Hey Ya'll,
Ok...this may be a dumb one and it's probably already been answered somewhere in the archives here but I didn't see what I was looking for with the search.

When I ordered the new neck plate for the project strat I'm working on, I noticed a couple of the vintage plates on Ebay had a plastic piece that went between the neck plate itself and the body. I've also seen this on a couple of other non-Fender guitars over the years. Now clearly most guitars I've ever seen with bolt on necks don't have this plastic piece so my question is, what purpose does this actually serve? Is it just to protect the finish under the neck plate? Is it just for aesthetics?

As always, thanks!
Jim

That's the one.

The "neck plate cushion". To some, vital.

To others, to be avoided - on the principle that anything that acts as a cushion might absorb vibration and so reduce sustain. Seems very unlikely to me...

Cheers - C

Plastic Neck Plate Spacers? We don't need no stinkin' Plastic Neck Plate Spacers.

Actually I have seen them used because the Neck Plate screws were too long.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

They may have a structural use much like a washer on a bolt/nut in helping allieviate over tightening problems.

Got one on my charvel and my jackson also their both solid guitars. The jackson has suffered stroppy teen like abuse and the charvels 23 years old. Both are absolutely rock solid in the neck joint area.

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No no and no

My Ibanez has one. it survived falling from the top of a van moving down the highway,don't know how vital it is, but didn't hurt that guitar any.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Hhmmm...I'll have to give that one some thought. I've seen guitars with no neck plates at all, so I sort of assumed the neck plate itself worked in this mannor (as a washer that is) but I can see where this spacer would provide some cushion to prevent over-tightening.

I'll have to chew on that one of a bit.

At the end of a ferocious gig i used to hurl my jackson at the wall and walk offstage. Say anything you like about superstrats being toneless one things for sure they can stand some violence.

Lomitus. I too have owned bolt ons with no neckplate. They all used a screw cup recessed into the body though. I like the plastic washer/shim they look classy if you ask me.

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No no and no

Hmm! I've never noticed one. I guess I'm not to observant. Not on any of my guitars. When you've finished chewing on it let me know.

Super Strats are super tough. Mine smashed in a car window one time. Why do crazy angry women always have to go for the guitar?

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

The cushion is so the corners of the plate do not start digging into the finish due to time and sporadic, 'over enthusiastic' tightening of the neck screws.

Now I'm no Eric Johnson here (he said with TOTAL sarcasm), but I would presume that that little vinyl plate would tend to dampen the resonance to some degree, especially because it is at THE transfer point between the neck and the body.

FWIW, I don't use them nor want them.

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You dig?

Dont forget pics!

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"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

Yes, pictures please. There has been a shortage of pics. lately. I'm about to give up on Ceri's thread as I've not seen anything for a while.

Haha! Nearly there - hold on! And there'll be a final flurry of photos, don't worry...

***

Just for the record, none of my Fenders, MIA, Japanese and Korean, came with a neck plate cushion.

Does Fender actually use them at all, or is it only an aftermarket user mod, and something done by... uh, other manufacturers?

Cheers - C

JK! Ceri,I'm just an impatient person. Don't rush it!

It's all right. My "haha" at the beginning indicated I got it.

Anyway: you think it's tough for you! I'm the one's gotta go into the spare room every day and gaze at that body, run my hands across it and wonder if I could get away with slapping it together yet. Dunno about you - the suspense is sure killing ME!!!

- C