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Bolt On To Set Neck Conversion


barry

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Has anyone ever tried to convert a standard bolt on assembly to a set neck? If so I could use any advice that you have. I am frankensteinig an epeihone les paul junior and making my friend a slide only guitar. I would love to have a set neck for this.

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I can't believe I'm saying this for the second time in as many days, since I usually encourage experimentation, but I can't think of a good reason to do this. Bolt-on works perfectly well, and trying to make it into a set-neck might result in an inferior guitar to the one you started with. Any claims about differences in tone are justifiable only to a very very minute level. They're both stable and provide continuous vibration transfer along the neck and into the body.

I just can't imagine getting any benefit out of it.

Greg

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Well, you can't pretend you're playing a Gibson if it's a bolt on, that's why. :D

This topic has been covered in the main section, have you bothered to take a look?

Doing to this to an existing guitar, I agree with Greg. Converting the neck for use with a new body--well, that's more doable.

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Well, you can't pretend you're playing a Gibson if it's a bolt on, that's why. :D

This topic has been covered in the main section, have you bothered to take a look?

Doing to this to an existing guitar, I agree with Greg. Converting the neck for use with a new body--well, that's more doable.

Actually. I own two Gibson's, an ES335 and a gold top Les Paul. I just wanted to make the stretch for a learning experience. Having had a Tom Anderson (stolen from me) a G& L, two fender strats and one tele, I know how stable the bolt ons are. This would be for a: pure aesthetics, b: For the woodworking and problem solving learning experience. I am going to Zemaitis type pearl front it too, just for the experience. I know the base guitar is not very good, but the neck is awesome and I could use some help purely from an educational standpoint.

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I asked this on a different forum, and a very knowledgeble person experimented with this and found a difference. Not that one is better, but some prefer the set neck. One advantage is being able to shave the neck heel down for access, but some luthiers have said that this heel is what contribute to the tone of a bolt on-not the actual bolts. I would give you a link to the thread, but much of the forum was wiped out.

I am not certain of any of this. I prefer set necks, but i am only representing someone elses experiences and theories.

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This would be for a: pure aesthetics, b: For the woodworking and problem solving learning experience.

Ah that's much different!

I've always liked the look (and feel) of set necks too, but I've recently really started to like the bolt-on/insert look. Like this.

In terms of aesthetics, you get the best of both worlds, I think.

The main issue I can see with the conversion is that the bolt on necks might not be tight enough in the pocket--but obviously if you rebuild and reroute the pocket, that won't be a problem.

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I asked this on a different forum, and a very knowledgeble person experimented with this and found a difference. Not that one is better, but some prefer the set neck. One advantage is being able to shave the neck heel down for access, but some luthiers have said that this heel is what contribute to the tone of a bolt on-not the actual bolts. I would give you a link to the thread, but much of the forum was wiped out.

I am not certain of any of this. I prefer set necks, but i am only representing someone elses experiences and theories.

I appreciate your thoughts. I will, thanks to you, take the heel into account and not shave it, but add a heel to the neck conversion that will resemble an SG neck.

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This would be for a: pure aesthetics, b: For the woodworking and problem solving learning experience.

Ah that's much different!

I've always liked the look (and feel) of set necks too, but I've recently really started to like the bolt-on/insert look. Like this.

In terms of aesthetics, you get the best of both worlds, I think.

The main issue I can see with the conversion is that the bolt on necks might not be tight enough in the pocket--but obviously if you rebuild and reroute the pocket, that won't be a problem.

Mickguard---thank you for your input. That is a beautiful bolt on neck to body joint. I am in awe. Back to the neck. I have, now that I think about it, a very good reason for setting the neck. I hadn't thought of bringing it up in my query until you mentioned neck pocket instability. My friend want to have total access to the whole of the neck and some beyond, so that he may (be able to) keep his slide perpendicular to the fretboard. I was intending to cut the existing cutaway close to the body and about an inch to an inch and a half back of the original profile. Since the body is not yet routed for a neck pickup, I can afford to do this. If I use the bolt on as is, I will have to come out about a half inch from the lower neck edge before cutting the cutaway, creating a lump that I could live with but I think a smooth line and curve would look better.

Thanks again for your time.

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