Converting necks.

[ManofWar55]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm building my first parts guitar and I couldn't be more excited! I do, however, have a question. Can you convert a neck that's cut for a Floyd Rose into one that would fit in a regular guitar? Or take it to a shop and have that done? Is it pricey?

 

I was thinking about getting something like this: http://www.dragonfireguitars.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_76&products_id=251

 

but I was told that I couldn't use it because it's cut differently. It seems every cool neck I find is cut for an FR. Any way to remedy this? And no, I can't afford to get a custom Warmoth neck made.

 

Thanks all!

[Belva]

The difference is at the nut. You have really 2 options. 1) leave it alone and just don't tighten the locking mechanism down. 2) Cut a Gibson style nut. If the lock bolts on the current nut go thru the neck, I'd plug them with hardwood dowels. It is doable to go the Gibson style nut route, but it's gonna look like a hack job.

Over all, it will still look like a modded guitar if you choose to leave the nut as is and just not lock the strings down. People will wonder WTF is going on with a Floyd nut on a non Floyd guitar.

I'd opt for a different neck if it were me.

[WRGKMC]

Cut for a FR?

I think you mean cut for a locking nut.

Unless you're using a tunable bridge having a locking nut doesnt do you much good does it?

I suppose you could install a regular nut then fill in the rest of the cutaway notch with a chunk

or rosewood or maple. I would personally pass. You can find those jackson style hockey sticks

all over EBay that have normal nuts on them.

 

The main things to focus on is scale length and the heel of the neck and how it fits in the neck pocket.

If the neck has a square heel and the neck pocket is round you have to route the pocket square.

You also have to plan on bridge position. The distance from the nut to 12th fret center is equal to the

distance from the 12th fret center to the 1st high E saddle center. The other saddles wind up being further back towards

the tail from there. Then you have neck width vs bridge width. if the neck is narrow and the bridge wide, the strings hang off the

sides of the neck, then you have neck tilt to have enough string clearence above the pickups.

 

All these have to eb though through. If you get a 24 fret neck with a 25.5" scale its not going to fit a body designed for a 21 fret 25" scare body

without routing or repositioning the bridge and possibly pickups as well. If you plan on building your own body, and have the neck already, then you can

incorperate the neck requirements into the body design.

[MahaloVision]

Yeah, the most important thing to know would be the dimensions, including the scale length and the combined thickness of the neck/fingerboard/frets for bridge height. If all the dimensions work, then you can definitely plug the holes and any gap at the nut.

 

[ManofWar55]

Aha I see. Thanks everyone. How do I know what kind of body is designed for what scale length/fret number?

[MahaloVision]

Easiest way is to clamp the neck in place, attach the bridge with a couple screws, and measure. Or contact the maker.

[ManofWar55]

 

Easiest way is to clamp the neck in place, attach the bridge with a couple screws, and measure. Or contact the maker.

 

 

But I thought you guys said specific bodies can only be used with specific necks?

[MahaloVision]

My bad. I spaced that you don't actually have the parts. Best you can do at this point is to request dimensions and hope they send them.

[Belva]

I'd pass on that neck. First get the body you want if you don't already have one. Then get a neck that fits. I recommend getting either a Tele or a Strat style body with a 2&3/16" neck pocket. Every Fender or licensed Fender body that I'm aware of call for a 25.5" scale length. You can also get many non licensed Fender bodies, but you need to make sure they are correct neck pocket width/length/depth and set up for the standard 25.5" scale. BTW the standard Fender neck pocket is 2&3/16"W X3"L and 5/8"D.

Also keep in mind that the Strat necks are rounded at the heel and Teles have a squared heel. You can put a strat neck on a Tele body without affecting the intonation, but you have to square up the pocket on a strat to have it accept a Tele neck and intonate properly.

[ManofWar55]

Okay everyone, I'm getting incredibly confused.

 

I have a flying V body. What do I need to do or measure to ensure a neck will fit? That's all I'm having trouble with.

