t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 I picked up this Explorer over 10 years ago back in my home town. It was a custom made, korina neck through, built around 1977 I was told. Unfortunately, it had a bad fall from a guitar hook off a wall, and the headstock was completely broken. Not knowing anything about guitar repair or this site at all, I hacked the neck off at the body and thought I could just bolt something together. All I can say is it was hilarious, and I wish I had a picture of it now. So, to the repair in progress after building a couple of guitars and checking out a recent SG repair post: Here is the body: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Here is a close up of the neck pocket with a little diagram on how I want to repair it. Basically, I'm going to cut this part out and glue a block of the same wood back in: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Here's the block I'm using for the new neck pocket. Should I proceed with the cut shown above, or come in from the left side along the lower part of the pickup cavity and then up the right side as shown so I have a corner glue joint with 2 sides instead of sliding in the block from the top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 UUM That's NOT a neck thru!! If you dont know that I think you should Do a bit more reading up before thaking this one on!! Im not trying to be harsh !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyldbil Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Matt I understand what you are saying and why, BUT, sometimes folks can come up with an innovative solution to a problem before others tell them "Hey! You can't do that!" Agreed it is not a neckthrough, but I have heard many experienced old-timers referring to a set neck as one. It is an uber common mistake. So why quell this fellow's creativity? Let's see what he comes up with. Just my .02... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Matt I understand what you are saying and why, BUT, sometimes folks can come up with an innovative solution to a problem before others tell them "Hey! You can't do that!" Agreed it is not a neckthrough, but I have heard many experienced old-timers referring to a set neck as one. It is an uber common mistake. So why quell this fellow's creativity? Let's see what he comes up with. Just my .02... ← Thanks, yeah it must have been a set neck, but regardless, the thing is getting fixed. So, again, do you think that the original idea of cutting out a block and gluing (on three sides) the new piece in would work, or should I cut away all the material in this diagram and then clamp from the left and from the top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtommyb Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 why dont you leave it as is and do a neckpocket similar to the prs style? im sure that would work i dont see why you need to cut it out so far if your wanting to do a bolt on style neck anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 why dont you leave it as is and do a neckpocket similar to the prs style? im sure that would work i dont see why you need to cut it out so far if your wanting to do a bolt on style neck anyway. ← This shot of the back of the guitar at the neck pocket might show you why I have to cut away a lot of material. Again, this was years ago and I didn't know anything about building or repairing guitars, so I drilled three large holes through it thinking I could just screw a neck on it. Horrible, but the beginning of this hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Matt I understand what you are saying and why, BUT, sometimes folks can come up with an innovative solution to a problem before others tell them "Hey! You can't do that!" Agreed it is not a neckthrough, but I have heard many experienced old-timers referring to a set neck as one. It is an uber common mistake. So why quell this fellow's creativity? Let's see what he comes up with. Just my .02... Please! Im not saying that the guy should give up Im saying he should know what he's doing BEFORE he does it!! It's just A good idea !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 I was just confused between it originally being a neck through or set neck. Matt, I appreciate the concern to make sure I know what to do before I proceed. As far as the repair goes, I think I have it figured out. Here's where I'll make the two cuts. This way I'll be able to glue it on two sides and clamp it down in a few spots. I'll also have more than enough wood for the neck pocket as well as reshaping the left curve of the body going into the neck. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Well that's not how I would Do it, But good luck man! !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Well that's not how I would Do it, But good luck man! !!METAL MATT!! ← Well, that's why I started this thread, to get feedback. If you have an alternative suggestion, I'd really like to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MzI Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 it looks to me like its white korina and not black, that may cause a problem if you are going to do a trans finish. I personally would go with a solid finish easier to hide stuff that way. other then that I wouldnt take off the shoulder of the guitar just the neck pocket to the extent you need to. No sense in cutting into the pickup cavity, unless its for the tenon of the set neck. MzI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Ok first off I would not just cut out the neck pocket!! your going to need a Perfect flat glueing surface to glue in the new wood!! and I dont see that going very well so this is what I think! now you going to have to refinish this thing anyway So i say cut out the center of the guitar neck pickup's every thing!! now joint the wing's you just cut out buy a new piece of wood for the center joint that all up, glue every thing togather sand every thing really good and redo the neck pocket and pickup cavitys and drill out the post holes for the bridge refinish the guitar in what ever you like and Bang your done!! If you do it right your going to much happier with the guitar And It will look WAY better than what you have in mind! But that's just me !