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Post subject: Neck plate changes
Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:51 pm
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If I change a neck plate on a Telecaster is there any precaution I must be aware of? Will it throw the neck out of position by removing the original one? :roll:

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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:50 pm
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Quote:
Will it throw the neck out of position by removing the original one?


Yeah, it might. But this is an easy thing to fix.

Anytime you remove and reinstall the neck, or neck plate, or even when you buy a new guitar or bass with a bolt-on neck, you should check the neck alignment.

Go ahead and swap neck plates. Then install new strings and tune them up enough to be "tight" - they don't have to be tuned to pitch but you want them making straight lines from bridge to nut and not flopping around.

Now sight down the guitar like you're aiming a rifle - look from the end of the body toward the headstock.

It's very common for Fender and similar guitars to have the neck tilted so the high E strings is too close to the edge of the fingerboard at the higher frets - even some new ones come out of the factory like this, or at least end up this way after bangs and bumps during shipping or whatever before they end up at your local guitar shop.

With the neck screws installed most all the way but not completely tight, make sure the E strings are equidistant from the fingerboard edges and then carefully tighten the neck screws.

Tune up, set intonation and relief if necessary, and you're done.

It's a quick and easy thing to do. Change neck plates (or necks) without fear.


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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:55 am
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Thanks for the quick response. You gave me the extra info I need. It was a coin toss between my Tele and my Strat. The Strat won the toss.
I've been wanting to upgrade to an engraved Fender neck plate for 7 years. I did things exactly as you suggested; and after watching a video on greasygroove.com I felt confident enough to tackle the install of the engraved neck plate. I didn't remove the neck to see the date stamp as suggested in the video. I know I bought the guitar in West L.A. Music in autumn of 1992.
After reading your post i ran back to my guitar and took it outta the Fender case and checked it. Line of sight - everything appears correct. I tuned up and it sounds good. I plan to change the strings tomorrow and recheck it... Will let you know how it goes. I bought the neck plate slightly used so it would look like it belonged with the guitar. I'm very happy.
The pots need some cleaning, but that's easy with cleaner from StewMac.
Next week I plan to tackle the Telecaster with a new neck plate.
To see photos of my guitars go to my blog here: http://web.me.com/james.walsh1/James_Walsh/Blog/Blog.html
Cheers,

James :D

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Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:01 am
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Now i'm thinking about putting a Fender Custom Shop engraved neck plate on my Tele. I think it'll look great. And maybe putting a Fender Lace Sensor pickup (slightly used) in my Strat... Oh let the fun begin.
The Strat neck plate worked out good and the new strings sound great. Perhaps because I turned the guitar over in the case that kept everything intonated- very little movement was apparent. And some beginners luck helped too. :D I have a Fender workstation but I used the Fender HSC instead. :P one of my friends put a kill switch in his Telecaster 6 months ago. Sorta a Radiohead type effect. What's to be next I wonder? Do they put Lace pickups in Telecasters?

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