DIY - Making a Neck Thicker

Started by Elantric, January 15, 2018, 03:11:06 PM

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Elantric

Enlarging a Strat Neck

by pcorrea77


(original thread - but pics are gone (thank you , photobucket)
http://www.tdpri.com/threads/enlarging-a-strat-neck.166154/#post1885650

Hi again a few weeks ago I started this project, pass from a "C" modern neck, to a Soft "v", with more
wood, It cause me problems in my hand.....which I posted here.....
http://www.tdpri.com/threads/if-it-is-possible-to-enlarge-a-strat-neck.158684/#post1789506
well finally I did it.....I put wood sheet of pine, like this...






pics working on that




sealing (?), tinted and lacquer...




Final polish and finish...



Back of the neck....with satin lacquer,.....maybe it would be better, but fits its ok!





I think the changes dont make the guitar sounds "better" ,if you know what I mean (the same guitar,
same pickups, etc...) but definitely improves the primal sound of it , rounded tone, heavier,
warmer......more "organic"...... more "bluesy" to my ears,....previously I was worried about the glue in
the differents layers of wood, but this is too thin that I cant hear any "bad sound" because of that...only
good things
I played it while adding the wood sheets, testing the shape of the neck, when I put all of the 5 sheets, I
can heard a noticiable difference....
2 years ago + ‐, in another guitar I made the oposite change, I reduce the wood in the neck, it has a lot of
"shoulders", very oval, and the results was oposite too.....not worst sound, but the guitar became a little
thinner.....
also, I reduce at least 3/4 of thickness of the body paint, Almost I painted it in vintage white ( I love this
color), but instead of this, left with the sanded body.....I think this affects it too.....but I dont know in
what %.....
This is the post in my forum here in Chile
http://www.chilemusicos.net/comunidad/Thread-Customizando-stratocaster-modificacion-brazo-avintageado-y-arreglo-en-general?pid=826710#pid826710


you
can take a look, there are some more photos....the idea making that, was trying to spend the fewest
money as possible, was very funny, to apply the first coat of lacquer, over the tint, to avoid to remove it, I


http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Household-spray/p/sm/1137842094.htm#1137842094
used this this kind of pistol instead of "cloth"  I
dont know the name in english hehe.....but it works !
In total I spend + ‐ 20 dollars, including strings, change of machine heads (I sold the old ones), sands,
etc.... (before I have the lacquer, etc...)
In the future I want to make my own guitar from parts, and made all the finish by myself, and with that I
make some training....
Good luck and expecting for your new works......
greetings
Pablo
Originally Posted by teleblues001
And that "pistol" you used to apply the lacquer in english would be called a spray
bottle....but pistol works too
.
haha...obviously...a spray bottle... .....the word in spanish is "roceador"...and I was
looking for that....
I think the difference between the "real pistol" and apply lacquer with cloth and a
"spray bottle" is the flat of the finish....with cloth is not absolutely flat, not flat like a
mirror, like in the industrial or pro production.....the finish is with a little
"waves"....like very very quiet water.... but is almost imperceptible.....
June 14th, 2009, 06:29 PM
yes, While testing the shape....
https://www.ebay.com/usr/woodinlayveneerswow?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

I use pine because looks like maple, and was the thicker sheet.....(0.8 mm + - vs 0.5 mm other
wood sheet) then use 1 or 2 sheet for less, to achieve the same neck thickness....
The pine sheet is softer and smoother than the maple......you can mark with your nails if you
want, but with finish feels equal.....I feel no difference....
So was the pine veneer single layer or multi, and was it bent then carved?
Hi, I used 5 layers of pine, 5 sheets or veneer.....each sheet is less than 1 milimeter, 0.8 + -, and
glued ( I used acetate polivinyl, common white "milked" glue for wood works) one by one, tight
to neck with a cloth, (this is very important) waiting every veneer was very dry and firm, a very
little sanding, and glued another one.....till 5....
with this 5 sheets, I aproach to 1 Inch instead of originals 0.7 Inch of thickness in 1st fret, only 4
or 5 milimeters make a big change in the neck feeling....
When the 5 sheet was ready and dry, I carved the right neck shape for me...
as I was testing the shape while carving, the neck shape for me was not symetrical, but more
chunky close to the 6th string and thinner close to the 1st string, as you can see in the draw....but
this is very personal decision, depends how comfortable you feel it.......
the draw is a "section" of the neck, you can see the 5 layers, and in the red dashed line, the shape
carved....
in parentheses, the glue is very very strong, I told you I made a mistake, then I try to remove the glued
and dry layers ( I think only 2), it was very very difficult, was like carving the neck itself, instead
pine.........I had to help myself cutting with a paper knife to remove them and break a lot of them, then
had to sand the neck again.......fully certified!!!
Originally Posted by JohnPurdy
Looks good Pablo. Did you also modify the back of the neck pocket? There isn't a neck plate and
the contour is smoother. John
Hi john, yes, this was the first "heavy" mod in my guitar....( + - 4 months ago...) really in the
upper frets, the plate molest me.....and someday I decided to remove, looking at other bodies that
there is no plate......
I use a lime and sand to sharp the heel, testing while playing it until was Ok.....
to fix the neck and body I use common wood screws and common washer or packing rings, there
is some special supplies for that part, but in that moment I had none of this.....but works Ok....
at this time the guitar had no problems, the union is very strong fortunately, same like with the
plate, and the neck together body are noticeable more resonant and the most importat, when I
play higher notes , dont feel nothing in the neck heel, just like play in the 5th fret.....
there is some photos of the process and the final result where you can see details....know looks
different because I sanded the body, but at that time I Was seeking it looks like the original black
brilliant finish and blend with it......

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/166154-enlarging-strat-neck.html#post1885650


Elantric

#1
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439580

Quotelan Carruth  Alan Carruth is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,423
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I've done it but it wasn't fun.

A friend who plays an 11-string Classical was having left hand troubles. Since the neck is so wide the maker had made it thinner to compensate. Since he didn't have problems on a thicker neck, mt friend tried building the thin one up with duct tape. When he got a thickness that worked he had me replace the tape with wood. In this case, since the neck was not removable, there was little other choice.

What I did was to undercut the fingerboard at both edges, so that the new wood would not taper out to nothing there. The back of the neck was cleaned up and made as smooth as possible. Then a piece of wood, more or less in the shape of a gutter, but square on the outside, was chalk fitted to it. The biggest issue there was getting the ends to blend in at the heel and head. Once that was fitted on it was glued and then carved down to the proper thickness and contour.

It worked so well that another player with an instrument from the same maker had me do that on his. So far as I know, both are still in use something like 25 years later. Compared with taking wood OFF it was a major pain. Don't even ask about making one wider; I've never gone there and would rather not contemplate it. Finally, know that I described the process so that you can get somebody else to do it: I'm not in the repair business these days. 

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Does guitar sound change by how thick the neck is?"