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Post subject: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:28 am
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Hi,
Does somebody know if its possible to assemble an Eric Clapton Signature stratocaster body with a Fender Classic Players '60 MIM stratocaster neck?
I feel more comfortable wider frets from the mexican Classic Player and the 50's style EC signature body.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 6:32 am
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You may have some minor fitting issues (because of tolerances etc.), but a simple answer is yes.

If you're not confident in your skills, use a pro.
And if you consider resale values, switching the necks & bodies results in two partscasters...


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 12:32 pm
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Thanks for the answer. I just wanted to try a rosewood fingerboard with an EC strat, as there is a microtilt screw in the EC, also, i found more comfortable playing with the med-high jumbo frets on the Classic Player strat.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 1:21 pm
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A neck without the Micro-Tilt™ embellishments goes in a body which has them, but you have to go old school (= shim) if the neck needs to be tilted. That's one of the minor fitting issues I mentioned. Others may include height, tightness etc.

But both guitar models you mention are four-bolt-neck-jointed, and the shape of the neck ends/pockets is the same (= your everyday standard Strat neck pocket). So, usually nothing major.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 2:09 am
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Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

You will convert one valuable guitar and one above average price MIM into two partscasters of less value than the cheapest of the two.

If you don't like the EC sell it as is and buy something you do like instead.

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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:37 am
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If he keeps everything, he can always swap the necks back if he ever decides to sell.

By "everything", I'm not sure if he has both guitars and wants to swap necks, or if he's thinking about buying a neck to put on the Clapton.

If you get a new neck for the Clapton and store the original, it's a good idea to loosen the truss rod a little.

OTOH, as the Stratosphere's business model has proven, it's possible to make more money taking a guitar apart and selling the parts individually than selling a guitar as a complete unit.

Some people find that disturbing, upsetting, offensive. Other people look at guitars as mass produced commodities.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:49 pm
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You know, Clapton bought a bunch of preCBS Strats at a store in Nashville. He took them all apart, picked out the best parts, and made Blackie out of them.

Then he put the other bits back together and gave those "partsocasters" away as gifts to friends.

If changing the neck makes you happy, why not?

Nor would it be a sin to send the Clapton neck out and have the radius changed and bigger frets put on.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 5:41 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
You know, Clapton bought a bunch of preCBS Strats at a store in Nashville. He took them all apart, picked out the best parts, and made Blackie out of them.

Then he put the other bits back together and gave those "partsocasters" away as gifts to friends.
....


True, but they were second hand, as he favoured a worn in neck. They were also pretty standard, in the day, so the equivalent of buying 3 MIMS off eBay to make one good guitar.

Not really what we are talking about here. You wouldn't buy a Focus RS and convert it to shopping car spec.

You could sell the EC and buy 5 second hand MiMs to make the best one from all the parts ...and still be in pocket.

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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:07 pm
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EC brand new $1599

Classic Player '60s brand new $824

Used prices vary a lot. You might get 3 CP'60s for a Clapton. Then again, I found completed sales where you'd only get 1 CP'60s and a nice chunk of change for a Clapton.

Clapton recalls the Strats he bought at Sho-Bud's as being between $200~300 each. $200 in 1970 is the equivalent of $1300 today. Chump change for a millionaire rockstar, but hardly the equivalent of a used MIM Standard.

And the only way he devalues his Clapton is if he gets rid of the neck. He can always put it back on if he wants to sell.

If he enjoys the guitar better with a different neck, that has a value that can't be measured in money.

If he doesn't like it after he tries it, he can put it back the way it was, sell it, and buy something else.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:03 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
.....

Clapton recalls the Strats he bought at Sho-Bud's as being between $200~300 each. $200 in 1970 is the equivalent of $1300 today. Chump change for a millionaire rockstar, but hardly the equivalent of a used MIM Standard.

.....


But it is all relative. There weren't the varation in Strats in the 70's if you wanted one made by Fender and certainly not the availability that there is today. And translating "value" based on inflation doesn't really compare as market forces and production methods have made Strats cheaper over the years.

