Your creative suggestions welcome for "Raw Tele" replacement neck

[DustyCat]

It's that time again!    :headbang:
Yes sir, but this time I've got my sights set on a replacement neck for my semi-hollow body Fender Thinline Telecaster reissue! Serial # is MX10196199

Now why would I want to replace the neck if the guitar sounds great (noticeable chirping/wood chip/chopping)?

Here's what I need:

* 1 11/16" nut width
* SS6100
* 3 bolt holes (or no holes drilled so my guy can fit it to the pocket and drill them himself).
*22 frets if possible (the neck has only 21 frets right now)
* Full Scallop
* Tuning peg routs for Planet Waves Auto-Trim locking tuners (NICE!)
* 10-16" compound radius
* Less finish! (Jeez oh man does this neck feel like plastic).

Here is what I want  :evil4:
*Siimilar sound (chirping/wood chips), but with raw woods if possible (I have heard stories of maple necks doing the pretzel act).
*I also like wide/big grain patterns. I was originally considering Birdseye Maple core/Goncalo Alves fingerboard. But I have seen some really thick striping grain patterns on a GA core.
*Asymmetrical back contour (I am used to Wolfgang, I was considering SRV, your advice welcome)
* Possibly black dots on the side, maybe Warmoth could do a single white block/trapezoid inlay on the 12th fret?

And lastly, I consider my Tele more akin to playing classical music (clean tone, guitar into amp) and the shape of a violin than any of my other guitars so non-traditional headstock suggestions are welcome (possibly a 3 + 3).

I know we have some creative members here, I can't wait to read your suggestions.  :toothy10:

Thanks!
-DC

 

[bagman67]

I'm a big fan of my canary and ebony neck on my green 'Hog telecaster - and if you want to replicate sonically the maple neck you're replacing, canary is a good choice.  Ask the W. boys to see if they can grab you a nicely striped/variegated piece of canary, and then apply whatever other options you want.


Edit:  Here are some necks that illustrate my point re: possible stripey-ness.


http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=1&Path=Spotlight&nWood=38

 

[crash]

2nd on the canary.  If you want to spend some $$$, there are 2 all ebony tele necks in the showcase.  Those will be nice and bright!

Padouk would be another bright one.  Just depends on if you want a red neck.

I don't know if you can get a different headstock with a tele heel?

Best thing to do is search the Warmoth showcase for all necks that don't require a finish.  That may give you some ideas.

Try this link
http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/#!/Guitar/Neck/?&sw=44,33,34,25,38,41,5,6,24,19,51,23,21,22,27,18,43,31,9&sort=Item&pg=1&rpp=20

 

[bagman67]

And if you wanted to go all-canary, here's what a canary scalloped board looks like:

Mmmmm, swirly!

 

[DustyCat]

I like the idea of Canary.

Do you have any woodchuck?  :laughing7:

I will look around some more thanks  :icon_thumright:

 

[DustyCat]

Can u guy do a bevel on the rim of the face of a WG 3+ 3 headstock?  :headbang1:

 

[Cagey]

I like the idea of Canary.

This is Kingwood over Canary on a Tele. Pretty bright neck. Doesn't require a finish.

 

[Cagey]

Here's a Tele with an Afra/Afra neck. Also very bright - unusually so - and doesn't require a finish.

You can also polish those necks up surprisingly fine with nothing but sandpaper.

 

[DustyCat]

Wow, no fingerprints, I'm impressed!

I have always wanted to try my hand at Pau Ferro, and from the wood description, it seems to have a similar tonality to maple with the bonus raw finish ability and a canary fingerboard.

Would still like to know if a bevel is possible on that WGD 3+3 headstock. I think that would look badass.

Also, it seems to me like many of the canary boards are similar in the unique choice  :icon_scratch:

 

[bagman67]

Also, it seems to me like many of the canary boards are similar in the unique choice  :icon_scratch:

Canary is not as wildly streaked or blotched as, say, goncalo alves - and it doesn't get the swirls and whorls you see in some of the rosewood-family lumber.  But the scallop job you're contemplating will bring out the wierdness in even a comparatively straight-striped fingerboard.

 

[swarfrat]

Scallop and inlay is a nogo. Also its 25.5 scale only. And yeah even relatively plain grained woods look neat scalloped.

 

[DustyCat]

well, i guess the nogo on inlaying the scallop takes the burden of choice off my hands!
It would have been purely functional, as i prefer the look of a naked board.

