How do I fit a Tele neck to a strange Strat body?

[jcarlisle]

This is my first post, so bear with me, please. I'm impressed, by the way, with the good advice given on this forum. I hope to learn a lot here while I'm "building" my first project guitar.

I couldn't find a body that met my design goals at Warmoth but found an interesting, though non-standard, one on ebay. I did get a fine mahogany/ebony fretboard tele neck from Warmoth, since the body seems to be almost a Thinline Tele hollowbody with a Strat shape and pickup routs for p90s or humbuckers.

The Warmoth Tele neck doesn't fit in the pocket, at all. I knew it was a gamble to go with a Tele neck, but the body looks way more like a Thinline Tele than a Strat. (The body is my "avatar," by the way.)

Anyway, what I'd like advice on is how to make the neck fit the pocket. The neck is a tad too wide, compounded by the apparent taper.  Maybe only 1/32" or so. The pocket is not tapered but the butt end is curved like a Strat. It is exactly 5/8" deep.

Since the body is the wildcard – unknown origin, etc., I think I should modify the pocket, right? Keep the gorgeous Tele neck intact.

I assume, being an ex-wooden boat builder, that routing the pocket a sconch on each side would do the trick. But unfortunately my router is in storage 400 miles from here.

Short of taking it to a local luthier, since I'm hoping to do all my own work, what is the best alternative to a router?

I plan to finish the neck and body with Tung Oil only.

Thanks for advice about this and any other related tips on getting the neck and body together.

Johan the Barbarian

 

[-CB-]

The neck wont fit without a lot of finagling.

Sell the nice virgin neck you have, and get the right neck.  You'll maybe take a hit in price, but that hit will be MUCH LESS than what you'll pay to get the neck to fit and have it be right.  One of life's lessons, and not the most expensive you'll ever encounter... chalk it up.

 

[jcarlisle]

Thanks CB.
Are you saying that the body is a Strat?
If so, would any Strat neck fit?
I've read a lot of posts here about all the ins and outs of Strat v. Tele necks, and I have to admit, I still don't have a firm understanding of it all.
I guess with exact measurements, one should be able to make an informed decision?

And, one more thing: will any Strat neck automatically provide accurate scale length and intonation? The body has holes drilled for the strings through the body, I assume. Or maybe for the bridge? Without a neck that fits, it's hard for me to figure some of these things out.

Thanks again, CB.
Johan

 

[-CB-]

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=faq2