Attaching an old neck to a new body HELP!!

[quisp]

I have an old pre-drilled neck that I want to attach to a new body.  Trouble is, I can't figure out how to transfer the neck holes to the body for proper drilling.  I'm sure someone has run into this, how is it done properly without screwing up the original neck hole positions?  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[fuzzking]

you could use a piece of paper - lay it on the neck heel, draw the outline of the neck heel, mark the position of the holes, exactly cut out the neck heel contour.
then you could use this template to mark the positions in your neck pocket. but this assumes you don't have too much clearance between neck and pocket - you
may run into misalignment of neck and body or worse. the screws should go easily through the holes in the body, so you can re-align the neck. but, if you don't feel
up to it, better have it done by a luthier. i will not be held responible, ha ha.

edit: for the spacing of the neck pocket holes, you can counter-check the marks you made by using the neck plate, of course.

[quisp]

Fuzz, You just gave me an idea and it could be used to relieve this problem....  Get some clay or putty.  Put a thin layer in the body neck cavity. press the neck in place and it should leave a copy of the neck holes in the clay. drill it out and that should do it.  What do you think?

[northern_dirt]

Just glue or duct tape it on...

yer clay idea sounds good actually..

[fuzzking]

well, you would have to find the exact center of the marks of course.

the most exact way to do it would be to get sharp metal pins that fit in the neck holes and protrude just a tiny bit. you could then do a setup with high and low e-string,
checking if the neck is aligned correctly and then press the neck onto the pocket. i don't know what's the official luthier's method... anyone chime in?

[theworkoffire]

I did mine like this - an idea I stole from some luthier site somewhere I think:



http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 61#p107461 - you'll have to scroll down a bit.

[fuzzking]

yes that's what i meant in my 2nd post!

[quisp]

Great ideas.  I'm looking forward to some more!

[fuzzking]

i think the method theworkoffire used would be really the way to go.

[Dane_Brammage]

I agree, theworkoffire's method is easy and accurate.  The only improvement would be to do all four holes at the same time, which you might want to consider if the neck fits loosely in the pocket.

[quisp]

I wasn't sure if he was using one screw. I also think four would work easier.  My '64 neck does have a little play in the pocket.  I still like my clay idea...

[theworkoffire]

I was working on the law of averages - I figured that if I did all four at onece and the neck was misaligned I was screwed... Though to be honest that neck pocket is really snug, and I hadn't drilled for the bridge at that time so it wasn't quite so critical.

[ohm-men]

Posted by: theworkoffire 
Insert Quote
I did mine like this - an idea I stole from some luthier site somewhere I think:

I did a very simelar thin once. Took 4 screws with their heads cut off and turned the in the neck, screw points out. They just stuck out about 2 mm or so. Made an impressin in the guitar body. Made sure the neck was aligned propperly. then drilled holes in the body. Simple an effective. Only needed a pair of small pliers to get the screw ends in an out.

[Ludger]

Anyone know how to line up and drill the holes when  both the body and the neck aren't drilled yet?  I'm on my first ever JM project (noob) and don't know how to do this.  Thanks.

[theworkoffire]

Place the neck plate on the back of the body with an equal amount of wood showing at the sides and end and mark the holes. Then you need to put the neck and body together, line them up exactly using thread from nut to bridge as a guide then clamp them together. Drill right through from the back with a drill bit just longer and just thinner than the shank of the screws you'll be using.