toneseeker Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 (edited) OK, now just beer with me here...I want to take a standard Stagg L250 Les Paul copy mahogany neck and remove the fretboard to mortise in a bridging tennon in so that I can use the neck for a set-neck Junior Double Cut build. Pretty lofty goal, eh? Anyone else besides myself thinks it's possible. Has anyone attempted such a feat? I only paid $25.00 for the neck so I figure that if fit hits the shan, I can still utilize the parts for a scratch-built neck. I'm trying to save alot of shaping effort and besides, I'm not very confident I can achieve a comfortable feeling neck without mucking something up. Please chime in with any suggestions or comments. Thanks... Edited August 30, 2008 by toneseeker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Check the tutorials on the home page for one on how to remove the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneseeker Posted August 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 (edited) Check the tutorials on the home page for one on how to remove the fretboard. Yes, thanks I saw it already. I'm planning on squaring off the end of the heel of the donor neck after removing the fretboard, then using a template to mortise in a enlongated soapbar shaped tennon so that there will be enough glued surface area to accomplish a strong enough joint. I think the heel will have to be longer than that of the original Junior for integrity, but it should still have great upper fret access and maintain the same basic look without straying away too much from the original design. I only hope that there will not be too much loss of sustain/vibration transference. Should I use mahogany for the tennon or maple perhaps? Anyone else have any other tutorial links, suggestions or comments that don't involve a rubber room and a hockey helmet?! Thanks. This is a great forum. I've been reading it for several years now. I only wish that the project navigation was more user-friendly. I have troubles finding build and other specific info for projects of the month. Anyways, this is a great place to hang and learn. Best wishes from SC. Edited August 30, 2008 by toneseeker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 OK, now just beer with me here... Sounds like it's a pretty good beer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Maybe lay off the beer before you post. Am I right in thinking that what you want to do is convert a bolt-on neck to a set neck? If that's the case, do a search for that, it's been covered, you'll find advice on how to accomplish that. But you really don't need to add a tenon, just prepare the existing heel for gluing -- if you'll be cutting your own neck pocket, that won't be a problem at all, just strip the heel back to bare wood. There are plenty of examples of setneck guitars that more or less use the full width of the heel as the tenon. You also don't need to remove the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneseeker Posted August 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 (edited) "Please beer with me here" was a intro joke. I rarely drink. I guess that I'm not being clear as to what I am trying to do here. I want to take a standard Stagg L250 Les Paul copy mahogany neck and remove the fretboard to mortise in a bridging tennon in so that I can use the neck for a set-neck Junior Double Cut build. I'll just do what I have in mind and forget about posting. Best wishes. Edited August 30, 2008 by toneseeker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 "Please beer with me here" was a intro joke. I rarely drink. I guess that I'm not being clear as to what I am trying to do here. I want to take a standard Stagg L250 Les Paul copy mahogany neck and remove the fretboard to mortise in a bridging tennon in so that I can use the neck for a set-neck Junior Double Cut build. I'll just do what I have in mind and forget about posting. Best wishes. Touchy touchy. If you're going to make bad jokes, why can't we make our own in response? Do yourself a favor and research the idea of converting a bolton neck to a setneck first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 If you follow any tutorial (here or elsewere) for removing a fretboard, I cannot see why you wouldn't be able to cut the "normal" body end of the neck to a les paul style tennon, by adding up for the thicknes and then cut away for the final shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 My thoughts: If you are not sure you can contour a neck profile then taking a fretboard off, making a tenon and then fashioning a heel and then gluing on a new board, leveling it, fretting it, and making it all line up with the bridge might be an advanced mod and it also seems like working harder than smarter. Just make is a short tenon set neck. If you have a tight enough fit and enough meat on the sides of the cavity then you will be perfectly fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 I would leave the neck as a bolt-on, and put threaded inserts into it, so it can be bolted tight into a neck pocket. Nothing magical to me about a set-neck design, especially some kind of "spliced on" version. I've been there, with the " since I got this cheap, I'm going to push the envelope with spending time and money, and quite possibly turning it into scrap" type of thing, and most of the time regretted going about it that way. Sorry about the beer comment. I thought it was innocent and slightly funny. I would drink more myself, if I could afford to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneseeker Posted August 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Thanks for the input guys. I didn't mean to come off as disgruntled. I have several years experience cabinet making experience and a fairly well equiped garage shop but little guitar building experience. I built a Tele neck a year or so ago from scratch and found it way beyond what I wanted to invest time wise and it came out mediocre at best. If I do a short LP style tennon I would have to bring the neck down into the body and I wanted to keep to the original look of a JR DC. Tues. I'm going out to a specialty hardware supplier and pick up some Honduras(South American 8/4) and just plan on lifting the fretboard on the neck and using it and the trussrod and nut for a near true '59 JR DC build with a scarf joint and volute. I appreciate your input guys and wish me luck with it. I'll post some picks later, but I'm sure it won't come out as nice as Alberto's. I'm just hoping to make it playable and respectable looking. Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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