I've had quite a few Strats and Tele's over the years, and LOVE them both.

But here's what I'm thinking of doing... it's time to think about getting my Tele refretted, and instead I'm thinking of just making a change. I'm actually thinking of just buying a new neck.

Here are a few of the reasons

-My current neck is Maple and I'm thinking of switching to Rosewood.

-Was planning on changing fret size anyways. My Tele had some of the smallest frets I've ever owned (most of my stuff has had some nice fat or big frets, and I really like that for what I do).

-I know this one sounds stupid, but the Tele head stock does not always work in all guitar holders. I'm always worried it going to slip and fall. In fact that is why I got such a good deal on this one because it had fallen a number of time at my local store (people don't always put them back correctly or just barely bump it when taking out another guitar, etc.). The guitar is GREAT, but I did get it really cheap because of this.

-Wondering if I can go from 21 to 22 frets??? Very confused if this is possible. I'm hoping that I can and that it'll just be a matter of moving the saddles to up or back to compensate, but really out of my league on this one. Just no clue here. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED

So I have a 4 bolt neck on my Tele, 21 frets, and was wondering if anyone knew if I could just swap this out for a 22 fret Strat neck. And if so what info would I need to know to order one???

Thanks for ANY and ALL help here.

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David Breckheimer

Most of the heels on Strat necks are rounded. Most of the heels on Teles are Square. You might have to modify it. Also, if you don't need that Tele neck, I'd be glad to use it. Most of the stuff I own is beat up, hand me down, or thrifted anyways.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

From my experience, if you swap a Tele neck onto a Strat body, you have to square out the pickguard at the base of the neck. If you are putting a Strat neck on a Tele body, you don't have to do anything to the body or the pickguard. Here's a 21-fret Strat neck on a Tele body.





Here's the Tele neck after it ended up on a Srat body and a fair amount of work on the pickguard to make it fit right and look right. It's definitely easier to go the other way around.





I don't know why you're wanting to swap a 22-fret neck onto a formerly 21-fret Tele, but I would think the only problem you might encounter would be some required intonation adjustment for the difference in length. The experts on this Forum can tell you more.

Best of luck!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Thanks for both the replies and the pics. MUCH appreciated.

The Tele has been my main guitar for quite awhile now, but she's been put aside as of late for another Fender I had modded out. And the new Fender has 22 frets, and I really like that. Would be nice to keep them both at the same number of frets. Don't have to do that, but I would like that if it wasn't to much of a problem (hope that answers the 22 fret question).

Here's a pic of my main guitar, and if it weren't for the fact that this truss rod adjustment is at the base of the neck instead of near the nut I would just try to by another like this.

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David Breckheimer

Still love it. I also love beat up guitar pieces. Post some pics of the neck

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Yeah, the mods on the Mustang really had to turn out well to get me to play anything but my Tele, but with the mods done it's really become my guitar of choice.

I'll still die a Tele-man, but the older I get, and still gigging I have a few other big priorities:

-Over all weight. This Mustang is soooo much lighter feeling than my Tele.

-Flexability of tones. I LOVE the sound of a Tele, but having more than a dozen different tones at the ready on the Mustang, and only having to take ONE guitar to a gig is a HUGE plus these days. I hate having to take 2, 3 or more guitars. 2 at the most, but right now I'm only bringing the Mustang up on stage, and the Tele either stays home or at the side of the stage as my back up.

But with all that said I'm pretty excited to do a bit of modding on the Tele since I have something else that I love to play while I do a bit of experimenting with it

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David Breckheimer

Sorry, gotta keep the neck. I love the idea of having to different necks that I could swap from time to time.

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David Breckheimer

The 22 fret neck should work fine if the 21 fret Srat neck fits. The extra fret is just an extension of the fingerboard which will overhang the pickguard.

Correct: a 22-fret neck has the same scale length as a 21-fret neck... It just has an extra fret, so no bridge adjustment is needed. But that extra fret doesn't overhang the pick guard: it overhangs the body, but you need a new pickguard to fit (or the ability to cut the one you have). This makes adjusting for the difference in shape easier, I'd think.

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Jim Bordner
Gravity Music - www.gravitymusic.com
Composer, producer, Egnater Artist

Well nice thing is I don't eve use the pickguard. It was taken off long ago.

Here's a picture:

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David Breckheimer

Oh mate don't mess with the look of that Tele, it's so damn near perfect as it is now. Is it really worth it for one more fret?

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No no and no

Good point She is pretty.

But the extra fret is really not the issue. I was just asking about that because if I order a new neck was wondering if ordering one with 22 would be a problem.

The real reasons for doing it is for switching it over to rosewood and getting bigger frets. I could just get her refretted, but I'm really thinking of going to rosewood, and as long as I'm making he change I thought I might just go all the way. Bigger frets, head stock, 22 frets and unfinished or sating style in the back.

But I agree, it won't kill me if it doesn't all happen. I love that guitar.

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David Breckheimer