalblue]

assembling a guitar from ready made parts is an alternative to getting your feet wet in guitar building without facing all the hardness (and fun) that is building from scratch. there are some things that you should keep in mind though, if you're thinking of using a les paul neck on a strat body, there is a lot of stuff you should consider. if you're buying a finished body with bridge location marked/drilled, you can't really use a different scale than what was designed for that body.

even if you get, for example, a strat body from stew mac, and a strat neck from warmoth, the neck pocket might not be a perfect fit. it might be too tight, in which case you'll have to cut a little extra space by hand or very carefully with a router. if it's too loose, you'll have to shim it. if it's too deep, then it's a bigger problem. if you buy a neck sight-unseen, make sure there's a return policy, because it might not be straight. that's more likely with unstable woods, like bird's eye maple and such.

make sure to ask a lot of questions to suppliers, and see if what you have will work. if you're buying from stew mac, their kit comes with a video showing how to assemble and finish the guitar.

 

[OverlookFran]

i built my own Tele Custom with a Burstbucker in the neck and a T150 Lace in the bridge. it smokes. the body is a Warmoth. those guys are super friendly and most of them know what they're talking about. they can help and will even recommend things that they dont sell (which isnt much). I bought an old All Parts pre-CBS Strat Neck with the big headstock. After I was done all the finish and lacqering on the body, the neck was too big for the body...but i sanded the excess laquer off in the pocket, and it fit snugly and straight. as long as you know the neck is straight, the only thing you have to worry about is absolutely making sure the frets are 100% parallel to the bridge. if not, you will have strings that slip off the fretboard when you play, but more importabtly, it will never tune correctly. if youre drilling your own holes in the neck, you have only one shot at this...dont listen to people that say wood filler can fix this...it may be a temp fix...but the neck in the long run is ruined.
my $.02 of caution.
have fun and good luck.

 

[Light]

if youre drilling your own holes in the neck, you have only one shot at this...dont listen to people that say wood filler can fix this...it may be a temp fix...but the neck in the long run is ruined.
my $.02 of caution.
have fun and good luck.

Wood filler is not a fix for ANYTHING.

However, it is possible to fill with wood plugs (NOT dowels, their grain runs the wrong way).


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[dragonworks]

I think it's kinda like putting your lips to the tang, it comes natural.