Converting Bolton Neck For Setneck Body?

[Mickguard]

The topics I've found deal with converting an existing bolt-on guitar into a setneck.

What I'm interested in is this:

I have a nice mahogany bolt-on neck, very Gibson-ish in feel. I'd like to use that neck in a new body design--I'm interested in a Gibson-style set neck style, I'm discovering I'm more comfortable with setnecks.

No, I'm not ready to make my own neck...maybe next year!

In the meantime, it seems to me that I should be able to convert/extend the heel of the neck I have so that I can use it as a setneck, right?

Has this been discussed before? Has anyone done this? Can you suggest ways to go about it?

I'm looking at the Hiscock book, the first guitar--seems to me that I could narrow the heel of the neck I have, then route pocket for that, resulting in a neck joint the same width as the existing neck...

[Robert_the_damned]

I would sugest not modifying the neck and routing a neck pocket as though you were going to use it as a bolt on neck but then just glueing it.

This should be just as strong as a normal set neck but with less work (and less risk of nackering the neck!)

I haven't tried this myself but might be on my neck project (Though I might be glueing AND bolting)

[Mickguard]

I would sugest not modifying the neck and routing a neck pocket as though you were going to use it as a bolt on neck but then just glueing it.

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I thought of that, yeah, but I don't see any real advantage doing it that way, I'd still have to have a pretty thick heel there, right? Especially around the sides of the neck....

By shaving down the sides of the neck (with a router that should be pretty easy to do), I could make the pocket narrower--that way there would still be plenty wood along the sides of the pocket for strength, but the sides will hardly stick out past the neck at all.

That's pretty much the way it is on my Gibson Melody Maker.

I should mention that one idea I'm toying with is making a deep recess design like a Danelectro Guitarlin. The other design would be a more extreme version of the Epiphone Coronet --I'd be able to flatten the top bout of the guitar that way...

But I'm looking at building a superthin guitar (like my Gibson, which comes in at a massive 33 mm (1.29 in)) ...seems to me that most bolt on necks require a much thicker guitar.

[Robert_the_damned]

yeah that is true bolt on's do need more guitar to attach to.

If you feel comfortable cutting down the neck's heel then I'd go with that. I think both ways would be strong but if you're after a thinner guitar then it might allow you to get it a little thinner.