Mr, Spike has turned me on to Padouk, and now it is just a matter of converting the pocket from a 3 hole to a 4 hole, if it indeed can be done.  :blob7:

 

[DustyCat]

One more question please...

Regarding the WGD headstock and tuning stability vs. say a straight, string-in-line nut to tuning pegs....

Can someone comment on the comparison of tuning stability of a tele/strat headstock vs. the WGD? Im mostly a strat kind of guy and I respect the tuning stability of the in line headstock, but the WGD interests me and was hoping the angling did not affect it too much.

 

[bagman67]

If you have a locking nut, the headstock shape and accompanying splaying of the strings away from the nut don't matter as far as tuning stability is concerned.


If you have a conventional nut, then the break angle of the strings is compounded by the angle the strings splay out toward the tuning pegs - which can be a source of additional tuning instability.  Get your nut cut correctly, and use locking tuners, and this is minimized, but won't likely be completely eliminated.


Bagman

 

[DustyCat]

Thanks for your honesty Mr. Bagman.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I have had both styles of headstocks, and both good and bad nut preps on them.  It really comes down to getting the prep done right.  It really makes the whole thing worlds better.  Like from having to get a filling in a tooth, to getting something that makes it possible to play what you wanted to play in your head.  I like the Earvana overhang nut, but I am someone that plays open stuff for most of what I do.  The scalloped neck would make it less important.  But, after getting the nut cut properly on my guitars, the things stay in tune quite well.  I might be going a tad overboard on the descriptions, but really the prep there will make or break things.  The style of headstock wasn't a factor for me.
Patrick

 

[DustyCat]

I have had both styles of headstocks, and both good and bad nut preps on them.  It really comes down to getting the prep done right.  It really makes the whole thing worlds better.  Like from having to get a filling in a tooth, to getting something that makes it possible to play what you wanted to play in your head.  I like the Earvana overhang nut, but I am someone that plays open stuff for most of what I do.  The scalloped neck would make it less important.  But, after getting the nut cut properly on my guitars, the things stay in tune quite well.  I might be going a tad overboard on the descriptions, but really the prep there will make or break things.  The style of headstock wasn't a factor for me.
Patrick

So you are saying that I don't have to worry about wanting an Earvana Compensating Nut cut from TUSQ XL if the nut prep job is done correctly.

Phew!
That is a relief, because as someone who dabbles in many different types of ways to play the guitar (open chords, lead, bar chords, open strings, 7th chords, upper structure triads) all over the neck, I am tired of caring about the 'sharp' pain the audience must feel, every time they hear me land on that out of tune, slightly too sharp "splinter" known as G# on the 1st fret of the G string.
I am just a man.

 

[Ddbltrbl]

If you want a similar brightness (Chirp) of maple with a patterned raw wood then Ebony or even Pau Ferro could work. Both are bright, and can be found with really nice patterns, and they are absolutely awesome raw!!
:guitarplayer2:

Here is a Pau Ferro neck I have:

And here is a Ebony neck I'm putting on my current build:

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The Earvana really does it's work on the first four frets of the neck, any higher and it is not that noticeable.  I was thinking the scalloped neck would be more for individual note playing rather than a chording monster.  The Earvana's effect is also not nearly as noticeable on single notes, i.e. solos.  If you like to play open chords, and Jazz chords (or those odd diminished and augmented things the metalheads love) in the lower register, it really makes the chords chime in tune.  It is quite odd to hear the difference, sounds like when you get the e and a string in tune and they sympathetically ring together.  If you are chunking barre chords, or shredding solos, it is not really much of a gain.  Again, I tend to play with open chords more, so it makes a difference to me.
Patrick

 

[DustyCat]

If you want a similar brightness (Chirp) of maple with a patterned raw wood then Ebony or even Pau Ferro could work. Both are bright, and can be found with really nice patterns, and they are absolutely awesome raw!!
:guitarplayer2:

Here is a Pau Ferro neck I have:

And here is a Ebony neck I'm putting on my current build:

That Pau Ferro arrowhead striping two tone grain pattern is the sickest Ive ever seen! (Good/Awesome!)
Pau Ferro was not available with the combo but its no biggy cause I am excited to try the Duke

I have the earvana nut on my tele neck already and I do like it and am considering it for the replacement neck. The first 4 frets or so are really the only frets that need the tuning compensation, but it can make a big difference for sure. I find it relieving to know that the entire neck is fair game for exploration and safe for mixing notes of different registers.