Bolting on a neck

[Jimmydeez]

I am working on a tele project and I am about to order a nice rosewood neck from warmoth.

I was wondering if there is anything I need to worry about when screwing the neck screws in. Everything I have read just says "then screw the neck in". The holes are already there and I have the neck plate and screws. I am debating offseting the neck plate with a black rubber pad under the neck plate. I think it will look better against the natural wood.

Do I need to worry about anything? THis is my first project guitar and it is coming together very nicely so far. I might put up some pics of the body tonight.

 

[Richard Guy]

Hello,

Just my .02

I would not want the rubber pad since I would be looking for a real tight fit and the rubber in between might not provide for a tight fit or best tone transfer. All the best with your project.

 

[Jimmydeez]

Originally posted by Richard Guy
Hello,

Just my .02

I would not want the rubber pad since I would be looking for a real tight fit and the rubber in between might not provide for a tight fit or best tone transfer. All the best with your project.

Thanks Rich,

I never thought of that. I didn't figure the neck plate to neck connection might lose tone if there is a piece of rubber there. I was more worried about the neck to body connection.

 

[Richard Guy]

Hello Jimmy,

I could be full of poop about it. My comment was just a thought.

 

[fullerplast]

If it's what I think you are talking about, it's not really rubber, just a hard plastic pad designed to keep the plate from digging into the body and finish. I wouldn't worry about loss of tone from it. The most important connection is where the neck meets the body. The screws are still pulling that joint very tightly. FWIW, Tom Anderson also uses those on his guitars. I've used them on some guitars and they work just fine.

When you screw your neck in place, you should have just a bit of "slop" in the neck pocket. Leave the screws just barely loose enough so you can shift the neck. When you finally get the strings on the guitar, adjust it so that both outside strings are equidistant from the edges of the neck, then tighten the screws down all the way.

 

[Jimmydeez]

Originally posted by fullerplast

When you screw your neck in place, you should have just a bit of "slop" in the neck pocket. Leave the screws just barely loose enough so you can shift the neck. When you finally get the strings on the guitar, adjust it so that both outside strings are equidistant from the edges of the neck, then tighten the screws down all the way.

So I bolt the neck on almost all the way. Then string it up and make sure the strings are the same distance and then tighten it up. I hope I won't have to worry too much about the strings being straight. I got the body from warmoth and I am getting the neck from them. It should be a tight fit.

Thanks for the help.

 

[fullerplast]

Originally posted by Jimmydeez
I hope I won't have to worry too much about the strings being straight. I got the body from warmoth and I am getting the neck from them. It should be a tight fit.

It will very likely be a tight fit, but there is almost always at least a small amount of play in any pocket. The tiniest shift in the neck pocket will be much greater out at the nut end since you are essentially moving along an arc with a radius of about 20 inches. A tiny bit of play is a good thing IMHO. It allows for some normal expansion/contraction and allows for any minor tweaking that might possibly be needed. If the pocket is too tight, you are looking at most likely cracking the finish on the body sooner or later.

 

[Jimmydeez]

Originally posted by fullerplast
It will very likely be a tight fit, but there is almost always at least a small amount of play in any pocket. The tiniest shift in the neck pocket will be much greater out at the nut end since you are essentially moving along an arc with a radius of about 20 inches. A tiny bit of play is a good thing IMHO. It allows for some normal expansion/contraction and allows for any minor tweaking that might possibly be needed. If the pocket is too tight, you are looking at most likely cracking the finish on the body sooner or later.

Is it safe to use an electric screw driver or should they be hand screwed. That sounds pretty bad.

 

[fullerplast]

Originally posted by Jimmydeez
Is it safe to use an electric screw driver or should they be hand screwed. That sounds pretty bad.

Just use a hand screwdriver....it's only four screws and you already have the neck holes predrilled to just smaller than the screw diameter. Take your time, don't slip. I also use a small countersink around the neck holes to allow for the wood around the screws to rise without pushing the neck away from the body.

 

[LZ_69]

You should also put some soap or wax on the threads of the screws, it will make them go in a little easyer.

 

[nemp]

Here's a tip form those Fender guys on the FDP. Make th 4 holes in the body heel a little larger so the screws gently push in by hand. I'ts also a carpenters trick. That way the body pulls the neck in real tight. Or you can just get wood screws that are thredless at the head. Like "fullerpast" said it's ok to have a tiny bit of gap in the pocket, as the 2 different woods react to temps differently.

 

[Clorenzo]

Originally posted by nemp
Here's a tip form those Fender guys on the FDP. Make th 4 holes in the body heel a little larger so the screws gently push in by hand. I'ts also a carpenters trick. That way the body pulls the neck in real tight. Or you can just get wood screws that are thredless at the head. Like "fullerpast" said it's ok to have a tiny bit of gap in the pocket, as the 2 different woods react to temps differently.

+1. I've been working recently on my Toby bass and one of the problems it had was a small misalignment of the neck to one side, and also you could see a small gap between the flat part of the neck heel and the body. The holes in the body were threaded and I solved both problems by opening them up a bit, so that now there is just enough play to adjust the neck angle correctly and also the heel rests dead flat against the body.

BTW if the body you're using is also Warmoth, don't worry about it, they drill the holes the right size.

 

[Jimmydeez]

Originally posted by Clorenzo

BTW if the body you're using is also Warmoth, don't worry about it, they drill the holes the right size.

YEah the screws I have fit loosely through the body.