Creating a set neck from a bolt on?

Illplayanything · 06-15-2012, 10:16 PM

Okay, you may have heard this before, but my story may be different. I'm building a guitar in homage of the Charvel star from the '80s. The body has a strat style neck pocket with no holes, and the neck is actually slightly bigger than the neck pocket, also no holes. I was wondering if I could use small steel dowels, cut part of the heel off, dowel/glue it to the neck, then glue THAT to into the neck pocket, with some slight modifications to accommodate the loss of wood, yadda yadda. Anywho, does anyone think this is a viable action to take? those giant freaking heels on bolt-ons drive me CRAZY, but you try finding a glue in style neck that ISN'T broken/on a guitar with that's maple/maple with 22 frets and is 25 & 1/2" scale. I can get the body to fit a set neck, but I can't even find a paddle neck that's got the right specs.

djrussell · 06-15-2012, 10:44 PM

Post some pics of your neck pocket (height and length) and what you want to put in there and we can tell you more. I think I understand your question but it sounds very messy and likely problematic.

Illplayanything · 06-16-2012, 01:13 AM

This one has holes but the one I've ordered does not. Maybe make two cuts, one to make the 'heel', then another to cut wood away to make the 'heel' not extend so far from the body.

This is the neck I plan on putting on it.

Illplayanything · 06-16-2012, 01:16 AM

Oh, I forgot the pocket dimensions: 2 3/16" x 7/10" x 3"

AngryHatter · 06-16-2012, 02:52 AM

Why the face would you want to?

djrussell · 06-16-2012, 03:37 AM

I'm sorry my friend but I dont think it would be wise to do what you suggested. It is designed as a bolt on, and unless you route out a larger (and deeper) neck pocket, and attach a suitable tenon to the neck (it will need to be a tight fit for your body mortise), it will eventually fail over time.

If you dont like the neck plate then I suggest looking into neck plate ferrules (they're basically bolts without the metal plate)...

Alternatively, and do so at your own risk, countersink the four screws holes -- glue the neck into place, screw in the bolts at the same time and then dowel the holes at the back. Sand them flat with the body and it will give the illusion of a setneck. But this again is pretty messy and permanent. If your wondering "why glue it into place when I can just dowel" -- well eventually with the pulling of the neck the dowel may come out, and you'll have 4 unsightly holes where your bolts are. If you glue the dowel in, sand it flat, and maybe even fill it with some grain filler - when you apply the finish the surface will be seamless.

Bountyhunter · 06-16-2012, 07:48 AM

The neck is meant to be bolted on. If you glue it into place you'll probably end up regretting it. If the neck isn't 100% perfectly straight, it'll never play right. My favorite guitar has a bolt on neck and I love it.

Illplayanything · 06-16-2012, 01:48 PM

Alright, thanks for the info guys. I'll probably try the ferrules.

Electric Funeral · 06-16-2012, 02:33 PM

I heard Kurt Cobain tried this once with nothing but a bottle of Elmers.

Illplayanything · 06-17-2012, 04:56 AM

Well, I actually have some nice wood glue I've used in the past, but yeah, I'm gonna go with the ferrules.

djrussell · 06-17-2012, 06:06 AM

I think thats a good idea. I've got a build on the cards now which I've decided to make as a bolt on (with ferrules)... always hated the neck plate, the ferrules just look a lot better and are just as good.

Pinkie · 06-17-2012, 07:51 PM

That neck has a squared heel and wont work in that neck pocket.

alligatorbling · 06-17-2012, 08:41 PM

id play it as a bolt on, as it was intended lol

06-15-2012, 10:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
Illplayanything Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin/Pflugerville area Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Okay, you may have heard this before, but my story may be different. I'm building a guitar in homage of the Charvel star from the '80s. The body has a strat style neck pocket with no holes, and the neck is actually slightly bigger than the neck pocket, also no holes. I was wondering if I could use small steel dowels, cut part of the heel off, dowel/glue it to the neck, then glue THAT to into the neck pocket, with some slight modifications to accommodate the loss of wood, yadda yadda. Anywho, does anyone think this is a viable action to take? those giant freaking heels on bolt-ons drive me CRAZY, but you try finding a glue in style neck that ISN'T broken/on a guitar with that's maple/maple with 22 frets and is 25 & 1/2" scale. I can get the body to fit a set neck, but I can't even find a paddle neck that's got the right specs.

06-15-2012, 10:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
djrussell Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 1,032 Thanks: 7 Thanked 11 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Post some pics of your neck pocket (height and length) and what you want to put in there and we can tell you more. I think I understand your question but it sounds very messy and likely problematic. __________________ '13 Maiden DC Special [Build] \| Maiden Telecaster [Build] '12 AXL Badwater 1216 Jr \| Aria STG-003 [Project] \| Maiden Tele Rocket 88 [Build] '11 Hagstrom Viking II \| Maiden Junior [Build] \| Gladiator GG-165 DC Junior '09 Gibson Les Paul Junior [BJA Signature] \| Hagstrom Swede '08 Hagstrom D15CE '07 Gibson Melody Maker \| Fender Telecaster \| Hagstrom F-300 '00 Fernandes FGZ-1C '99 Fender Stratocaster '95 Fernandes Stratocaster

06-16-2012, 01:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
Illplayanything Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin/Pflugerville area Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? This one has holes but the one I've ordered does not. Maybe make two cuts, one to make the 'heel', then another to cut wood away to make the 'heel' not extend so far from the body. This is the neck I plan on putting on it.