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 yeah matts plan is definintely a more sound prospect. only other thing I was wondering is if you could just route a new neck pocket, dep PRS st6yle that goes into the pickup cavity and actually sits under the humbucker.. then you wouldn't have to alter anything escept cleaning up the heel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 If you cut out that much wood, your body is going to crumble. Keep the existing wood and build a long tenon neck like MM said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Thanks a lot you guys. I have a lot to look at. I'll mill it over for a few days before making any cuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald k wilson Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 I wouldn't cut thru the shoulder of the guitar. you will have a long end grain glue joint (weak) at 90 deg. the stress of the string tension. A nice clean parallel to grain glue joint along the p/u pockets would be stronger. Save as much of the original wood as you can, thats why you are doing a repair in the first place, do a nice workmanly job of it and let it show as what it is. You can do alot with stains and glazes to match woods up or you can use totally contrasting materials to make a statement. Lots of choices, but an old guitar you have some history with and you brought back to life is very cool! dkw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 I have a very good friend who is an excellent woodworker and machinist, and he and one of his friends (another woodworker) got very curious about whether or not end-grain glue joints would actually be weak or not. They took assorted pieces of wood, cut 'em in half across the grain, sanded the cut ends flat, and glued them together with plain titebond. After a day or two for the glue to cure fully, he broke every single piece - and not one of them split along the joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t1r12003 Posted September 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 I have a very good friend who is an excellent woodworker and machinist, and he and one of his friends (another woodworker) got very curious about whether or not end-grain glue joints would actually be weak or not. They took assorted pieces of wood, cut 'em in half across the grain, sanded the cut ends flat, and glued them together with plain titebond. After a day or two for the glue to cure fully, he broke every single piece - and not one of them split along the joint. ← Everything I always heard from shop class in school was that a good glue joint was stronger than the actual wood itself. I'm going ahead with my original plan, and I will keep everyone in the loop as to how it works out. If it doesn't, I didn't loose out, I'll just have to proceed with cutting the entire center out anyway. Thanks again everyone for the great feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Everything I always heard from shop class in school was that a good glue joint was stronger than the actual wood itself. ← That's what I've always heard, too, but a lot've people have been convinced it's not true for end-grain joints, which was the point of my friend's experiment. Basically, if you get 'em clean and square, you're good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 i would do it this way: go from the neck pocket, draw 2 straight lines all the way from the neck pocket to the butt of the guiar, now, go over to our friend Mr. Bandsaw, and cut along those lines, now, go to the jointer, and plane the edges you just cut smooth, get a nice peice of Maple long enough to make an neck PLUS through the body (or, in other terms, a neck through) and then carve the neck to your liking and such, route for new pickups and drill the holes for the bridge, sand everything down nice and smooth, and spray on your first coat of primer, and eventually move up to a nice flat black with old school hot rod flames going up the guitar but, thats just how i would do it Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Or go as mentioned but buy a carvin thru neck, fill the old bridge holes, glue the wings up at the proper angle for the bridge or go flatmount, whatever and you'd have a killer neck thru explorer, and wouldnt have to build a neck. Trust me, dont bite off more than you can chew. Dont over complicate it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 UUM That's NOT a neck thru!! If you dont know that I think you should Do a bit more reading up before thaking this one on!! Im not trying to be harsh !!METAL MATT!! ← don't be so sure...he said it WAS a neck through...and if you look at the body,you will see that there is a strip of mahogany right down the center as if it was in fact a neck through before he cut off the neck and routed out the pocket. but if it was a neck through...then of course it is not a gibson.it does not look like a gibson to me anyway. look at this picture...look at the nech heel joint.that is not a gibson and does indeed look like a possible neck through,although on the back i do not see glue lines,but that could be the glare.so MAYBE,matt,you are the one who should know what you are talking about before you go off i believe it was "custom built" by a hobbyist....just like so many members of this forum,including me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 I picked up this Explorer over 10 years ago back in my home town. It was a custom made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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