mail order necks

[simes]

Hello.

I am intending to buy a ready-made neck for a guitar project, since producing it myself looks a little too much of a challenge. I say this just in case anyone got confused by the thread title and thought I was looking for actual necks with tracheas, vertebrae, etc.

I have browsed three or four well-known internet-based guitar parts sites, and notice considerable price differences. I am comparing the cheapest model of 22 fret maple S- or T-type neck with rosewood fretboard in each case, and prices vary from around USD75 to twice that.
Now, my day job is that of purchasing guy for a company unrelated to guitars or music, but one thing I have learned over the years is that if two apparently similar things cost totally different sums, then there is something wrong.
I imagine that it would not be appropriate for me to mention or ask for opinions of specific suppliers, but if anyone has any general comments, I'd be pleased to hear them ... or if you have any specific comments, you could PM me.

Cheers,

Simes

[pollyshero]

When it comes to mail order, you generally get what you pay for. However when considering necks, there are an awful lot of variables that can account for the wide price range - finish, fret size, wood type, number of frets, inlay material, etc.

In my opinion "about a hundred dollars" will do. More specifically - I wouldn't pay less than $100 for a new aftermarket neck unless I was absolutely certain of what I was getting, and I wouldn't spend more than $150 unless I wanted something more towards the high end, and once again, I was absolutely certain of what I was getting.

Here's some reviews of the more popular replacement necks that might help you zero in on a manufacturer. Before you buy direct you might want to check out ebay, craigslist, or some other inet shopping site - you might save a few pennies.

www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Mighty_Mite/

www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Stewart_MacDonald/

www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Warmoth/

[dunkelfalke]

you forgot poland... uhm... carvin

[sumgai]

Add USA Custom Guitars to that list. www.usacustomguitars.com/

And just as an FYI, I have yet to see a $75 neck on the web, but there are certainly a bunch of "standard" necks that start at $165 and go to nearly $300. More than that only buys you looks, not functionality.

One more thing. You are aware, aren't you, that Tele and Strat necks are different, I mean beside the shape of the headstock? Tele necks are more square at the heel, Strat necks are more rounded. You can place a Strat neck into a Tele body (or any body with a Tele neck pocket shape), and it will fit, but there'll be a slight gap at each corner. The reverse is not true - you'll need to either hog out some body wood from the Strat, or else shave down the Tele's neck corners to make them fit together.

Just a heads up, you understand.


sumgai

[Runewalker]

Add these guys to the nice but Pricey list (standard strat around $175):

www.musikraft.com/

Certainly the high dollar aftermarket "licenced by" houses produce some incredible product. I think their greatest value added is the capability of specifying your exact preferences, neck-body shape, radius, or compound radius, tilt headstock or stepdown, fretwood.

All of that customization comes with a price tag, where the neck alone would exceed the $ I put into the whole guitar. especially if you go for the non-functional esthetics - flamed maple, or exotic woods, special finishes, quartersawn stock, matching headstock, binding, etc. Stainless frets would be nice but also pricey.

They are beautiful and I have long admired them, along with AstonMartins, 6Series BMWs, and other exotics beyond my reach.

You can get Mighty Mite all day long on Ebay for $79 - $129, even some ebony fretboard models. They are probably produced off shore. the pix I see are definitely not quartersawn, so you get those broad grain pattens from the curve of the board. That may have stability issues, but none I am aware of. Most come with med-jumbos and some with jumbos. they seem like the value of the "Licensed by" guys. But you will have more options on the custom guys.

As for me, I go for the parts houses, especially the chop shops. I have gotten great necks for as low as $10 each. One of these days though, I'll build the showgirl. Got to get out of the ever evolving prototype stage though.

RW

[ChrisK]

Anything successfully sold long-term, is selling at the price that the market will bear. There is reason, and hence balance is in effect.

I consider the neck to be the most important component on a guitar. That being said, I've never bought a neck for less that $150 raw, and $200 finished. I've rarely been disappointed.


sumgai, while I like Tele necks for looks, the Strat design is much better. The radius at the heel of the Strat allows neck rotation coplanar to the body while maintaining maximum even heel/body pocket contact (goes to tone coupling). Virtually every bolt-on (and many set neck) guitars could stand such adjustment (goes to string spacing symmetry on the neck).

[sumgai]

Chris,

If you haven't seen a "good ol' boy" twist a Tele neck in a co-planar fashion, then you haven't been drinking in the right juke joints! ;D

But your point is well taken. I just picked up on what simes set in the first post, that's all. Personally, I'd perfer a tight fit over looks any day of the week.


sumgai

[simes]

Thanks for all the answers, guys.

sumgai said:

You are aware, aren't you, that Tele and Strat necks are different, I mean beside the shape of the headstock? Tele necks are more square at the heel, Strat necks are more rounded. You can place a Strat neck into a Tele body (or any body with a Tele neck pocket shape), and it will fit, but there'll be a slight gap at each corner. The reverse is not true - you'll need to either hog out some body wood from the Strat, or else shave down the Tele's neck corners to make them fit together.

I was vaguely aware of the difference, yes, but since I'm intending to build the body myself, I aim to get the neck first and cut the pocket accordingly.

Indeed, what I'm after is the tightest fit possible. The only concession to looks would be a Tele headstock to match the Tele-type body, although that is hardly a priority.

"Co-planar rotation"? What? Who? Where?
I think I know what you mean, but first I had to sort through various mental images of large bearded individuals wringing the neck of a poor Tele or bending it at 45º from its intended orientation.

[sumgai]

simes,

I had to sort through various mental images of large bearded individuals wringing the neck of a poor Tele or bending it at 45º from its intended orientation.

As long your mental images depicted said large bearded individuals as drunk off their butts, then you had it right! ;D

Yeah, co-planar is nothing more than a 3 dollar word meaning "in the same latitudinal direction".

And hey, take beaucoup pictures, or better yet, take a few movies of your progress. We can show them big-boy forums a thing or two about DIY, and projects like yours would put us over the top! 'Nuff said.


sumgai