I've seen pictures and write-ups online and it seems easy enough in theory (and I'm sure a great deal of patience would be a requirement for a project of this nature). But how difficult is it really? I'm considering removing a rosewood board from a MIM Standard Strat and putting a 22-fret maple board in its place. I'm sure it would be much easier to buy a replacement neck, but I want to keep the Fender neck on it (putting Fender decals on licensed neck is not an option). Thanks.

Howdy,

That's a big and scary job mate!

Lots can go very wrong. If your serious about it I'd recommend buying a few cheap necks to practice on before having it out with your MIM. Of course by the time you've spent money on practice necks and tools you could have bought a new neck...

Personally, I'd buy a 22 maple neck and keep the rosewood one for another Strat build...

Hope this helps.

Andy

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Pending Greatness

Allow me to suggest that if you have to ask how difficult it is to separate two pieces of wood glued to each other with wood glue that is almost always stronger than the wood itself then the word difficult, in your circumstance, is probably a severe understatement.


Yes easier and more likely to get you ending up with a guitar you can still play. Please don't hack up your guitar. There are other options. Here, take a look at this:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Maple-2004-Fender-Standard-Stratocaster-Strat-Electric-Guitar-Neck-/280737607891?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item415d43f0d3

There are always lots of perfectly good necks for sale.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I have removed them and it takes patients to do! Heat and steam and cotton cloth, sharp razor and often pops off before you think it will.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Even if you remove it, then what? I can't think of any sources for pre-fretted fretboards. Stew-Mac sells pre-radiused, pre-slotted fretboards but you'd need to trim one to match the taper of the neck, glue it to the neck, fret it, level & dress the frets, and then apply finish to it (for maple).

People remove fretboards to fix broken truss rods and other major surgery like that. It's not something you'd do just to change the type of fretboard wood.

As others have said, it's not hard to find a new or near-new MIM Std neck.