neck with holes that doesn`t fit

Framusaxe · #1 09-09-2010, 05:17 AM

Hi! I have an old framus bass with a bolt on neck, wich I want to change, but It`s as close to impossible to find one that fits...

I have another used neck, but It has holes in it that don`t fit..

Is it possible to fill out these holes, and make it function as good as new? then drill some that fits the framus?

One more thing. this is a short scale bass, and I want to fit a full scale neck. on top of that those old framus basses are somewhat odd, so I thought maybe the disstance form the bridge to the start of the neck needed to be changed as well? If it`s odd, I mean...

I`m not willing to do anything with the bass.. only the neck...
Is this a hopeless project? If not; what do I fill the holes with?

thanks

dmusic148 · #2 09-09-2010, 05:22 AM

Your biggest problem is wanting to use a full (you mean 34"?) scale neck on a short(32"?) scale bass. The bridge will have to be moved back, at least an inch, maybe two or more, to make it intonate.

Framusaxe · #3 09-09-2010, 05:42 AM

It is a short scale.. meaning shorter than 30`

I can`t move the bridge further back.. no room.. the thing is.. I have seen an original bass of these with a full scale neck(originally) as well.. so I thought It was somewhat possible...

as I said framus is odd.. what is the length from the last fret, to the first fret on a full scale bass? anyone?

Framusaxe · #4 09-09-2010, 05:42 AM

I mean 30`

Framusaxe · #5 09-09-2010, 05:50 AM

I finally found something long enough to measure- the distance from bridge to where the neck starts is exactly 9` and the neck has 18 (!) frets and is 18,5` long from bottom to the nut..

the strings are then 27,5 Inches...

Framusaxe · #6 09-09-2010, 06:44 AM

I found this thread and found it compensates with the lack of frets and smaller distance between them... that means my only problem is the holes... What is best to use? I probably have to drill nearly on top of the newly filled ones.. so i think it must be hard.

mid_life_crisis · #7 09-09-2010, 07:12 AM

If you want to fill holes in wood, you need to use more wood, which means dowels.
Don't use the fluted kind, you need more surface contact than they will make.
You want to drill the hole so it fits in snuggly, but not too tight so it squeezes all the glue out.
Rough up the surface of the dowel with a low grit sandpaper. Essentially you are creating minute "nooks and crannies" to hold glue.
Completely coat the dowel and slide it in. Leave it a little proud of the surface so you can trim it flush later.
If you have never done this before, I recommend doing it on a piece of scrap wood first so you can determine if you are using the right size drill for your dowel clearance hole.
Go all the way to making the new holes and bolting the neck to the scrap to make sure your technique results in a strong, stable repair.
Practicing will also help you learn to control the drill so you don't accidentally punch through the neck. Make sure you put a piece of tape on the bit to mark the depth you want to go to. Woodworking supply stores sell metal collars that clamp to a drill bit with a set screw that make it impossible to drill too deep.