Do Neck Pickup Routes Weaken Neck-thru?

[Rocket]

I'd posted last winter about a 36 fret neck-thru I am building, and it's taking forever but I'm to the point of routing for pickups and possibly a trem and spring cavity. As I was trying to think 3 dimensionally though, I began to wonder if routing a pickup slot close to the end of the fretboard, combined with routing a spring cavity could weaken the neck.

You have to imagine how deep 36 frets go and I have cutaway on the treble side to allow full access to all of them. So the spring cavity would be somewhat underneath the last fret.

So with a 42mm thick body, 19mm pickup route and 17mm spring cavity route leaves about 6mm of wood right after the fretboard end. Seems crazy!

Edited May 3, 2010 by Rocket

[RestorationAD]

Without a picture of the neck joint it is hard to answer your question. On a normal heal I think you would be fine with about 3inches of wood on each side. I have seen some shallow tenons before so I wouldn't be too worried (I realize it is a neck through). On my neck throughs I put the neck pickup about a 1/4" past 24th fret and they have all been fine.

As an alternate....

Did you measure your pickups? Usually a modern HB (the old long leg gibsons are a different story) is only 19mm tall. If your fretboard is 1/4" above the top when would you ever sink a pickup even with the top? I usually only route enough for the top of the pickups to be flush with the height of the fretboard. Mind you I don't use rings and usually direct mount my pickups.

[Rocket]

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/577326314WghSAx

(few pics. no heel shot though. Imagine the downward line of the long wing flowing into the small wing. That's how the heel is cut.)

I don't understand what you mean by 3 inches of wood on either side.

I was measuring pickups today in fact. Not much room between the 36th fret and the bridge so I'm going to put 2 single-sized rail humbuckers in there. The one closest to the fretboard I plan on sinking lower to avoid my picking. Probably not level with the body top though, but not as high as I like a bridge pickup. Guess I don't know for sure! I'll direct mount as well.

I'm shying away from a Floyd or Fender based tremolo now, the more I look at it and think about it. I don't have a picture of the heel but from my measurements it would be too close for comfort to the heel, on the treble side. The way I've messed up this thing along the way I am certain I'll have not considered something after removing all of that wood for a trem/spring cavity.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Rocket

[Rocket]

So with a 42mm thick body, 19mm pickup route and 17mm spring cavity route leaves about 6mm of wood right after the fretboard end.

What I mean by this is that in between the spring cavity & the bottom of the pickup route would be only about 6mm of wood, and this is all happening at the end of the fretboard.