[Belva]

 

Okay everyone, I'm getting incredibly confused. I have a flying V body. What do I need to do or measure to ensure a neck will fit? That's all I'm having trouble with.

 

That is a 24.75" scale. Chances are you'd need to relocate the bridge. Is this a real Gibson Flying V body? If so it calls for a neck thats's glued in rather than screwed on like a Fender product. Many copies did a "bolt" neck, so first determine what you have. Can you get us a pic?

If it takes a bolt, this is what you need.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Banana-Maple-Neck-Gibson-Epiphone-Kramer-style-/110735106459?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item19c853a19b

[ManofWar55]

 

That is a 24.75" scale. Chances are you'd need to relocate the bridge. Is this a real Gibson Flying V body? If so it calls for a neck thats's glued in rather than screwed on like a Fender product. Many copies did a "bolt" neck, so first determine what you have. Can you get us a pic? If it takes a bolt, this is what you need. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Banana-Maple-Neck-Gibson-Epiphone-Kramer-style-/110735106459?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item19c853a19b

 

 

I highly doubt it's an actual Gibson/Epiphone body, but I can get a picture, I'm not sure how to get it on here. Do I have to use photobucket or something? And I'm sure that it's a screw on neck, as there are holes for the screw.

[Belva]

 

I highly doubt it's an actual Gibson/Epiphone body, but I can get a picture, I'm not sure how to get it on here. Do I have to use photobucket or something? And I'm sure that it's a screw on neck, as there are holes for the screw.

 

OK, chances are 99% positive that the neck I linked will work just fine.

[ManofWar55]

Okay cool. So can I get any neck that is a 24.75" scale neck? Is that really the only thing that matters?

[Belva]

 

Okay cool. So can I get any neck that is a 24.75" scale neck? Is that really the only thing that matters?

 

Probably. But I'm not sure how wide, deep or long your neck pocket is. Fender was nice enough to make things pretty much standard, but I have no clue on the bolt type "Gibsons". These measurements can be changed and it also matters if you have a natural finish. If the neck is too narrow and you're painting, you can use epoxy putty to make up the difference because paint will hide quite a bit. Natural finishes, not so much.

Mighty Mite does make Gibson scale necks. Get us some neck pocket measurements and we can go from there.

BTW I use photobucket to post pics here. Easy for me.

[ManofWar55]

Probably. But I'm not sure how wide, deep or long your neck pocket is. Fender was nice enough to make things pretty much standard, but I have no clue on the bolt type "Gibsons". These measurements can be changed and it also matters if you have a natural finish. If the neck is too narrow and you're painting, you can use epoxy putty to make up the difference because paint will hide quite a bit. Natural finishes, not so much. Mighty Mite does make Gibson scale necks. Get us some neck pocket measurements and we can go from there. BTW I use photobucket to post pics here. Easy for me.

 

Okay I will make an account as soon as possible. What exactly should I measure though? I know this is a moment, but I really have no idea hah. The width of the pocket? Or what?

[Belva]

Width is how wide it is across the front part of the neck pocket. Depth of the pocket is just that. Yours may be different on the bridge side, which is where you take the measurement (hopefully it is. the type of bridges on these need the neck at an angle of around 4 degrees. Length of the pocket is from the front of the pocket to where it stops at the back end of the body.

[WRGKMC]

I dont know Custom Tele.

This is a problem you have building from parts if you dont know what youre buying or what you're giving advice on.

 

You assume that just because its a V body copy they use a 24.75" gibson scale?????

 

I'd have to dissagree with that for sure. The odds are stacked highly against that reasoning and I'll tell you why.

First I've worked with allot of V bodies, own an import now and even owned an actual gibby.

 

Gibsons have have glued on necks so you can forget about those being a fit.

Most after market V's including epiphones are all 25.5" scare length bodies.

I'd actually be very hard pressed to find anyone who makes an actual gibson scale

especially with a bolt on neck unless its a forged fake, and those would have glued on necks.

