Replacement Fender Necks?

[christianatl]

Hey duders,

I know a lot of you doom roomers are more of the neck-through types, but I'm looking for some opinions / experience with aftermarket Fender-style necks.



My beloved Esquire is getting the ever-loving-shit beaten out of it lately, and I'm thinking of getting a new neck. I could get it re-fretted and fixed and all that jazz, but I've never really liked the baseball-batt feel of the neck that came with the guitar (it's a MIM '52 reissue Esquire, btw), and it has that tacky feeling clearcoat crap on the back of the neck, which I also don't like.

SO.

I feel it may be time to experiment.

I'd like a smaller neck, with a longer scale. We generally tune to dropped C, so I'm thinking maybe a 27"?

What has worked for you guys?

Hugs,

C

[wildebelor]

just get a warmoth! get it exactly how you want!

[christianatl]

[AxAxSxS]

If you are going to change the scale, make sure it'll line up with where the bridge is. I'm drunk right now so not going into details. I'd look on ebay and get a used neck. tends to be tons available.

[wildebelor]

ebay is a sweet place to find a neck if the seller has measurements and / or is willing to take measurements! otherwise you could be disappointed.
I still think for $500-600 you can get an excellent custom neck built to your requirements.
better yet, hit up EGC and get a bolt on aluminium for $950

[van_muddlestein]

Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and say Warmoth.

[neonblack]

better yet, hit up EGC and get a bolt on aluminium for $950

Whoa. Whoa.
Whoa.

Yes. Do this. I didnt realize you could just buy a neck from them.

[wildebelor]

yeah, I think Kevin would prefer to build the whole guitar (and there is a semi large wait time - 6months) - but, if you did go this route, I think it is worth it!

[Achtane]

6months

[Ancient Astronaught]

For dropped C there's not really any need for a baritone neck, unless your hands feel cramped when fretting chords while playing. As far as necks I'd look out for a used MIM tele neck witht he satin finish like I had on my parts built esquire. I like you can't stand the clearcoated necks, they get sticky and nasty quick as anything on stage, and in general are hard to move your hand on in comparison to the satin. You can find those MIM satin necks for around 150$ on eBay pretty consistently. If you do decide to go baritone (which I really don't think you need to, but if you WANT to, the by all means!) I like the others would suggest warmoth.

[celticelk]

The Warmoth baritone necks are 28 5/8" scale, so that might not be your preferred option. For the same price or less, you could buy a used Fender Blacktop Baritone Tele, which is a 27" scale, and just swap the neck out - I'm 95% sure that the bodies are the same as the standard-scale Teles. You might also be able to find just a neck on eBay. Pretty sure they're all rosewood-fretboard, if that matters.

[Ancient Astronaught]

The Warmoth baritone necks are 28 5/8" scale, so that might not be your preferred option. For the same price or less, you could buy a used Fender Blacktop Baritone Tele, which is a 27" scale, and just swap the neck out - I'm 95% sure that the bodies are the same as the standard-scale Teles. You might also be able to find just a neck on eBay. Pretty sure they're all rosewood-fretboard, if that matters.

The bodies are different, the bridge is pushed back slightly and the neck isnt a "conversion" neck. They had to move the bridge to keep spacing correct for a 22fret 27" scale, most "conversions" end up being 24 fret due to not moving the bridge and just extending the scale of the neck. In other words that neck on a standard tele body, will not intonate. There's a company on eBay that sells maple conversion necks but they are like warmoth in being 28.5"scale.

[celticelk]

The Warmoth baritone necks are 28 5/8" scale, so that might not be your preferred option. For the same price or less, you could buy a used Fender Blacktop Baritone Tele, which is a 27" scale, and just swap the neck out - I'm 95% sure that the bodies are the same as the standard-scale Teles. You might also be able to find just a neck on eBay. Pretty sure they're all rosewood-fretboard, if that matters.

The bodies are different, the bridge is pushed back slightly and the neck isnt a "conversion" neck. They had to move the bridge to keep spacing correct for a 22fret 27" scale, most "conversions" end up being 24 fret due to not moving the bridge and just extending the scale of the neck. In other words that neck on a standard tele body, will not intonate. There's a company on eBay that sells maple conversion necks but they are like warmoth in being 28.5"scale.

I stand corrected. Thanks, Skip!

[AxAxSxS]

The bodies are different, the bridge is pushed back slightly and the neck isnt a "conversion" neck. They had to move the bridge to keep spacing correct for a 22fret 27" scale, most "conversions" end up being 24 fret due to not moving the bridge and just extending the scale of the neck. In other words that neck on a standard tele body, will not intonate. There's a company on eBay that sells maple conversion necks but they are like warmoth in being 28.5"scale.

This is what I was drunkenly referring to earlier. Good looking out Skip.

[christianatl]

ebay is a sweet place to find a neck if the seller has measurements and / or is willing to take measurements! otherwise you could be disappointed.
I still think for $500-600 you can get an excellent custom neck built to your requirements.
better yet, hit up EGC and get a bolt on aluminium for $950

HAHAHAHAHA

My whole guitar was only like $500.