06-16-2012, 01:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Illplayanything Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin/Pflugerville area Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Oh, I forgot the pocket dimensions: 2 3/16" x 7/10" x 3"

06-16-2012, 02:52 AM	#5 (permalink)
AngryHatter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 13,054 Thanks: 35 Thanked 107 Times in 44 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Why the face would you want to? River and Leendrix like this.

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06-16-2012, 03:37 AM	#6 (permalink)
djrussell Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 1,032 Thanks: 7 Thanked 11 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? I'm sorry my friend but I dont think it would be wise to do what you suggested. It is designed as a bolt on, and unless you route out a larger (and deeper) neck pocket, and attach a suitable tenon to the neck (it will need to be a tight fit for your body mortise), it will eventually fail over time. If you dont like the neck plate then I suggest looking into neck plate ferrules (they're basically bolts without the metal plate)... Alternatively, and do so at your own risk, countersink the four screws holes -- glue the neck into place, screw in the bolts at the same time and then dowel the holes at the back. Sand them flat with the body and it will give the illusion of a setneck. But this again is pretty messy and permanent. If your wondering "why glue it into place when I can just dowel" -- well eventually with the pulling of the neck the dowel may come out, and you'll have 4 unsightly holes where your bolts are. If you glue the dowel in, sand it flat, and maybe even fill it with some grain filler - when you apply the finish the surface will be seamless. Leendrix and Who like this. __________________ '13 Maiden DC Special [Build] \| Maiden Telecaster [Build] '12 AXL Badwater 1216 Jr \| Aria STG-003 [Project] \| Maiden Tele Rocket 88 [Build] '11 Hagstrom Viking II \| Maiden Junior [Build] \| Gladiator GG-165 DC Junior '09 Gibson Les Paul Junior [BJA Signature] \| Hagstrom Swede '08 Hagstrom D15CE '07 Gibson Melody Maker \| Fender Telecaster \| Hagstrom F-300 '00 Fernandes FGZ-1C '99 Fender Stratocaster '95 Fernandes Stratocaster

06-16-2012, 07:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
Bountyhunter Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: NH Posts: 2,023 Thanks: 17 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? The neck is meant to be bolted on. If you glue it into place you'll probably end up regretting it. If the neck isn't 100% perfectly straight, it'll never play right. My favorite guitar has a bolt on neck and I love it. Leendrix likes this. __________________ Μολὼν λαβέ

06-16-2012, 01:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
Illplayanything Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin/Pflugerville area Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Alright, thanks for the info guys. I'll probably try the ferrules.

06-16-2012, 02:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
Electric Funeral Bartlett Retrospec Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Vancouver Island, B.C. Posts: 1,797 Thanks: 117 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? I heard Kurt Cobain tried this once with nothing but a bottle of Elmers. __________________ Gibsons: 1979 GK-55 1984 Flying V 2011 LP Traditional Faded 2011 LP 60's Tribute Others: Danelectro Hodad (Bigsby) Burny "Rock'n Roll Version" DC JR Kraken Legion 7 Epiphone DC LP Special Jackson RR Pro Larrivee L-09 Rig: Soldano Hot Rod 50 s/n 1911 Saxon 2x12/UK G12M Fairfield Barbershop OD

06-17-2012, 04:56 AM	#10 (permalink)
Illplayanything Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin/Pflugerville area Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? Well, I actually have some nice wood glue I've used in the past, but yeah, I'm gonna go with the ferrules.

06-17-2012, 06:06 AM	#11 (permalink)
djrussell Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 1,032 Thanks: 7 Thanked 11 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? I think thats a good idea. I've got a build on the cards now which I've decided to make as a bolt on (with ferrules)... always hated the neck plate, the ferrules just look a lot better and are just as good. __________________ '13 Maiden DC Special [Build] \| Maiden Telecaster [Build] '12 AXL Badwater 1216 Jr \| Aria STG-003 [Project] \| Maiden Tele Rocket 88 [Build] '11 Hagstrom Viking II \| Maiden Junior [Build] \| Gladiator GG-165 DC Junior '09 Gibson Les Paul Junior [BJA Signature] \| Hagstrom Swede '08 Hagstrom D15CE '07 Gibson Melody Maker \| Fender Telecaster \| Hagstrom F-300 '00 Fernandes FGZ-1C '99 Fender Stratocaster '95 Fernandes Stratocaster

06-17-2012, 07:51 PM	#12 (permalink)
Pinkie Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,013 Thanks: 129 Thanked 32 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? That neck has a squared heel and wont work in that neck pocket. alexb17 likes this.

06-17-2012, 08:41 PM	#13 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 31,053 Thanks: 1,810 Thanked 2,277 Times in 641 Posts	Re: Creating a set neck from a bolt on? id play it as a bolt on, as it was intended lol Phil-E the G-Shizzle likes this. __________________ https://soundcloud.com/astrobling/space-ride Visit Blings Soundcloud! visit bling at reverbnation!

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