 

(Importers dont retool their factories to make 24.75" bolt on necks. The demand for them just isnt there).

 

I may be wrong, but I will say, if the pickup cavities are already routed, there is no room for guessing on bridge position.

If its a 25.5" body and he uses a 24" neck theres no room to move the bridge shorter because of the neck pup route.

If the body is designed for a 24.75" neck and he uses a 25.5: neck theres no tail room to move the bridge toards the tail.

 

You have to know the Body scale to be sure or you're screwed. You arent going to be moving the bridge around for a fit.

 

If I were to guess, anything with a bolt on neck is going to be an import with a 25" neck.

 

Manowar is going to have to do two things if he wants accurate advice which he dooes seem to need.

One, post a picture so we can see the type of body. You can often make out the manufacturer this way

and find the correct scale length that way.

 

Second measure from the top saddle of a mounted bridge to the edge of the neck pocket route.

If the body had a TOM bridge installed and only has two holes where the bridge was, then measure

from the neck pocket to the first side neck side of the hole. I can compare that with mine and tell you for sure

if it is a 25.5" body or not.

 

Untill you know that for sure, dont buy any neck.

You cant be guessing here or letting others guess for you. You have to "Know" what you're working with here

then you can at least get the right scale length. You may still have to deal with the pocket width and fit.

No sence wasting money on something that wont fit at all.

[Belva]

WRG, I admit I have zero experience with V copies. You're correct in that a pic would be very helpful. I do know that Mighty Mite makes gibson scale bolt necks. So once we see what we're dealing with, and get some measurements, we're in bidness. I have a 24.75" scal home brew guitar with a Kalamazoo neck and a wrap bridge. You're correct in getting a measurement from pocket to saddle.

[ManofWar55]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope I took the pictures you needed. Let me know if you need others.

 

My friend thinks I should keep it pink and paint ponies on it.

[Belva]

Plenty of pics. Go to the 2nd pic. See where the front of the neck pocket is? That's where the radius stops and the straight parts begin to go back toward the neck. Measure there. If it's 2 and 3/16" then it's set for a standard fender type neck. Now the front part of the neck pocket to the bridge location. Draw a line with a pencil and a ruler right in the center of the 1st two holes. Put your tape measure right in the center of the front lip of the neck pocket and measure to that line. We'll be able to determine the scale of the neck needed with that measurement. BTW neck scale is the measurement from the nut to the bridge.

[WRGKMC]

Looks like a 25.5" scale to me.

 

Look at this pic, make the measurement and post it.

I'll compare it to mine and let you know for sure.

 

[ATTACH]338249[/ATTACH]

[ManofWar55]

Plenty of pics. Go to the 2nd pic. See where the front of the neck pocket is? That's where the radius stops and the straight parts begin to go back toward the neck. Measure there. If it's 2 and 3/16" then it's set for a standard fender type neck. Now the front part of the neck pocket to the bridge location. Draw a line with a pencil and a ruler right in the center of the 1st two holes. Put your tape measure right in the center of the front lip of the neck pocket and measure to that line. We'll be able to determine the scale of the neck needed with that measurement. BTW neck scale is the measurement from the nut to the bridge.

 

Any chance you could give me a diagram or something to see if I'm measuring the right thing? I'm a little confused about where the radius ends.

 

 

The blue = 7"

The red = 4 1/4'

 

 

Yellow = 6 3/4"

[Belva]

Pickup location is secondary. First let's worry about the neck pocket. Where you have the red line in the first photo. The one that's in your neck pocket. Move that back toward where the tuners on the neck go just until the round part stops. Measure from one side of the pocket to the other. That's your neck pocket width. The yellow line is the one we're concerned with for your scale length. I think. You show the yellow line being crooked. It should be straight.

[Belva]

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/faq2Pop.aspx

Just look only at the width on this neck. That should give you an idea what we need.