New neck - not sure what to do next - help please?

[Wildwind]

Just got a new neck for a nice MIM Strat. With a new neck of this quality, it will rock! I own three Warmoths, but my usual helper is not available. So i'm on my own and feeling inadequate. But i am pretty good with my hands and I am careful.

The new neck has a partially closed-off truss rod slot. There are some wood burrs covering part of it. Plus the neck is a little rough in spots, so i'm sure some sanding is needed (in both cases?). Neck is roasted map with rosewood. It is a thing of beauty! Take a sharp X-acto blade to trim the burrs first? Or just sand that part done until they do away?

Plans are to leave it unfinished other than the headstock, which will get a decal and a light poly finish (satin probably) on the face only. Other Warmoths are TruOil, but non-roasted maple in each case.

Does the entire neck need a final sanding? I was originally told "no." But not from a reliable source maybe.

Best way to make sure the Gotoh tuners line up perfectly? I trust drilling a tiny pilot hole and maybe using some beeswax is a good idea? Any guidance for me? All advice welcome!

Neck will get a pro setup and final fret work prior to assembly, though my other three Warmoths got played for a while without that and were great. Fretwork on the new neck is amazing! SS frets BTW.

Thanks! Haven't been hanging here for a good while, looking forward to being back! Huge Warmoth fan, feel they hold up well to even my Melancon Pro Artist S (chambered Strat). And they are a Fender killer IMO - and that's from someone who thinks Fender is making their best guitars now.

 

[Cagey]

First off, cleaning up wood burrs is easy to do just the way you planned. Then, roasted Maple responds especially well to burnishing - I'd strongly recommend doing that.

Lining up tuners is always a good idea, of course, and a short straight edge about 6" long will help with that. Drill pilot holes and most definitely use wax when running in the screws lest you twist their little heads off.

Some guys will live with the fretwork as delivered, but a professional treatment is a wonderful thing. Depending on who does it, the nut will be set up as part of that. I also like to install threaded inserts in the heel to mount the thing with. Makes it easier to take on/off if you do much of that, and makes for a tighter neck/body joint that can improve sustain and articulation.

If you don't have somebody local you like to have do that sort of work, you can PM me for suggestions.

 

[rgand]

If I had a new neck and my local guy wasn't available, I'd send it to Cagey and let him do his magic.

 

[ghotiphry]

+1 on Cagey's work.  I had him do a "special" neck.  He did a fabulous job.  He's probably cheaper than your pro setup, and does more.  He'll burnish it for you.

Also a +1 on burnishing a roasted maple neck and not finishing it.  I have 2 like that.

Example of Cagey's work: