Custom Tele neck - luthier or established parts manufacturer?

[DaveNJ]

Hey all, I'm interested in getting a custom tele neck built - nothing exotic, but I'm looking for great feel (satin finish, or roasted) and great fretwork and nut - something where I wouldn't have to have someone work on it after I receive it. I've purchased a Warmth neck before, but the frets needed more attention, the fretboard didn't get rolled enough, and the nut needed more work.

I would think that if it's a Fender tele it's going onto, someone should be able to build the neck and set it up to a certain spec where it could then be removed from the setup guitar and installed on mine where I would be able to adjust the bridge, truss, etc.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[dB]

A setup also involves adjusting the bridge, so I think your goal is unrealistic.

That said, USACG, Guitar Mill and Musikraft all supply high quality Tele necks.

 

[derekd]

USGC would be my suggestion.

 

[Khromo]

Since you want great fretwork and a great nut, you've eliminated any available out-of-the-box products that I'm aware of. You will need to deal with a repair tech, or a luthier. That shouldn't be any kind of a problem. That is the best way to get what you want, anyway!

A lot of guys buy the unfinished chunky profile necks from Allparts, and then work with a pro to get what they want out of that blank canvas. Those necks are really big, and a good tech can shave it down to exactly the profile you want. Then he does the frets (replacing them if Allparts doesn't offer what you prefer), the nut, and shoots a finish. Set it up, or get it set up, and you are in tall cotton!

You can't do better than that! Exactly what you want, with a fret job and nut work far superior to any out-of-the-box, through-the-mail product.

 

[MartinPiana]

Ditto for Khromo's first paragraph.

Love my Warmoth tele boatneck. I ordered without a nut. I rolled the edges myself - wine bottle? or maybe that rod thing for sharpening knives? - and finished it with tung oil. Let my local tech do the nut and frets. No big deal.

 

[cmatthes]

I've had necks from ALLPARTS, Warmoth, USGG and a few custom jobs over the years, and Musikraft blows them away out of the box. They're really on their game.

 

[DaveNJ]

A setup also involves adjusting the bridge, so I think your goal is unrealistic.

That said, USACG, Guitar Mill and Musikraft all supply high quality Tele necks.

I can handle the bridge - i just don't do fret/nut/neck work...

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Would love to know if anyone in the NY/NJ/PA area has done this before and who they've used...

 

[Blue Bee]

Sounds like you should get a USACG neck made and then send the neck to Steve Weber for a nut and fret Plek job. He has a standard Tele body he can bolt the neck to. Then when you get it just bolt it on and it's ready to go... The frets and a new bone nut are cut and leveled precisely by the Plek machine according to the string guage you use.

 

[bmutlu]

http://guitarmill.com/guitarmill/guiter-necks/

 

[esoteric pete]

i can highly recommend musikraft - and ive used all of the suppliers listed in this thread so far. musikraft is the clear winner for me.

 

[Staceydude]

I have had USACG, AllParts, Warmoth and MusicKraft. Of those 4 MusiKraft would be the most ready to bolt on neck of the bunch.

Need to try Guitarmill

 

[Dog Boy]

I've only had necks made by Warmoth and USACG. For me the Warmoth is the winner. I had the nut and a plek job done by Joe Glaser. Ended up being in the 500 bucks range but its absolutely killer.

 

[Dave Orban]

I've had great success with every neck I've purchased from Musikraft.

 

[beezer]

There is a custom builder in the Toronto area who builds custom Teles , Hansen Kustoms . Good rep and with the low Canadian dollar probably a steal .

 

[Sweetwood]

Guitar mill or Glenn Sweetwood here on the forum (if he is still selling them- his necks are incredible!)

Appreciate the shout out. We are indeed doing replacement necks. Our necks have features that no other company provides (Pocketed Fret Slots, Progressive Asymmetric profiles) and are the best spec'd in the industry.

http://sweetwoodguitars.com/replacement-necks.cfm

 

[Staceydude]

Appreciate the shout out. We are indeed doing replacement necks. Our necks have features that no other company provides (Pocketed Fret Slots, Progressive Asymmetric profiles) and are the best spec'd in the industry.

http://sweetwoodguitars.com/replacement-necks.cfm

Sent you a message.

 

[Grant S.]

I had a great experience with USACG. Tommy was willing to sort through their stock to find wood that met my (rather open-ended) specifications, take pictures of individual pieces, and then talk through his suggestions for book-matching and cutting the blanks. Great customer service.

The quality of the neck and body I got from them was great to boot!

 

[Stu Cats]

Musikraft all the way.

 

[Bogner]

Great info!