Neck doweling issue

bassgod76 · #1 07-16-2010, 02:19 PM

Some of you may be familiar with my Jaco tribute build. When I purchased the parts, the neck and body pocket were slightly off, creating a 1/64" gap. It ate at my OCD, so I requested to have the neck seated flush into the pocket. I get a call today from my repair person saying that it is not reccommended due to structural concerns. I guess their afraid that plugging the holes and re-drilling them may cause the screws to rip out from the string tension on the neck. The new hole drilled will partially overlap the old, doweled hole. They said the screw pulling is not very possible, but may happen. Have any of you heard of this? Solutions?

dmusic148 · #2 07-16-2010, 02:23 PM

It's a common procedure. If your repair person doesn't feel good about it (maybe hasn't ever done it?) I'd suggest going elsewhere.

bassgod76 · #3 07-16-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

It's a common procedure. If your repair person doesn't feel good about it (maybe hasn't ever done it?) I'd suggest going elsewhere.

Okay. Kevin Kaufman said he wouldn't have a problem, but his apprentice said she was afraid of the tension on the screws. Since Kevin gets back in two weeks, I will wait for him.

bassbrad · #4 07-16-2010, 02:38 PM

I've done it before but if you are going thru the trouble why not use brass inserts/bolts instead of wood screws.

Bardley · #5 07-16-2010, 02:41 PM

I did it on a neck and I don't see a problem. If you are using hardwood dowels and proper glue I would feel fine with it.

bassgod76 · #6 07-16-2010, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbrad

I've done it before but if you are going thru the trouble why not use brass inserts/bolts instead of wood screws.

Because Jaco's bass of doom had wood screws.

bassgod76 · #7 07-16-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bardley

I did it on a neck and I don't see a problem. If you are using hardwood dowels and proper glue I would feel fine with it.

Proper glue? Any brands?

**pacojas** · #8 07-16-2010, 02:55 PM

the gap looks cool!!! (you could always fashion a liner)

bassgod76 · #9 07-16-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacojas

the gap looks cool!!! (you could always fashion a liner)

The gap looks cool? Surely you must be joking?

Pilgrim · #10 07-16-2010, 03:13 PM

The gap looks irrelevant. Play it.

But - since you want it done your way, that's cool, as long as you're willing to pay for it. It seems to me that doweling isn't the best way to do it, because that will put the neck screws into end grain which can pull out. If your OCD is REALLY on target, you'll require them to machine out room for a wood block to replace each hole, then glue in blocks to fill the holes and an area around each hole, so that the screws won't be into end grain.

If you want the highest possible work and best neck connection, have them put metal inserts in the neck and bolt it on. What Jaco did is irrelevant, 'cuz neither of us are him.

mongo2 · #11 07-16-2010, 04:46 PM

I've cut oversized plugs cut from extra hard slab grain maple as fillers for more particular players.

My glues of choice are Elmers Carpenter's Wood Glue or Titebond II.

bassgod76 · #12 07-16-2010, 05:53 PM

We'll see what Kevin Kaufman comes up with. And pilgrim, you're totally right, but my OCD always wins.

walterw · #13 07-17-2010, 12:29 AM

i find that allowing the end of the neck to press tightly against the body pocket makes for better tone; i'd get that fixed so there's no gap.

bassgod76 · #14 07-17-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

i find that allowing the end of the neck to press tightly against the body pocket makes for better tone; i'd get that fixed so there's no gap.

Besides the visual, this is an excellent point.

Rick Auricchio · #15 07-17-2010, 12:50 PM

Yeah, that gap is going to really freak out your audience.

I realize some of us have differing opinions; if it sounds good, it doesn't bother me.

JLS · #16 07-17-2010, 10:05 PM

[quote=bassgod76;9418151]

Some of you may be familiar with my Jaco tribute build. When I purchased the parts, the neck and body pocket were slightly off, creating a 1/64" gap. It ate at my OCD, so I requested to have the neck seated flush into the pocket. I get a call today from my repair person saying that it is not reccommended due to structural concerns. I guess their afraid that plugging the holes and re-drilling them may cause the screws to rip out from the string tension on the neck. The new hole drilled will partially overlap the old, doweled hole. They said the screw pulling is not very possible, but may happen. Have any of you heard of this? Solutions?

Drill out the holes in the body 1/32" larger, remount neck string up the bass to pitch, loosen the screws a little bit, and let the string tension pull the heel into the pocket. Of course, this may be far too easy...

HEADLE · #17 07-17-2010, 10:15 PM

[quote=JLS;9423563]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

Some of you may be familiar with my Jaco tribute build. When I purchased the parts, the neck and body pocket were slightly off, creating a 1/64" gap. It ate at my OCD, so I requested to have the neck seated flush into the pocket. I get a call today from my repair person saying that it is not reccommended due to structural concerns. I guess their afraid that plugging the holes and re-drilling them may cause the screws to rip out from the string tension on the neck. The new hole drilled will partially overlap the old, doweled hole. They said the screw pulling is not very possible, but may happen. Have any of you heard of this? Solutions?

Drill out the holes in the body 1/32" larger, remount neck string up the bass to pitch, loosen the screws a little bit, and let the string tension pull the heel into the pocket. Of course, this may be far too easy...

+10,000

This is probably what your tech will do. It's how I'd do it. I'm not anybody though.

H

mulchor · #18 07-17-2010, 11:00 PM

If you use inserts, you/the tech would be drilling out a bigger hole anyway.

If you're sticking with wood screws, I'm with JLS. It's one of those things that looks like it'd be solved by a little "Lovin, touchin, and squeezin" before you tighten the screws.

bassgod76 · #19 07-18-2010, 08:24 AM

I talked to Holly at Kauafman Daenzer. We talked about the spacing issue, and of course she was not hip on the idea of re-drilling holes. Besides it being costly and unnecessary repair, it may present future problems. Yes, the screws may strip out of the doweled holes, but pushing the neck further into the pocket will cause gaps to appear on the sides. I didn't think of it, but the butt of the neck is slightly tapered. And judging by what she told me, side gaps present more of a stability issue. Lastly, she brought up an important point about being a true reproduction. I guess older Fenders always had gap issues, thus why they used pick guards to hide any spacing. She felt that a gap in the neck pocket was more true to Fender products of that time.

Do you concur with her opinion of neck pocket gaps for these early Fenders?

joeyl · #20 07-18-2010, 10:05 AM

yes if you looked at some old Fenders they have horrendous looking gaps on the side and front of the pocket, you could fit the thickness of a quarter in the gap at it's narrowest