telecaster question

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

Sorry that this isn't psg related but I have only one question. I am replacing the rosewood neck on my 96 American Standard tele with a maple neck. I am looking for a maple neck that will match. I don't know the compatability of necks and guitars given their age. I would like to think that they are very close to being compatable regardless of age but I doubt that is the case.

If anyone has any input on this please comment. I know a lot of you steelers out there are like myself and play telecasters as well. After all the telecaster is the other half of the nashville sound.

Thanks a lot

Ben

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

I use Fender Licensed necks made by "Warmoth".

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I'm sure others are much more knowledgable. About all I know is that tele necks are pretty much compatible except the 3 bolt MIJ necks.

The problem you run into with a used neck is that the holes may be in the wrong place. That means the alignment of the 1st and 6th strings may not be parallel to, and the correct distance from, the edge of the fretboard.

Some sites imply that Tele necks will work on strats and vice versa. Not true. Strat neck heel is more rounded than Tele neck heel, so while the neck may bolt up, it won't look right and may futz up the sound.

Charlie
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Dennis Schell · From: Shingletown, Shasta county, Kalifornia

In my admitted limited amount of neck swapping, I've never encountered any problems with swapping Fender necks. The shape of a Tele or Strat neck is slightly different contour-wise where they attach (tele is more square) but I once combined my favorite Tele neck with a Strat that I really liked. It "worked" fine...(Who ever sees the back of your ax anyway?!?)

"Tilt neck"? Can't help you....(But I'll bet they swap OK too...)

Dennis
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Roman Sonnleitner · From: Vienna, Austria

Necks are exchangeable, as long as the are Fender spec'd.
All original Fender Tele necks will work on all standard Fender Tele bodies, as will Warmoth, Musikraft, USACG and Allparts necks.
You will just have to be careful with 3-bolt necks (found on 70s Teles - while they physically fit the body, the screw holes naturally won't match with regula 4-bolt necks).
If you want to find a lot more info, check in at www.tdpri.com - a forum much like SGF, but for Telecaster players.

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

I have one friend who bolted a Jazzmaster neck on his Strat,and another uses a Tele neck on his Strat.They are both exceptionally fine players. Smile

PJ

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

Drew Howard · From: 48854

Got a Warmoth replacement neck for my Strat, so I'd recommend them, lots and lots of options to consider when ordering.
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Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

The tilt neck is one of Fenders worst ideas. If you use that tilt adjustment, you lose a ton of upper harmonics. I have AB'd this many times, it is an obvious difference.Sand the neck to the proper angle instead.
Strat necks on Teles are quite common,I had a Warmoth Strat neck on a Stewmac ash Tele body that was the best sounding guitar I ever had, the neck fit perfectly. JP
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Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I always wanted to try one of the Moses Graphite necks. Musicians Thingie used to stock them at pretty good prices, all except the baritone neck, which is what I really wanted.

www.mosesgraphite.com

Charlie
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Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I put an All-Parts neck on my Tele a few years ago, to replace the tree-trunk MIM neck that was on it. I put a set of Klusons on it, and I was good to go. Excellent neck with great frets. I didn't have to do a thing besides screw it on and set the neck.
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Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Ben - any Tele neck except the 3-bolt models will line up and match just fine. IF you go to the Telecaster Discussiojn page (www.telecaster.com) you can find a lot more information on this subject. The current favorites as far as bang-for-the-buck are the one from USA Custom Guitars.

All legal "Tele" necks other than Fender will have some slight variation in headstock design, and Fender will NOT sell a decal for a non-Fender neck unhless it's specially licensed and the existing neck brought to a Fender dealer for verification, so if you buy a generic neck you will not have a Fender decal on it unless you buy a pirated decal, which is not recommended (it creates all sorts of problems selling the guitar later - they are often found on eBay and the auctions killed by Fender as frauds, no matter what the description says).

Regardless, USA Custom, Warmoth, and several others make fine necks in several profiles fretted to your specs and with tuner holes in the size you specify as well.

Personally, my favorite neck maker is Scott Lentz, but I think he backed off after pressure from Fender over headstock trademarks.

Make SURE you use new bolts when installing a new neck - neck bolts lose half their strength after a single install, and a sheared-off neck bolt is not a fun fix.

But whther it's a 90's style with jumbo frets and sharp edges, or a 50's "baseball bat" with small frets, they will all fit assuming it's a stock 4-bolt arrangement. The only exceptions I've seen are a very few Allparts necks and Mitey-Mites from the 70s - the holes being just enough out of alightment to require inserting dowels and redrilling.
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1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
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Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Bill Cutright · From: Akron, OH

I'll reiterate what Charles said in his first reply:
What I've seen, and it's not so much compatibility, as it is alignment, are parts guitars with the strings shifted in such a way that they're not centered on the neck, and can be nearly parallel with the edge of the high side (high "e"). Shifting the bridge can only help so much.

Roman Sonnleitner · From: Vienna, Austria

Bill, in that case usually loosening the neck bolts and shifting the neck around slightly helps - on most bolt-on-neck guitars there's a little bit of "wiggle-room" to allow correct alignment, and with Fender or Fender-licensed necks and bodies, the adjustments needed should be minimal.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

I built a Tele from Mighty Mite parts (plus Duncan pickups and Sperzel tuners) - the neck cost me $100 and plays just as fine as any Fender I've owned. Frets were perfect out of the box, but the nut was bad so I replaced it with a graphite one.

Steinar
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William Fraser · From: New York, USA

I agree with the WARMOTH supporters. You will Improve any fender especially a bass by using one . Since my last name is Fraser I put that on the headstock & stay out of trouble. the warmoth neck is not cheap , but you won't be sorry later . Cool

Billy Lee
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Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Edited, changed my mind!.....JH in Va.
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