Neck Through to Bolt On

**nervous** · #1 06-23-2011, 04:15 PM

Does anyone know of anyone that would route a neck through body (with the current NT neck sufficiantly removed of course) with a fresh, clean neck pocket to accept a bolt on neck? I'll do all the prep and finish removal.

darkstorm · #2 06-23-2011, 06:27 PM

Do you mean chop off the neck of a current neck thru bass and make a pocket for a bolt on neck? Or make a neck thru body neck like carvin sells as parts, and turn it into a bolt on neck to attach to a bold on body?

Kinda sounds like your talking about chopping off an existing neck and making pocket for some bolt on neck. Heck of an odd mod to be doing to a bass. Though thatd would prob be eaiser then the other. Since it would be like taking a allmost finished body and doing the neck pocket to finish it. Hummm, sounds like weird project.

EricssonB · #3 06-23-2011, 06:30 PM

Maybe he had something happen to his bass.

By something, I mean like this:
My brand new bass and amp were destroyed!! :-(

kb9wyz · #4 06-23-2011, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricssonB

Maybe he had something happen to his bass.

By something, I mean like this:
My brand new bass and amp were destroyed!! :-(

THAT SUCKS!!!

Other than that, I'm pretty darn curious about this whole project, myself. For the work and cost, I would think that it would be cheaper (or at least wildly easier) to just buy a new bass body and neck, finish it, and transfer the hardware from the old to the new.

**nervous** · #5 06-23-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Do you mean chop off the neck of a current neck thru bass and make a pocket for a bolt on neck?

Yup, that's exactly what I mean. My Spector Euro 5 had a broken truss rod that could not be removed so after much trying and reaching the point of no return (on many levels) the bass is scrap. I can get a ReBop neck in amy flavor I want so if I can have a neck pocket routed I am back in business and I salvage a beautiful useful body.

darkstorm · #6 06-24-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nervous

Yup, that's exactly what I mean. My Spector Euro 5 had a broken truss rod that could not be removed so after much trying and reaching the point of no return (on many levels) the bass is scrap. I can get a ReBop neck in amy flavor I want so if I can have a neck pocket routed I am back in business and I salvage a beautiful useful body.

Ok, so what you need is a luthier who can treat it as a body which still needs neck pocket made. Id take the replacement neck to the luthier once youve picked one. So he can do the neck pocket esp for the neck thats going on it. That way you'll get best fit.

**nervous** · #7 06-24-2011, 08:20 PM

Yup, that's the exact plan. Which comes back full circle to my OP, does anyone know someone that can do this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Ok, so what you need is a luthier who can treat it as a body which still needs neck pocket made. Id take the replacement neck to the luthier once youve picked one. So he can do the neck pocket esp for the neck thats going on it. That way you'll get best fit.

aquateen · #8 06-25-2011, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nervous

Yup, that's exactly what I mean. My Spector Euro 5 had a broken truss rod that could not be removed so after much trying and reaching the point of no return (on many levels) the bass is scrap. I can get a ReBop neck in amy flavor I want so if I can have a neck pocket routed I am back in business and I salvage a beautiful useful body.

why can't the fingerboard be removed so the truss rod can be replaced? I'd try to have this done before cutting the neck off and converting it to a bolt on. whatever you decide, good luck!

**nervous** · #9 06-25-2011, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquateen

why can't the fingerboard be removed so the truss rod can be replaced?

Well, that remains one possible option maybe what's left can be.

However, the greatest challenge with that option is the finish. There's no clean way to save the finish at the body side or along the fingerboard on both sides so it's an all or nothing proposition as I see it. Completely strip everything and then refinish but try to save the face of the head stock. Very difficult as I see it. My other option would make stripping and refinishing just the body much simpler with no neck to contend with. At this point I am not even sure how easy it will be to strip the current thick finish off any way and if it will even respond to consumer grade stripping products. That's another test still to do.

dmusic148 · #10 06-25-2011, 11:38 AM

If you do what you are proposing, you will have a COMPLETELY different bass when you are done; one that you may not even like. No way to predict what it will sound and feel like with a completely different neck. The neck is everything.
You are MUCH better off seeking the skills of a competent luthier, who can replace the rod and build you a new fingerboard. The finish is not difficult to salvage.

bass rocks · #11 06-25-2011, 11:50 AM

pay a luither to chop the wings off and make a whole new neck thats identical

its more expensive but i would say its more practicle because thats a very nice bass

PSwere not allowed to tell you a luthier i think

**nervous** · #12 06-25-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

If you do what you are proposing, you will have a COMPLETELY different bass when you are done; one that you may not even like. No way to predict what it will sound and feel like with a completely different neck. The neck is everything.

Yeah, I get that but honestly it's always been more about the sound than feel if I was forced to make a decision. I've owned everything from skinny necked Jazz's to a Cirrus 6 and could wide necked 5's and while they all feel completely different and some certainly play easier than others there wasn't one that I couldn't get used to if I liked what came out of it. So a new neck does not bother me as a risk. Plus it would be a Spector neck anyway so the feel couldn't be that far off. And, in the end, if I did hate it, I would have something viable to sell. Right now all I could do is part it out and that body is too nice to scrap.

How do you propose patching up the finish where it would all be cut into, chipped, etc.?

bass rocks · #13 06-25-2011, 11:55 AM

dude just dont i think it a really bad idea

dmusic148 · #14 06-25-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nervous

How do you propose patching up the finish where it would all be cut into, chipped, etc.?

No brainer, it's black. Once the new board is on, you just sand into the chipped areas to create a smooth blending area, mask and respray the neck. Not difficult.

**nervous** · #15 06-25-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

No brainer, it's black. Once the new board is on, you just sand into the chipped areas to create a smooth blending area, mask and respray the neck. Not difficult.

Well.. not really all black. Cherry Burst is the color as I know it:

And to be as fine as I would need to be along the fretboard edges looks really tight. Again, if I am going to refinish I would rather strip all of if and do a natural oil to actually show the flam top.

**nervous** · #16 06-25-2011, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass rocks

dude just dont i think it a really bad idea

Maybe, because the greatest challenge is getting a nice, clean and accurate neck pocket routed. However, if that can be accomplished then everything else is easy and the potential is shown in this model:

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dmusic148 · #17 06-25-2011, 12:21 PM

Another problem with your idea is that neck-thru bodies usually don't have enough wood left in the heel area to support a bolt on neck. Look at yours compared to a bolt-on version to see what I mean.

**nervous** · #18 06-25-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Another problem with your idea is that neck-thru bodies usually don't have enough wood left in the heel area to support a bolt on neck. Look at yours compared to a bolt-on version to see what I mean.

Great point. I will look close at this area.

aquateen · #19 06-25-2011, 07:34 PM

I'd just replace the whole fingerboard. the finish touch up shouldn't be too bad.

allexcosta · #20 06-25-2011, 07:36 PM

A good luthier will remove what's left from the fretboard, install a new truss rod, a new fretboard from your choice and finish the whole thing so you can't really tell this bass has been repaired.

A WHOLE LOT easier and safer than making it a bolt-on bass, which can also be accomplished by a skillful professional...