Can a Telecaster neck be used with a Strat body?

DuckBaloo said:
That's how Fender does in in Mexico...one route that fits both Teles and Strats and can be done with a large, durable CNC bit. The pickguard hides the extra space

44063-8d73383299f8e030b24d95e8f9de2501.jpg


Rounding the neck butt is definitely possible, but all the work will show, so it's got to be just right. As long as the neck is where the Strat neck should be, no intonation problems. BTW, this is what Neal Moser did on Jimi's Newport Strat above.

I vote against the idea of trying to mount mount the Tele neck to the Start pocket with any expectations of intonation, screws lining up, oor being able to hide the gap with a pickguard.
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I'd rather alter the butt end of the neck instead. I can do a neat job.

The 22nd fret extension will cover any incriminating evidence of a lack of skill on my part if there is any.

Thanks guys!
 
teleme01 said:
I would start a new build , great excuse, get a body to match the neck and a neck to match the body. The wife thinks I'm wasting money and I am, only played in a band 1 out of 63 years, but I got a lot of guitars.
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If I were to do that I'd build a Tele with a pine body. That's the original wood Leo used and Bill Kirchen raves about it.
 
If it helps, the curve of a Strat neck heel is an arc that has a 5" radius and then at the corners where the arc meets the side of the heel there is a 1/4" radius.
 
Spent about 1/2 an hour filing and sanding the neck heel of the Tele style neck I have and it was so easy.

Got a nice tight fit too.

The end of the neck presses tightly against the body in the neck pocket above the neck pickup with no gap.

That's important.

I've read interviews with Fender employees of the 50's and 60's and that the belief they have.

They knew that the Fender guitars they made sounded their best and mosy resonant if there's no gap at the end of end.
 
stratamania said:
Indeed :)
Click to expand...
Indeed. Good tools and experience using them are a must.

One more question:

My guitar's body has been routed for a vibrato but the the 2 (or 6 if you're going "vintage") screw holes that actually hold it to the body were not drilled.

I'm using the Fender vibrato Jeff Beck used so it's a 2 stud mount with brass bushings embedded into the body. Don't want to get that wrong.

With the neck bolted on, and knowing that it is a 25 1/2" scale guitar I adjusted the individual saddles in the same angle as my real Strats.

But I'm scared to drill holes. Would I measure to 25 1/2" for the D and G strings to find the correct location?

And how about the side to side location to ensure the strings are centered on the fingerboard?

Again, I'll measure many times if I need to but I only want to drill those holes once.

Thank you!
 
Lewguitar said:
I've read interviews with Fender employees of the 50's and 60's and that the belief they have.

They knew that the Fender guitars they made sounded their best and mosy resonant if there's no gap at the end of end.
Click to expand...

And yet, every single one of those '50s-'60s Fenders shipped with a shim under the neck heel for a better break angle over the bridge. They only quit using shims after the micro-tilt came around.

710d17b9174e4b9375dad744ede74061.jpg

b1576c7869cc5c6865da5232425752a3.jpg

Vintage-Strat-Guide-7-NEW@2160x2700.jpg
 
DuckBaloo said:
And yet, every single one of those '50s-'60s Fenders shipped with a shim under the neck heel for a better break angle over the bridge. They only quit using shims after the micro-tilt came around.

710d17b9174e4b9375dad744ede74061.jpg

b1576c7869cc5c6865da5232425752a3.jpg

Vintage-Strat-Guide-7-NEW@2160x2700.jpg
Click to expand...
That would be under the neck and yes it would create a gap the thickness of the shim under the neck.

I'm not talking about a gap under the neck.

I've read Fender's Bill Carson's comments and he felt that for the best tone and best transfer of vibrations from the neck, that the butt end of the neck had to pressed tight against that part of the neck rout. A tight fit along the sides is nice too of course, but he felt that a solid tight fit of the end of the neck was more important for tone.

I go so far as to lay the guitar face down on a carpet with the peghead against a wall. Before tightening the four screws of the neck plate, I push HARD to get the end the neck tight against that part of the neck rout.

Then I tighten the screws to hold it there.

Bill worked on the design of the Strat in 1953 and then the final version released in 1954.

This is first version. Looks more like a Tele.

https://imgur.com/tvS9XAa
 
Lewguitar said:
I'm using the Fender vibrato Jeff Beck used so it's a 2 stud mount with brass bushings embedded into the body. Don't want to get that wrong.

With the neck bolted on, and knowing that it is a 25 1/2" scale guitar I adjusted the individual saddles in the same angle as my real Strats.

