Ever Replace a Guitar Neck?

How hard is it to replace a bolt on neck? Including a new locking nut, new tuners, new string tree. I took mine to a shop. What are the toughest parts? Like fitting the neck in the pocket or getting the action right? Just curious what kind of experiences the DIY guys have had...

I've done hundreds, if not thousands. What are you planning on attempting?

My advice is forget the locking nut. They really suck mechanically as well as sound wise. They destroy the neck in the mounting process, wear out fast, and suck for sound. Good tuners with strings properly wrapped, and graphite grease on the nut eliminates all tuning issues, whammy bar or otherwise. If you are going to put one on have it professionally done. Its not a first time amature get it right deal. You usually have to modify the fretboard and or headstock and cut into the neck to get them low enough.

As far as buying a new neck, simply measure the scale length and width and make sure the two match. String height is 5/64ths at the 12th fret on the low E string and 3~4/64ths on the high E string. You use a radius guage to adjust the others to the neck radius.

Screwing a neck on isnt too bad. A new unmounted neck does needs piolet holes drilled before putting screws in so you dont split the wood. The holes need to be slightly smaller than the screws and deep enough. Sometimes you need to shim the neck so the bridge height is correct.

Relief is normally set from .009~.011 depending on the string gauge and radius.

All this is easy as hell to google up though. Visit the Gibson, Fender, Ibanez sites etc and you can find the specs.

Tools you should have are, Inch, Feeler Gauges, Radius gauge, and a machine ruler that will measure down to 64ths. If you're going to cut your own nut, get spares and nut files or have it done. Nut files are about $50~75 a set. If this is a one time deal you wont develop the skills to do the job the first time so have it done by someone who knows how to do it. If they let you watch, so be it. You'll learn alot for the next one.

Wow - great info. I found a NOS Kramer neck for my 80's Imperial. The original neck had a few issues and was on its last legs (Two fret jobs and a slight movement on the scarf joint.

The NOS neck was routed for an R2 and Tuners but never mounted so no holes there. It's been over a week now and I'm thinking this may be a bit of work. It's a busy shop though so I'm curious how long it would take to do this. I'm anxious to get it back and hoping that it palys as well as the old neck (albeit with a bit higher frets).

This is my #1 guitar so I want it done right. I doubt I'll ever do this again - assuming I'll get another 25 years out of the new neck....

Should be fairly easy. As stated by WRG do some Googling. I recommend against using thru bolts for the nut. I recently replaced a perfectly good neck for a guy just because the bolts got tightened too much & phucked up the neck. And as noted, pilot holes for the wood screws. Stew mac also has good free advice. You'll find more than one way to do some jobs. Setting neck relief is but one example. Read up on all of them & you'll have a better concept of what's involved. And that = success. You can do this.