Combined Template For Neck Pocket And Tremolo?

[Cherryburst]

Stewmac sells a template for Strat style trem routing here:

as well as a neck pocket template here:

But does anyone sell a combined template? I'm interested in not only getting those 2 routings correct, but getting the distances between them exactly right too.

If a template like that is not available anywhere, Is there some way to combine/glue those 2 templates together? (to have them the correct distance apart)

[Mickguard]

The only way that would work would be if you were using the exact neck and exact bridge and exact body that the template requires -- in other words, you'll need to make your own measurements and your own template. You're better off looking for full body templates, everything will be done for you.

[Cherryburst]

Thanks, but the body shape doesn't matter - I'm not replicating a Strat, it's my own design (sorta like an Explorer) but I need the exact strat pocket/trem routings so that the neck and bridge are the proper distance apart and line up perfectly.

Does anyone make a template like that? Or can the stewmac one be glued together?

Edited August 16, 2008 by Cherryburst

[jmrentis]

There isn't any template like that because the distance of concern is from the face of the nut to the saddle of the bridge. You can't set the distance from the bridge to the neck and then adjust the fretboard on the neck to get your scale right, just wouldn't work, even if it did, it would be pointless and a royal pain. If the heel of the neck is a 1/4" off or the fretboard was glued on a 1/8" higher on the neck leaving less overhang your guitar will never play right or tune. You can't worry about the spacing from the neck to the bridge, that really comes naturally after you do your neck pocket, it will space itself. Anyhow thats my take on it.

And to do the alignment take some string or something similar(I like thin fishing line) and line two pieces up as if they were the two E strings running from the nut, place each one 1/8" from the edge of the nut or so and then down to the outside saddles, this will help you figure out alignment as you can visiually see how the strings run down the neck. If they run parallel they you should have your placement. There are other ways, but I just prefer that way for some reason, maybe some of the others can offer some more options.

Anyway, again if you try to make some sort of template like your thinking, you're bound to end up with guitar thats out of scale and and thats a major problem. Even if I had a kit guitar with a set neck pocket and neck heel, I'd still measure it out because you never know when the heel or neck pocket could be slight mishapen causing a distance variance. J

[Cherryburst]

There isn't any template like that because the distance of concern is from the face of the nut to the saddle of the bridge. You can't set the distance from the bridge to the neck and then adjust the fretboard on the neck to get your scale right

I don't see why not. When Fender makes a Strat, they place the neck pocket and trem route in the exact same place every time. As long as you're using a std 25.5" scale, they'll always be in the same place. I don't see why no-one makes a routing template like that.

[WezV]

buy yourself some strat templates from here

http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com/57Strat.htm

you will still need to measure to make sure its all going to work

the most important tool any of us own is a ruler... it means that we can use neck pocket and trem templates exactly how we want and that means we can use them to build a greater variety of guitars than we could if we were stuck with the fender spacing.... thats why companies like stew-mac sell them as seperate items - they are trying to cater to as many builders as possible

[jmrentis]

There isn't any template like that because the distance of concern is from the face of the nut to the saddle of the bridge. You can't set the distance from the bridge to the neck and then adjust the fretboard on the neck to get your scale right

I don't see why not. When Fender makes a Strat, they place the neck pocket and trem route in the exact same place every time. As long as you're using a std 25.5" scale, they'll always be in the same place. I don't see why no-one makes a routing template like that.

You say this is your own design correct? Well, you neck and or heel can easily and likely be in different proportions than a strat and your scale will be off. Honestly, even if I was making the same strats over and over I'd wanna measure it just in case though with a cnc and adjustable saddles it'd probably be ok. On your personal guitar you might have an overhang of your fretboard over your neck or they might be even and your heel might be different causing it to not sit perfectly in strat pocket. Those reasons are why you should always measure that distance. The reason why that template doesn't exist is because there is no way a company could ensure that you did everything exactly to their specs. Maybe if you were doing your build with a cnc and had their program. Thats why that template doesn't exist cause when most of their customers come back and complain that it didn't work cause they used this template on their homemade guitar, they'd go out of business in a hurry.

Anyhow, as I was getting at before, it doesn't matter, if you're using a 25.5 scale, have a similar heel and neck pocket, it will be real close if not exactly where you want it, but in case you haven't exactly matched the specs of a strat neck/fretboard/neckpocket/bridge you need to measure and mark out the distance. Say you used an overhang and the strat didn't, your difference in spacing isn't going to even be noticeable, it'll be so very small, as said that space will set itself and its not going to somehow be drastically different. J

Edited August 17, 2008 by jmrentis

[killemall8]

what i want to know is why you could be so lazy that you couldnt just measure 3 things after you rout your neck pocket. its really not that much trouble to just rout for your neck and then draw 2 lines down the sides of the neck to find the centerline, and then just measure your scale from your nut. not that hard.

[Prostheta]

But does anyone sell a combined template? I'm interested in not only getting those 2 routings correct, but getting the distances between them exactly right too.

If a template like that is not available anywhere, Is there some way to combine/glue those 2 templates together? (to have them the correct distance apart)

The reason SM don't sell combined templates is because there is no "correct distance". The position of a trem cavity (which on the rear of the instrument) with a neck pocket (on the front) are two fundamentally unrelated areas other than the central line. There is no such thing as "correct distance" as the neck pocket position and size isn't related to the bridge position in any way, shape or form.

In short, the answer to your question would generally be "no" on the basis that there is no correct distance. There are however templates out there which are true to a specific model which may meet your requirements, but these are only designed to be "correct" for that model only.

[Cherryburst]

You say this is your own design correct? Well, you neck and or heel can easily and likely be in different proportions than a strat and your scale will be off.

Just the shape of the body. The neck will be from Warmoth (std Strat size). Maybe I should have mentioned that in the first place?

[aidlook]

People have already told you that the option would be to buy a strat body template and you'll get exactly what you need. But then again...you'd probably be better off just measuring and putting everything in place rather than gluing 2 templates together...

[joshvegas]

People have already told you that the option would be to buy a strat body template and you'll get exactly what you need. But then again...you'd probably be better off just measuring and putting everything in place rather than gluing 2 templates together...

+1 if you aren't confident enough to measure it out how can you be confident enough to glue the templates correctly?

[Prostheta]

You say this is your own design correct? Well, you neck and or heel can easily and likely be in different proportions than a strat and your scale will be off.

Just the shape of the body. The neck will be from Warmoth (std Strat size). Maybe I should have mentioned that in the first place?

Rather than relying on a template, I would acquire the body and use David Myka's neck pocket jig rather than using a template. You'll get a much better fit for the pocket.

[jaycee]

Wez has included a link to guitar template....... The main template ..neck pickups bridge....can be used on any shape guitar with a strat pickguard, and on any scale length; you just have to adjust the bridge placement closer or further from the nut.

To get what you have asked for would have to be a full guitar template, all in one neck and body which doesn't exist ( unless some smart alec has made one )

It seems to me that you haven't quite grasped the scale measurement concept. As long as the scale length i.e nut to bridge, which determines fret spacing is good, then you can put the pickups with 1mm spacing in between them, it may not sound to good or look good but thats up to you.