Query On Neck Fit

glpmkr

Newbie
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Hi there

Just received an LPS carved top body and Warmoth neck and have a query about the fit.

The fretboard overhang sits up off the top of the body by about 3 or 4 mm (see picture).

Warmoth explained that this is "part of the design specification for those that use a pickguard".

As I am not intending to use a pickguard I am looking at options available to me:

1. Do nothing and live with the gap under the fretboard extension (looks odd)

2. Fill the gap.

3. Route the neck slot on the body down to the level where the fretboard sits on the top of the body.

This is my preferred option, but I need to know if there are any "gotchas" to this approach (eg. neck attachment screw length).

If anybody has any experience with this issue I would be very grateful for any information you could pass on.

Regards

Ian
 

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Gotta say #1 is the best option.  #3 is insane, your bridge will be in the wrong place.  #2 is pointless.  You can't even tell from the front of the guitar....
 
Gotta remember... the basic neck shape, pocket, etc etc, was made for a Strat.  On a Strat, the neck is set with no, or very little angle.  The pickguard slips under the end of the overhang, and life is grand.  On your LP body, the LP pickguard would be... problematic at best, and I'm not sure if I've ever seen an LP from W with a pickguard, on account of that.

If you choose to route the neck pocket, you're going to have to alter the angle of the neck ever so slightly in order to make the bridge position work out.  I cant say on the LP body... but on the Teles with TOM bridge, the bridge sits quite low as it is.  I'm sure the same is true on the LP... so lowering the neck would mean having to change its angle.

This is not an impossible task.  If you're going for a solid color on the sides and back, its even more doable, as you can route the pocket and shim it if needed, making the shim permanent with glue, and finishing it so no seam shows under a solid finish.  Naturally, you'd be on your own.....  routing... if you call it that, would be best accomplished with considerable jigging to hold the body properly, and I'd probably want to do it on a Bridgeport mill rather than with any sort of router... although with enough setup... you can create an overhead fixture at the proper angle for routing it.  Think in terms of how clever ol' Norm would do it on TV.

Filling the gap... I dont think you'd ever get it to look good.
 
Excuse my ignorance, is this a top routed or back routed body? If it's a rear route, why is the neck pocket not routed deeper to eliminate that gap?
 
I have a guitar exactly like that (I mean the finger board over-hang). Never been a problem for me.

I can't tel from the pic - but are you going to have a neck pickup installed? If you are you won't even notice this gap that much anymore once you have the pickup and pickup ring on there.
 
-CB- said:
If you choose to route the neck pocket, you're going to have to alter the angle of the neck ever so slightly in order to make the bridge position work out.  I cant say on the LP body... but on the Teles with TOM bridge, the bridge sits quite low as it is.  I'm sure the same is true on the LP... so lowering the neck would mean having to change its angle.

Yeah, if you just rout it deeper and don't angle it, you're gonna have really high action and bad intonation.  I stand by my initial reaction of "insane" but I suppose if you've got access to some professional woodworking equipment you could pull it off.
 
db  there's a fine line between insanity and genius!~  Not to mention insanity and stupidity.  Its ok to be insane.  And I totally agree with myselves on that.....

Speak for yourself.  Who me?  Yah... no.. wait.. the other one of us?... nevermind.....
 
Thanks for the replies - much appreciated.

The body is an LPS carved top, routed for two humbuckers, Gotoh Wilkinson trem, rear routed control cavity. I wasn't aware that I could (or needed to) specify a deeper neck slot. As my first order from Warmoth I guess there will be things like this that I have overlooked.

Having examined the original Gibson model I can see what needs to be done to make it work, and the neck/body angle is part of the equation.

My plan is to make a jig and try it out on some scrap. I am prepared to take my time with this to do justice to the quality of the parts.

Thanks again for your suggestions and help.

Ian
 
Haven't done any LPs, but have done VIPs with both Wilkinson and 510 bridges. The neck pocket angle is by default routed for non-tremolo bridges, (TOM, 510, 476) but not for tremolo bridges. The gap under the fretboard overhang is not really that noticible as if using HBs the pickup mounting ring abuts it.

As far as playing, it really makes no difference at all; it it really bothers you cosmetically seeing the little gap, I'd recommend getting a scrap piece of rosewood/ebony/whatever the relevant fretboard material is and cutting it down/planing or sanding it to fit in the little gap rather than jacking with the neck pocket and taking a chance on screwing your setup/action completely up.
 
Well I really think you should finish the guitar and get it all set up, play it for a while, and then decide if that cosmetic issue still bothers you. You can always come back to it later, and think how you'd feel if you ruined your awesome body before you even got a chance to play the thing. Routing the neck pocket deeper and at a specific angle sounds like pretty precision work to me.
 
tfarny said:
Well I really think you should finish the guitar and get it all set up, play it for a while, and then decide if that cosmetic issue still bothers you. You can always come back to it later, and think how you'd feel if you ruined your awesome body before you even got a chance to play the thing. Routing the neck pocket deeper and at a specific angle sounds like pretty precision work to me.

This sounds like the most sensible approach - I'll probably go with that. it'll be quicker and leaves the hard decisions 'til later (or not at all).

Or I could gouge out the neck slot and if it's no good, shim it back up with a few washers - good as new (just kidding  :icon_smile: ).

Ian
 
i've done this. i just explained in another post titled neck fit.

this is an lps so you likely already have some angle there. i'm guessing you have a TOM or some other gibson type bridge? if yes you'll have to add more angle, about 1 deg. if you have a fender type bridge it has no angle you'll need to make it 1 deg.
it is more acurate to measure taper per inch though and it works out to .017 - .018 inch per inch on a fender.
i'm not sure what angle the TOM uses so i cant give a precise taper for that one.
hope that helps.
 
now that i'm looking at the picture it would look good if you fill the gap. i'm sure you can ind an 1/8" peice of wood and sand it to fit then pint it black to match the fretboard or do it in the body color.
 
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