got a replacement neck for a DeArmond guitar of mine, as the first neck was irrepairably cracked in falling from a guitar stand. the new neck came from an Epiphone LP Junior.
First issue: the heel width is the appropriate measurements, however the base is a bit too thick, which makes the fretboard a little too high. Also, the end of the base under the fretboard is a bit too long. The measurements are within a few mm, so sanding or whatever might be all thats necessary?
Second issue: the replacement neck came without tuning pegs, so i got some keystone tuners from guitarfetish. The holes in the head stock are too small.
So my question would be this- So assuming i could inexpensively locate the proper tools to resolve these issues to trim the neck and expand the tuner holes, would this be easy enough to do myself, or should i just assume go to the shop and have it done for me. the guitar isnt exactly expensive, but i liked the feel and sound, so i just wanted to try and revive it as a backup axe. I just dont want to have to spend $100+ on having a professional do this, since ive probably almost matched the guitar's current value in the replacement neck and tuners. Any tips/advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
a professional repair will cost more than 100$. closer to starting at 150$.
so begin considering doing it yourself.
sanding a few milimeters evenly is challenging. possible , but the final neck joint will not look perfect.
since you dont have the jigs, molds, machine tools that the guitar maker had(s) the final appearance will
look that way. (as careful as you will be).
enlarging tuner peg holes is easier. the flange on the tuner bushing will hide most tearout(something you will run into when working with wood).
Ive used round files. a tapered hand reamer is ideal.
http://www.stewmac.com
the neck doesnt seem a good fit. is there another, preferably the same modal available?
if not. when you're finished the guitar may not have the same 'feel' that you spoke of.
break a leg
oops , no pun intended
the replacement neck is the closest i seem to be able to find, as they don't make DeARmond guitars anymore. Thanks for the advice, i'll start looking into making this a DIY effort.
I applaud your desire to take it upon yourself to "make" a guitar to sound and play right. Piecing it together happens. I have several ideas for some pieced together guitars. Let us lnow how you progress and the outcome.
It is a small world for metal fanatics. I welcome you fellow musicians, especially the metalheads!
Ok so finally, i sanded down the neck to fit, and got some tuners and all, and the neck seems to fit the body pretty well. the "feel" is a bit more like the gibson lp junior i currently use, so im ok with the slightly bigger neck than the old one. only issue is, when adjusting the truss rod, the action is noticeably lower towards the nut than on the 12th fret area. the bridge is already as low as it can go, so i cant do much there. So could it be the neck isnt straight? maybe tyhe truss rod is bent or somehow flawed?? i mean i can live with it as it is, but maybe there's something i havent thought of yet, since im a novice at this sort of thing. I was only avoiding the professionals becasue most of the stuff would have cost more than the whole guitar is even worth. So yeah, any further tips/advice and so on is always appreciated.
wow. you hung in there. sounds like thinmgs are as normal as can be. the strings as a rule are closer to the first few frets and the space between fret and string increases towards the bridge. so maybe you are good. truss rod adjusts must be done very slowly. it takes a moment for the neck to catch up. so many times I hear someone cranking on the truss rod and not seeing any movement keeps on cranking. and then pow! it moves. and not in a good way.
DIY you are! congrads.
