A Bender Telecaster for Bill

[mayfly]

Thank you gentlemen!

Here's bill's neck on bill's guitar:

My neck looks like it could use some TLC!

 

[rgand]

Oh, yeah! That roasted maple neck is definitely good-looking on that guitar. I'll bet Bill will be pretty stoked.

 

[bagman67]

Got any plans for the old neck? I mean,  might as well build a guitar around it.

 

[mayfly]

Got any plans for the old neck? I mean,  might as well build a guitar around it.

After a cleaning and maybe fret work it's going back where it came from:  The Grandma Julie Tele.

 

[mayfly]

Speaking of the grandma Julie Tele, Since the guitar does not have a bender, I've been thinking of putting a Bigsby on it...

 

[Logrinn]

Or perhaps something more luxurious? (And easier to string...)

 

[rgand]

Mayfly, yes, yes. Pics, too. :cool01:

 

[davegardner0]

That's so cool to see how you install those threaded inserts, thanks for the pics. What a great design with the threads on the outside! Seems much better than a press fit or knurled outer surface. Where do you get them?

 

[mayfly]

I've got them from several places over the years.  The original guy I got them from went broke, so now order from Chunger at Studio 939:

http://store.studio939.com/product/threaded-insert-kit-for-bass-guitar-necks

I imagine that the inserts are from McMaster / Carr, but at $7.00 per kit I can't be bothered to find them and order directly.

Chunger is actually more known for his top quality condenser microphone parts, which you can drool over here:

http://store.studio939.com/category/microphones-and-parts

 

[mayfly]

After cleaning the fretboard, touching up the fret ends, changing the strings, and setting the intonation, the Grandma Julie tele is back together.  The Bigsby will have to wait for another time.

 

[mayfly]

I imagine that the inserts are from McMaster / Carr, but at $7.00 per kit I can't be bothered to find them and order directly.

This just in:  Here they are straight from the McMaster Carr website.  Yep they are zinc, and are "for softwoods", but I've never had a problem installing into maple or Canary.  At 40,000 lbs tensile strength they are equivalent hold to the brass ones that Cagey uses  :headbang:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#inserts-for-wood/=1at4jqu

 

[rgand]

After cleaning the fretboard, touching up the fret ends, changing the strings, and setting the intonation, the Grandma Julie tele is back together.  The Bigsby will have to wait for another time.

Looks good.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

The McMaster Carr ones made of Zinc are for softwood the Steel is intended for hardwood so why not just use those.

 

[mayfly]

`cause that's what was in the kits.

 

[BigSteve22]

`cause that's what was in the kits.

A pragmatist after my own heart.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

`cause that's what was in the kits.

Sure that makes sense. But if anyone is going to order some they should get the steel I think.

 

[davegardner0]

In general they seem pretty cool! They'd be a cool upgrade over wood screws especially if you periodically take your neck off.

I think all of the materials would be strong enough. Honestly if anything is going to fail I think it's going to be the insert's threads into the wood since you only have ~4 threads grabbing the wood instead of the normal ~10 on a neck screw. As for material I'd go with either the stainless:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#inserts-for-wood/=1atsfka
or brass
https://www.mcmaster.com/#inserts-for-wood/=1atsfqm

The reason being that I think you want everything on a guitar to be corrosion resistant. With these you have to buy the installation tool but that's not so bad. Also they're specifically for hardwood, and there's some language on the web page that says the threads are specifically "knife-shaped" to cut into hardwood so that sounds like a good thing.

I'd guess the 10-24 and maybe even a 1/4-20 would fit through a neck plate in addition to the 8-32's in the kit that was linked previously. What sort of screws do you guys use with these. An oval head machine screw?

 

[stratamania]

Yes, oval head Phillips machine screws. But as long as the machine screws are the correct size you could use any suitable head really.

 

[Logrinn]

Be aware though, that if you're in Sweden (or perhaps other European countries?) it's better to install inserts that are metric. I tried unsuccesfully to get 8/32" screws that were long enough. They're more rare than hair on an egg. It seems most industries here have turned their backs to imperial screws and they are getting extremely hard to find. So - get metric inserts and you'll have no problems finding the right screws.

 

[stratamania]

Logrinn, I agree it is getting more difficult to source imperial measurements locally. Especially in the UK where invented imperial measurements, feet, and inches its somewhat ironic.