But I'm scared to drill holes. Would I measure to 25 1/2" for the D and G strings to find the correct location?
Click to expand...

2 points Fender tremolo's centres for the bushings will be in the same location as the outer holes for a 6 screw mount.

Here are the details you need, linked below.

How to install a Strat tremolo and get it right - StewMac

Erick Coleman has a quick tip that will save you a lot of trouble.
www.stewmac.com www.stewmac.com

A link that is referenced and broken in the above article should take you to (see pt 3 in particular).

Search - StewMac

www.stewmac.com www.stewmac.com
 
Lewguitar said:
Indeed. Good tools and experience using them are a must.

One more question:

My guitar's body has been routed for a vibrato but the the 2 (or 6 if you're going "vintage") screw holes that actually hold it to the body were not drilled.

I'm using the Fender vibrato Jeff Beck used so it's a 2 stud mount with brass bushings embedded into the body. Don't want to get that wrong.

With the neck bolted on, and knowing that it is a 25 1/2" scale guitar I adjusted the individual saddles in the same angle as my real Strats.

But I'm scared to drill holes. Would I measure to 25 1/2" for the D and G strings to find the correct location?

And how about the side to side location to ensure the strings are centered on the fingerboard?

Again, I'll measure many times if I need to but I only want to drill those holes once.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
The American Fender 2 pivot bridges are made to go in the same place as the vintage 6 screw vintage bridges. The center posts should be about 25.25" from the nut and the are 2.22" apart.
 
Here's the ax I've been talking about with the roasted maple Tele neck in place and the 2 point bridge just sitting in place.

Not screwed together yet.

That's a set of Chubtone El Gordo pickups wound by Mike Gray in Austin. Those and the Duncan Antiquity Surfer pickups are my favorites.

I'm planning on using a set of Sperzel locking tuners I've been saving for a project like this.

Also a LSR roller nut like Jeff Beck used on his Strats.

There's about 12 coats of shellac used as a sealer and grain filler and I sanded with 800 grit wet sandpaper soaked in water with a few drops of dish soap every other coat. Most of the shellac was sanded level and the grain is pretty much filled.

I expect it to shrink and show more grain as the finish cures, and that's fine with me.

3 coats of StewMac clear lacquer. I'll do one or two more and then wait for it to get good and hard and then rub it out.

I think it looks fabulous...if I do say so myself!

https://imgur.com/kttCyxS
https://imgur.com/XdAwFRo
https://imgur.com/qC2Fb4e

Here's a cool photo of Jimi. Anyone have any info on this photo?
https://imgur.com/7Z17sZN
 
Last edited:
That thing looks great! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the build.

You would not happen to have any pics of the neck heel after you re-worked it do you?
 
I love the Warmoth guitars I have but this one is not a Warmoth. I bought both neck and body on eBay from a dealer who had them in stock. Shipped quickly from Canada and the quality is first rate.

Here's how the end of the neck looks.

I was going for maximum contact with the end of the neck and body, and when I had it right it also matched the curve in the pickguard too. I could have used the pickguard as a template when I used a new single edge razor blade to scribe the new shape.

But I used my Warmoth SRV neck to get the shape because it matched the Strat body neck pocket perfectly.

This Tele neck is the hardest maple I've ever worked with!

https://imgur.com/AYA2RTg
 
Last edited:
Lewguitar said:
Here's the ax I've been talking about with the roasted maple Tele neck in place and the 2 point bridge just sitting in place.

Not screwed together yet.

That's a set of Chubtone El Gordo pickups wound by Mike Gray in Austin. Those and the Duncan Antiquity Surfer pickups are my favorites.

I'm planning on using a set of Sperzel locking tuners I've been saving for a project like this.

Also a LSR roller nut like Jeff Beck used on his Strats.

There's about 12 coats of shellac used as a sealer and grain filler and I sanded with 800 grit wet sandpaper soaked in water with a few drops of dish soap every other coat. Most of the shellac was sanded level and the grain is pretty much filled.

I expect it to shrink and show more grain as the finish cures, and that's fine with me.

3 coats of StewMac clear lacquer. I'll do one or two more and then wait for it to get good and hard and then rub it out.

I think it looks fabulous...if I do say so myself!

https://imgur.com/kttCyxS
https://imgur.com/XdAwFRo
https://imgur.com/qC2Fb4e

Here's a cool photo of Jimi. Anyone have any info on this photo?
https://imgur.com/7Z17sZN
Click to expand...
uh ya I already posted that, used to have the poster, It's Jimi at Newport
 
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