Not all scale lengths are created equal.
Alright i cant tell you how many times I’ve been hit up about assembling an old neck to some random guitar body. Yes it is possible and aside from the neck pocket it has to be the correct scale length. Here we have an LTD neck and an old 80’s BC Rich body. Before any adjustments were made the scale length on this was around 26.5 so I could of either turned this into a some kind of baritone guitar or go down to a fender 25.5 scale length.
Removing an Inch
We’ll be removing an inch and I do so in 1/2 increments so its a little easier and for the fear of cracking the fretboard.
Clamp and cut
Maple is sturdy and stiff, I find it extremely easy to work with so I prefer making these cuts with a flush cut hand saw.
MacGyver
This is a cool little trick where I use my steel square so guide me to the perfect cut.
Tracing the Neck Pocket
After the carnage is all done I use the old end piece to trace the neck pocket for a nice and snug fit.
Compromises
So in these projects, theres always compromises because I’m usually working within a budget. On this guy we unfortunately will have some minor overhang on the left pocket. After playing it and honestly not noticing it I figured it wasnt that big of an issue. For me to shave and sand and refinish would add too much to the cost. Client was cool with it so we keep on rolling.
Snug Fit
The transplant is complete and in stable condition! I dont think I’ve ever in my life played frets 22 to 24 but they still had to be accessible to my client. They sound good and clear and ready for all those 22 to 24 note shred solos.
Always necessary
in doing these transplants I always have to level the frets and this was no exception. I also cleaned out the cool 80’s Kahler licensed Floyd (which were built extremely well I must say), fixed some wiring issues and topped this heavy metal machine with LOW AF action and sent if off to a very happy client! So remember kids, look at the scale length before purchasing necks and bodies.