If you use prices translated over the years based on inflation my late 70s second hand SG copy purchase would have been ludicrously expensive at around £60 ($120 back then?) but that was the value of guitars at that time.

$200 to $300 would certainly have been a slab of money back then, but not expensive, in relative terms, for a Strat.

I agree that the OP could dismantle his EC to replace the neck but, as the neck is one of the most defining parts, I still see removing it like putting a four cylinder in a Mustang. You could put it back again but leaving it off a guitar could ruin it and I'm not a great advocate of removing necks multiple times. Each time you remove it the screw connection is deminished.

If I was buying a second hand EC I would happier if I knew it was as it left the factory. If I knew an amateur luthier had cut his teeth in the field by removing the neck I think I would look elsewhere.

Swapping the neck on two guitars could ruin the feel and playability of both of them if you don't know what you are doing.

As the OP had to ask the question in the first place my advice is don't.

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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:19 am
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I've made small modifications to my favorite Strat's in the past (Example): I put an extra string tree, and strap locks, and blocked the trem block on my 2012, that's all).
Example #2 was a little more complex on the 2015: Swapped for steel trem block, roller saddles, Graph Tech nut, roller string tree, locking tuners, strap locks, aged pearloid pickgaurd, and a Fender "F" etched neck plate---all to float the tremolo without going out of tune; and of course cosmetics.

Still have all original parts to both (though I'll most likely never change them back, and DEFFINENTLY never sell them).

BUT....not once, have I ever entertained the thought of changing the neck on them. The neck is 50% or more of what made me fall in love with the guitars in the first place...and had I not been in love with the guitars "feel", I'd never have purchased and/or kept them.

My opinion: Unless a person breaks the original neck (bolt on) of a guitar, or completely wears it down beyond efficient repair, leave it alone and love it or sell it. The guitar (though it's technically two pieces), was assembled and set-up as one...once you breech that initial bond, it'll never be the same regardless of who does the work.

That's just my opinion/view on the matter---take it as you wish.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:49 am
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White Dog wrote:
The guitar (though it's technically two pieces), was assembled and set-up as one...once you breech that initial bond, it'll never be the same regardless of who does the work.

That's just my opinion/view on the matter---take it as you wish.

I do sincerely respect your opinion, but can't help wondering what Clarence Leonidas would have thought about that vs. his 'interchangeable parts' system. Or EC vs. Blackie... :lol:

Since this topic has taken a funny sideturn:
In my first post, I merely mentioned that switching necks has an effect on originality and thus the price.
I did not take a stand for or against the switching per se.
(Sort of thinking, anyone can do whatever they want with their guitars...)


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:23 am
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jmattis wrote:
(Sort of thinking, anyone can do whatever they want with their guitars...)
Of course they can...I highly doubt that anyone is willing to argue that, and though you're the first (in this thread) to say it---you're not the first (and only) to think it.

jmattis wrote:
Since this topic has taken a funny sideturn:
........I did not take a stand for or against the switching per se.

Not 100% sure what you mean by "sideturn"---seems to me the post is right on track...hellecaster5 asked for opinions; and he/she is getting them. And; if you feel like making a stand one way or the other, nobody is gonna judge you (no reasonable human any way)....because it is your own opinion.


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:16 am
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To clear my sideturn phrase, the OP actually asked a technical question, as in does somebody know if its possible.

Sideturning, offtopics & all that jazz is of course acceptable, often even welcomed, in web forums.
Sometimes it's even more interesting than the original subject. 8)


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Post subject: Re: Neck and body interchange between Fender Stratocaster
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:16 pm
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Back to technical aspects. Sometimes a neck will be a little too wide to fit the pocket.

The normal advice is to use a small sanding block (a 9v battery works great) to remove some of the finish in the neck pocket.

In this particular case I absolutely wouldn't do that. Because that's pretty irreversible, and if he ever wants to put the EC neck back on the EC body there will be a bigger gap than originally.


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