Is it bad if neck pocket has no "walls"?

[drophere]

I'm building a PRS clone. Not a VIP, but a properly carved PRS clone... I decided to go with a warmoth neck (a rosewood/rosewood), having tried a few warmoth necks and I liked them a lot.  :headbang1:

So I was measuring up things, scale lengths and all that. I already knew that PRS cu24 has a 25" scale length so I'd have to reposition a few components as the neck is 25.5", but I felt that should be okay, until I came across this problem.

I was trying to see about which fret the neck heel finishes from photos. It was about 21st. (pardon the typo in the photo, was copy+pasting...  :icon_scratch

Then I found this problem. Since the neck core finishes around 21st fret, the neck pocket had to be further out, and that made the only contact between the neck and the body being base of the neckpocket.

Like this... (the upper square-like place is the neckpocket; if I can call that a "pocket")

I can screw the neck in, and the guitar will make noise for sure, but would this kind of design be considered a bad one? because there isn't much of area of contact and vibration won't transmit as much?

Possible solutions but not preferred:

I can move the entire neck and pickups and the bridge further down the body, but that will essentially make the proportion ugly, so....  :sad:

Another option I have is to make neck 22 fretted and position it like a cu22, then it will have "some" intersection, but I think I need 24 frets, so...  :sad:

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I can't see your pics cause they are probably blocked here at my work. But this works:

 

[Cagey]

None of your photos are showing up.

I happen to have a PRS clone Warmoth used to make back in the olden days before PRS slapped them and said "STOP IT!".  I don't have any loose 24 fret necks, though. I do have some loose 22 fret parts I could put in place, if you'd like some pictures of how that mates up. Don't know if it would help, but there it is.

 

[Cagey]

Incidentally, if you like 24 fret PRS designs, check this out...

$199 in the box, out the door. Check the link above for details - it probably won't last long. But, they sell others in different colors here, as well as a wide variety of other designs. (note that they get nicer the higher the page number)

 

[bob7point7]

I can't see your pics, but I can tell  that my Warmoth LPS has almost no side contact in the neck pocket and is solid as a rock. As long as everything is well built it should be no problem.

 

[line6man]

The only thing that matters is having a neck that won't shift side to side if you tweak the neck.

 

[drophere]

Hi all, pics are fixed and they should be showing now  :icon_biggrin:

I happen to have a PRS clone Warmoth used to make back in the olden days before PRS slapped them and said "STOP IT!".  I don't have any loose 24 fret necks, though. I do have some loose 22 fret parts I could put in place, if you'd like some pictures of how that mates up. Don't know if it would help, but there it is.

Yes I heard warmoth VIP's used to look exactly like PRS, and I'm actually curious how they differ from the current VIP. Because the way it is is that, warmoth necks will always have hanging fretboard if they go beyond 21 frets, therefore the neck pickup needs to be moved further down in order to incorporate the extended length (=24fret reposition).

Like this:

(courtesy of http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryItem.aspx?id=5240)

which I don't like, personally.



Anyway, I had it a thorough consideration over night and I think I should build the neck too. I think I'm gonna end up doing more work just because I was trying to fit a warmoth neck, whereas if I had a neck with neck core woods filling upto where 24th fret is (much like AANJ) I can minimise headache.  :doh:

Thank you all for your help!

 

[drophere]

The only thing that matters is having a neck that won't shift side to side if you tweak the neck.

Would 4 screws alone hold the neck safely? I only had guitars with the support from side walls of neck pocket, which basically locks the neck in place.. I don't have luxury of that.

 

[AutoBat]

Here's the link to my VIP build.  I've got several pictures of it, front & back. (It's the non-strat in my signature)
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=20688.0

 

[pabloman]

All neck pickups are repositioned for a 24 fret neck. Not just the Warmoth.

 

[Cagey]

Yes I heard warmoth VIP's used to look exactly like PRS, and I'm actually curious how they differ from the current VIP. Because the way it is is that, warmoth necks will always have hanging fretboard if they go beyond 21 frets, therefore the neck pickup needs to be moved further down in order to incorporate the extended length (=24fret reposition).

Here are some pictures of each style side by side.

 

[stubhead]

There are a number of great country guitarists who made their bones with 1968 Telecasters - Scotty Anderson, Brad Paisley - and you could often fit a quarter in between the neck and pocket wall. Music comes from musicians. I mean, this is a gear site, so we get maniacal - it's what it's for - but the things that actually keep people from playing well - yikes. Feed yer head... :icon_biggrin: