Is it possible lop the last two frets off a 24 fret Strat neck?

[arealken]

Is it possible lop the last two frets off a 24 fret Strat neck? UC, I have no real use for the 24 fret neck ATM. It's a very nice Warmoth Goncalo Alves/ Ebony Strat neck , and I would like to use it on a  regular Fender Spec KOA Strat Body.

This might be  a ridiculous idea, but if doable, how would I go about it? Where would I saw, and what kind of saw ( no power saw) would I use?

TIA

 

[Logrinn]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand.
If you don't need the two last frets, why remove them? Why not just don't use them?

 

[Max1981]

They're attached to the rest of the neck. If you cut them off, you run the risk of compromising the neck joint. Just keep them on.

 

[pabloman]

Yes it's possible. You will not compromise the neck joint. That is completely false and not really good advice. The fret overhang has nothing to do with structural integrity. Just pop the fret out and cut through the slot. You would want to use a very fine tooth blade on a hand saw so you end up with a nice clean cut.

 

[Fat Pete]

Yes, assuming it's a 25.5" scale neck with frets 22 - 24 on an 'overhang'. I'd cut straight across close to the 23rd fret and then shape the fingerboard end with a wood rasp/file etc. and sand smooth. (Assuming you want a standard rounded end to the 'board - you could just leave it straight.)

If I was using a hand saw, I'd probably go for a tenon saw or something similar - a nice sharp one (Anybody here use a Japanese saw?). Ebony is very hard and smooth but can splinter/breakout so be careful how you start on the edges. Also, make sure you protect the rest of the neck well.

 

[pabloman]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand.
If you don't need the two last frets, why remove them? Why not just don't use them?

They interfere with neck pickup placement.

 

[mayfly]

I'm sorry, but I don't really understand.
If you don't need the two last frets, why remove them? Why not just don't use them?

They interfere with neck pickup placement.

Yep.  If it were me I'd pop fret 22 out, use a fine Japanese saw to cut through the slot, then a router with a copy bit to shape the fingerboard to follow the heel curve.  This is assuming that fret 22 is not partially on top of the heel mind you (I can't tell looking at my guitars).

 

[Logrinn]

Ah, I see.
You want to use a neck with a body that's not compatible with each other.
Then I guess a saw and a lot of work might do the trick.

Or you could go the easy way and get a neck that fits the body without any modification  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

They're attached to the rest of the neck. If you cut them off, you run the risk of compromising the neck joint. Just keep them on.

If it's a 24 fret extension on a standard strat type neck, it's just an overhang. Same with a 22 fret. The actual end of the neck heel itself is after fret 21. So no compromise of the neck joint.

Now if it is a true 24 fret neck with the heel and joint just after fret 24 then that is a different story.

 

[Cagey]

Anybody here use a Japanese saw?

I have one. Excellent tool for some things. I got mine to do the flush cutting of plugs down to the body surface...

There's no set to the teeth, so it doesn't scratch the surface. Surprisingly sharp - I think it was only 6 or 8 pulls of the saw to cut those plugs, and they were Birch, which is fairly hard stuff.

And you're right about the Ebony. I always cringe when removing frets from the stuff because it's almost impossible to do without pulling chips out all over the place.

 

[rgand]

I modified the heel of one neck to fit an off-brand body with a bench-mounted disk sander. It worked really well. You just have to work a little at a time to keep the neck cool so you don't darken the wood by overheating it.

I'd think that would work just as well to shape the overhang.

 

[DangerousR6]

They're attached to the rest of the neck. If you cut them off, you run the risk of compromising the neck joint. Just keep them on.

Actually it's not, it's just the fretboard, so it would be just fine to cut them off. It won't comprimise the neck joint at all..