replace a round neck with a square neck?

Ron Stroud · Post by **Ron Stroud** » 23 Oct 2006 9:18 am

I stumbled upon a new Chinese import steel body 14 fret round neck biscuit bridge guitar with a small split in the neck. The dealer was asking $200 for the guitar and HSC. I've been looking for a squareneck steel body biscuit bridge preferably 12 fret. I didn't think to measure the scale length but was wondering if it might be practical or cost-effective to buy this guitar and replace the round neck with a square neck. Any opinions? Is there a luthier in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area who might do the job? Obviously the reason I want to try this is to get the guitar I want and maybe save a few bucks.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Oct 2006 11:43 am

Depending on who made it, you might be able to buy a replacement neck with the same scale length. How about Loni Spector's Redneck?

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A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 23 Oct 2006 11:59 am

Probably run you a min. of $400 re-using the old fretboard. Lots of work in a metal body neck, plus finishing etc. A cheaper solution would probably be to fix the neck and put on a new nut.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 23 Oct 2006 1:57 pm

If you really want a cheap 12-fret squareneck with a biscuit bridge, you might want to consider this Austin. I'm not sure what it retails for, but it will likely end up costing less than trying to put a new neck on a $200 guitar.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 23 Oct 2006 4:47 pm

I don't understand why the shape of the neck is important. If you wanted to play it as a regular guitar I can understand, but if you're playing with a bar it makes no difference what shape the neck is. It certainly doesn't affect the tone.

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 23 Oct 2006 5:17 pm

Take the simple, less costly approach. Put a nut extender, or whatever they are called, that most music catalogs have for around $5. This way you can play the round neck guitar just like a sqaure neck. I have a Dobro model 36 round neck with a metal nut extension on it for years - works great. I would not waste my time putting a new neck, that may be very difficult and expensive to fit, on a cheapie guitar.

Thanx,
Jim

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 23 Oct 2006 5:21 pm

Sorry, I misread your phrase about the exsiting neck having a split in it. If it can be repaired cheaply, then try the extension nut.

Also, a few months ago I bought a great new Chinese import metal body, biscuit bridge guitar for $300. Some of them you can buy with a square neck. Musician's Friend and others carry these imports.

Thanx,
Jim

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 23 Oct 2006 6:11 pm

Thanks for the plug brad, but to make a custom RedNeck to fit that guitar would be too expensive, over $400.

Alan, all things being equal, a square neck will have more sustain, and stable tuning do to it's ridgidity. It also sits better on the lap and has a wider nut for wider string spacing than a raised adapter
. Of course many players do play round necks, lap style with a raised nut and they sound fine. Kelly Joe Phelps and Harry Manx come to mind. (Harry does have a RedNeck Strat also)

I say buy the split neck guitar and super Glue it up and beat the hell out of it!