Newbie - seeking advice before pulling trigger

[Miseria]

Howdy folks - been lurking a long time planning my first build and wanted to get a bit O' advice before pulling the trigger.

I plan on buying a neck and body for a tele build and doing the basic assembly/electronics myself then taking to a tech for any fret/nut work and pro setup. I live in a somewhat remote area (Dayton OH) so I may be in for a drive.

The main area I seek advice is neck construction type (I plan on going roasted flame maple and burnishing it using the info on this site).

If I could dream up my ideal neck it would be somewhere between a EBMM Cutlass that I tried at Sweetwater and my ESP E-II Eclipse which is my favorite neck by far of any guitar I own. It is a 24 3/4 scale with a 1.650 nut width (only downside is the gloss finish..yuck) and a "thin U" profile.

Soooo I naturally was looking into the 24 3/4 conversion necks with a thin profile and the smallest nut width Warmoth offers. Question: will a neck this scale still have at least a good amount of that typical Tele "twang" (assuming pickup/bridge are appropriate). I do want this guitar for primarily country and classic rockish tones. Also I see this type of neck is only available in "Modern" construction and I've read a bunch of threads that seem to say this type of construction sucks out the mids or sounds "dead". Is this fairly accurate or is that old, dated info?

Would I be better off going with the longer scale length and stick with Vintage/Modern construction? I have fairly small hands so that is why I think I prefer 24 3/4 but maybe its the more narrow nut width that I like (and can still get with VM construction). I do have some strats and other guitars that I can play fine, just none feel like "home" like my Eclipse.

Thanks and sorry for the ramble! I promise pics as soon as I start to build

 

[Rick]

Regardless of sound, you need a neck that fits.  Sure a longer neck may sound more telecastery, but if it doesn't fit you, it's useless.  Go with the neck that fits your hands, and get a nice classic telecaster pickup set from either dimarzio or bill lawrence (the real guy) and don't look back.  I've used the short scale necks and you get into the ball park.

My problem is the reverse though, I find the smaller necks a little cramped.

 

[stratamania]

My modern construction necks do not sound dead. It is an opinion of course from some on the internet about modern necks but in practice, I do not find it to be the case.

I also have vintage modern necks and like those also. By the way, Warmoth just started offering 1.65 as a nut width. 1 5/8" is slightly narrower than that and 1 11/16" is slightly wider.

I think many would say Tele twang is partly in the scale length.

For a first build a standard scale length vintage modern would do the trick I think.

Here is a link to the 1.65 necks in stock which look to be vintage moderns.

http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=1&nutWidth=486

 

[Miseria]

Regardless of sound, you need a neck that fits.  Sure a longer neck may sound more telecastery, but if it doesn't fit you, it's useless.  Go with the neck that fits your hands, and get a nice classic telecaster pickup set from either dimarzio or bill lawrence (the real guy) and don't look back.  I've used the short scale necks and you get into the ball park.

My problem is the reverse though, I find the smaller necks a little cramped.

This is true....comfort is king. My wonder is if I love my ESP due to scale length or nut width. The answer is almost certainly that I'm massively overthinking it. On my Strats I don't have problem playing chords - I just have issues getting my thumb over the neck to play the 6th string.

My modern construction necks do not sound dead. It is an opinion of course from some on the internet about modern necks but in practice, I do not find it to be the case.

I also have vintage modern necks and like those also. By the way, Warmoth just started offering 1.65 as a nut width. 1 5/8" is slightly narrower than that and 1 11/16" is slightly wider.

I think many would say Tele twang is partly in the scale length.

For a first build a standard scale length vintage modern would do the trick I think.

Here is a link to the 1.65 necks in stock which look to be vintage moderns.

http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=1&nutWidth=486

man...just checked out your tele build thread....gorgeous. I'm going to reference that for sure I don't think I'm brave enough to try any finishing on my own though. Burnishing the neck looks pretty painless though.

How noticeable is a difference between 1.65 and the 1 5/8s? I do like my 1.65 but was thinking I might like the 1 5/8 even more. I think that is what the EBMM necks use and I loved the few min I got to spend with one of those.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks. The 1 5/8" width wise is closer to a Musicman than a 1.65. If it is being able to do thumb over things I would go for 1 5/8".  A difference of scale length is not going to contribute to that really its the neck width.

Any thumb over techniques I might use is usually on my necks that are 1 5/8". 

 

[Bikertrash2001]

Rick hit it right on the nose with me. I recently did a Strat build with the standard 25.5" scale but with a Wizard profile (I like them thin). For some reason, this one just wasn't sitting well with me, even though I have plenty of 25.5" scale guitars. It was sitting unplayed. I just ordered a Conversion neck with the 1 5/8" nut also. I'm like you, I like to be about to reach over the top, That's just the way I play.
I say get something you will like. I agree with the right pickups, it will still sound plenty Tele-ish if you play that style.

 

[Strat Avenger]

.025"