Warmoth/Musikraft Hyrid?

[jackpax]

Has anyone done this?  I'm really crazy about the idea of Musikraft's 7.25-9.5 compound radius necks.  And there's so many beautiful Teles in Warmoth's showcase that sooner or later I won't be able to stop myself.  Both producers are making parts to Fender specs.  So if A = C, and B = C, then A = C, right?  I just have a nightmare that screw holes on the neck and body will be off by millimeters.

 

[Cagey]

I've not done it, but if the holes are only off by millimeters, it's not that big an issue. Simply open up the clearance holes in the body just a tad. They have nothing to do with how tightly the neck is held. The attachment force is between the neck plate and the neck, not the body and the neck. It's a clamping arrangement. The only thing you have to worry about if you have to do that is that the neck is properly aligned when you finally torque the screws down (tighten the clamp) for good.

 

[jackpax]

Thanks for the insight, Cagey.  I ran into this exact problem with a three bolt replacement neck that I got from Warmoth for a 73 Strat.  The holes didn't line up and it really freaked me out.  I took it to the shop where I go for set ups and the guy said no problem.  He was right, I'm guessing for the very reason you just explained.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

So if A = C, and B = C, then A = C, right?

Yes, and even better, A = B (which I think is what you were getting at).

 

[jackpax]

So if A = C, and B = C, then A = C, right?

Yes, and even better, A = B (which I think is what you were getting at).

Yes!

 

[Kostas]

... I just have a nightmare that screw holes on the neck and body will be off by millimeters.

Order the neck without holes so you will be sure they 'll match the bodys holes.

 

[jackthehack]

I've used Musikraft necks on three builds - 2 of these because they make (or used to make) an exact duplicate of a '57 hard V neck as an option.

There is no problem with the 4 screw holes lining up, but in every instance some extensive sanding to the neck heel was required to get a proper setup when mated to a Warmoth body.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Anyone else? I'm seriously considering getting a musikraft neck on my next warmoth body, but if it's going to require actual woodwork, I probably won't. Because I will screw it up.

 

[jackthehack]

It's not that hard to do, it's just a major pain in the ass. If you're in the situation of needing either to shave or shim a neck heel you need to go a very little bit at a time. mount the neck and a couple of strings to check, then repeat as necessary.

The amount I needed to sand back was a fraction of a millimeter.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

It seems to me that sanding the heel by a fraction of a millimetre, it a non-angled pocket, is roughly analogous to lifting the saddles a tiny amount?

 

[Dan025]

It seems to me that sanding the heel by a fraction of a millimetre, it a non-angled pocket, is roughly analogous to lifting the saddles a tiny amount?

depends. I think jack is talking about the sides. but its a matter of angle as well. A millimeter is .03937". so a "fraction" of a millimeter can be .01 or .02". .02 over 3" is probably more than half the range of the adjusting screw which is something like 6.5" away from the heel. depending on which  direction you have to sand it you might be adding the amount you sanded to that measurement. so it depends on how you define "a tiny amount" because while .05" sounds like a small amount in the realm of a guitar setup where all the strings are smaller than that and need to be setup in relation to each other on a scale much smaller than that it's a fairly large amount.