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Neck Swap Help

F

ficalini

Aug 5, 2011
103
0
30
NW Houston
#1
Does anyone know if it is possible to put Squire CV Fretless neck on a Mexican Fender (Deluxe Active Jazz)? I've never done something like this before, so I have a few questions.

What is the general process?

Are the pockets the same?

Do I have to mess with the truss rod?

Is there anything I should be aware of?

Thanks
 
#2
"What is the general process"
In broad strokes, unbolt neck to be replaced and bolt on the new neck.

"Are the pockets the same"
In theory... yes. In reality... no.

"Do I have to mess with the truss rod"
Yes.

"Is there anything I should be aware of"
Again, in broad strokes, the new modded instrument will need a complete setup... which is quite reasonable... quite standard.
 
#5
Aren't the deluxe bodies made for a 22 fret Fender neck? I think you would have more issues than the truss rod to deal with. Not sure, but I would guess the Squier fretless is the size of a 20 fret Fender neck.

ETA: Correct that - appears Mexican deluxes are 20 fret, not 22 like the American deluxes. So the neck may fit lengthwise in the pocket correctly. Not familiar enough with the Squiers to know if they are 2.5" wide like most Fender neck pockets. Other issue that I have had with Japan/Mexico/American Fender parts is that the screw holes may not line up exactly.

I'm with Walter - why would you want a Squier neck on a deluxe jazz?
 
#7
I actually swapped out my rosewood MIM deluxe active jazz neck for a Squire maple with block inlays neck about a year ago. I know how to settup my bass perfectly for how I play, so the change wasn't that drastic. In all honestly I like the Squire neck better. I still have the fender neck and in a year I've never felt the need to put it back on. I probably got lucky, but I couldn't be happier with it.

As far as the procedure is concerned, the hardest part for me was getting the grommets of the tunning pegs switched onto the squire headstock. Everything else was a breeze and its a very easy process.
 
#9
ficalini said:
So besides setup (and the neck bokts lining up), is it just a matter of taking off the necks and switching them?
Click to expand...

If the neck fits, yep, that's it.

If the neck doesn't fit (and none of us can tell you for certain that it will or not), you'd have to pull out a router, route the cavity to fit the new neck, and do a bunch of PITA work. In that case, it'd be easier to just swap electronics.
 
#12
ficalini said:
well i took off the pick guard from the mim deluxe active. amd it wont fit on the squireso im guessing its a no go for right now, and ill have to do a bunch of PITA work
Click to expand...

Not to offend, but if that's how you feel about this type of work, you probably shouldn't be doing it. That sort of attitude towards a precision task usually leads to less than desirable results.

IMHO, YMMV, etc., etc.
 
#14
Steveaux said:
Not to offend, but if that's how you feel about this type of work, you probably shouldn't be doing it. That sort of attitude towards a precision task usually leads to less than desirable results.

IMHO, YMMV, etc., etc.
Click to expand...

In all fairness, making a template, properly aligning it, routing the cavity, and trying to do it all without chipping the paint isn't the simplest task in the world. It takes some time, practice, and frustration to get good at using a router (I certainly wouldn't consider myself all that great). Fender-style bolt-on necks are swapped all the time without little-to-no effort. By comparison, I'd consider the time and routing a hassle.

RyanJD said:
It's off-topic, I'm sorry, but what does 'PITA' stand for?
Click to expand...

Pain in the arse.
 
#16
ficalini said:
It's not that, I've just never done something like this before and I don't have a back up bass if i mess up these two. So I want to be to be sure that i know what's involved in doing this
Click to expand...

I see. Plenty of good info on here about neck swaps.

It's always best to approach a neck swap assuming nothing will line up ... that's usually the case. Be prepared to drill/fill/redrill the neck screw holes.

Pickguards are even worse. Most swapped pickguards I've seen have extra holes in the body.

Hope you enjoy your project.
 

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