rick_here Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 (edited) I'm doing a (my very first) "project" for a Tele-Copy and got the body and neck from two different suppliers. Body: It's pre-cut & routed with no holes drilled in the neck heel. From: Musikraft, in New Jersey; this is a very fine & well crafted body from what-all I know and can see. The width at the neck heel is exactly 2 & 3/16ths. Neck: (Unfortunately, it's a Mighty Mite)...I got it off eBay and by the time I had paid for it I realized I'd have done better getting something else/ almost anything other than a Mighty Mite Neck (from all I've been hearing)! Anyway, this neck also doesn't have any holes drilled which is a definate plus. Potential Problem: Though this neck was "listed" as 2 & 3/16ths wide at the heel; it isn't. It's slightly over that by "not a whole lot." Maybe 1/64th (+/-).... Since I'm new at this stuff (though I "made" a Carvin Bolt-On Kit, if that counts?)...I'm confused! Especially since the Carvin Neck had a tight fit into the Body/Heel (nice & snug). I realize that both neck heels & bodies, at least with Fenders, have a gradual taper. What's throwing me off right now is: If I should taper-down this neck equally on both sides till it fits snugly, right? In other words, that's what I need to do? Measuring these "unmatched" pieces of wood I can see that there's a symmetry (in both) that would let me do this without messing up. How do I do that, if this is what I need to do? I'm limited as far as the appropriate (luthier's) tools go. Iow, this job will be done by hand with olde fashioned hand-sanding. My Guess Is: Make perpindiculer-lines---on either side of the neck (underside)---and "sand down to them" using a sanding block....measuring for fit (with a T-Square) as I go. Any advice? (Am I right or wrong?). Thanx, in advance! Edited October 15, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 The Mighty Mite necks are okay. They're the same product as all the Korean Fenders. So they're as good as a Korean Fender/Squire, if that helps you out any. They run wide as far as necks go. You can sand it down equally on either side or take a dremel or router to the neck pocket. The MM necks are usually wide but they're also sort of rounded in shape on the sides of the neck heel area. They usually have some room to flatten them on either side and still not cut into the fret area, because they tend to over-round the fretboard edge. It's going to probably be easier for a newbie to sand the neck than to perfectly slice off .5mm from each side of the neck pocket. It will also be easier to keep it straight in the pocket. Try to make a uniform number of sanding strokes on each side to maintain equal distance. If it were me I'd arrange a brief meeting with my belt sander. But one slip and you'll be in big trouble. A flat sanding block with 100 grit should do it in good time. Then finish up with some 220 or 320 and put a finish on that area. You can spray sanding sealer or put an oil finish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 (edited) frank- Thanx.... The Mighty Mite necks are okay. They're the same product as all the Korean Fenders. So they're as good as a Korean Fender/Squire, if that helps you out any. My eBay seller had this one-piece maple neck as made from Northern Michigan or Canadian Hard Maple. It is a fine piece of wood, having somewhat of a "flamed" effect. Very nice looking, iow. I'm not totally up-to-scale on Fret Materials but these frets seem to be somewhat of a lesser quality as far as what they're made of. But they're well-dressed and an (almost) Jumbo size. I can "ReDress" this issue later, if need be (hehehe). I've done some fret-filing/dressing before.... As to: Yer Other Advice (Gotcha) I wouldn't even think about doing a single thing to my "Musikraft" body as it is Just Oh-So-Fine! (and is compatible with *stock* Tele-Necks) if I'd need to go that route. I "hear" what your're saying and think I'm following. Yet there are two ways of "looking at this." 1) Frontal. Or from the top, so to speak. 2) Side-View. From the (1) Frontal Viewpoint, I see what you are saying as far as the frets go. I probably won't have to sand off so much that it would be a "frets issue." The major point here would be not to make the neck tilt (left or right) if we were viewing it in a Frontal and say, "on a guitar stand" way. In short, the Square of the neck-heel has to remain intact! Side-view (2) gives me other options. Here I could sand only as high as needed without needing to be concerned about the frets. However, this is more intricate work. (You go, s...l...o...w). OK. So my current plan is to score the neck's heel (facing down) with perpindicular lines/either side---that goes with the angle of the heel itself. Put another way, I'm gonna make lines "just under" the size & shape of the neck's heel, going "straight across" the angle that the neck has. These lines will be my Sanding-Guides, so to speak. This should preserve the contour of the Neck & Body "match." Make sense? On the other hand, taking a (1) Frontal View; I could take a T-Square and score it (make a line) squaring-it-off to the heel itself. And, therefore, would be sanding "more off" at the end of the neck; more "off' at the higher-frets. Put another way, I can sand "with" (the existing neck's contour/angle) or: Do it "square" (to the neck-heel base)...where it meets the body. One way---the "with" way---wouldn't change the shape of the neck at all; just making it smaller. The "squared" method would take more off, the higher up the neck I go. Either way would work (measure as you go, not twice, but about a Whole Lot)! Btw, I have some "Luthier's Best Friend" (head-worn magnifying glasses) on the way from eBay....and "our own" Universal-Jems. So I'll wait till then. Thanx again, Frank! Edited October 15, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Follow the contour of the neck, and don't worry about it so much. Just try to make sure you remain square with the base of the neck (the part where the screws go) you do not want to be square with the butt end of the heel, taking more off the higher frets. Essentially, because the treble side of the neck pocket only extends about 1/2" while the bass side goes the whole distance, you would end up tilting the neck in the neck pocket if you squared it off. By the time you go the neck to fit a the base, it would be pushing toward the treble side because there would be more material left on front end of the bass side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Thanx some more, Frank. I think I've Got The Concept now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Is the body unfinished? If so, try to keep the amount of sealer/paint/clear in the neck pocket to a minimum (just enough to seal the wood) so that you don't build up too much and have to sand it down later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 (edited) Yes, erikbojerik, it's unfinished. And, right, I'll mask-tape the neck pocket so I'll get no further "build-up" inside (there). This worked great on the only other guitar I've "made" (a Carvin Bolt-On, Strat-Style Kit). The Carvin neck & body match was *perfect & snug* before & after. Thanx for that reminder thoh! PS- "If we had some ham, we could have ham & eggs...if we had some eggs." ...if we had a fryin pan...and a stove. Reiterating the importance of: Gettin All-Yer-Yer-Parts Together, ummm, first (before you put the "thing" together)! Edited October 16, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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