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What would be wrong with routing the neck pocket on the body first? Then shaping the body. To me it sounds practical. But I am new. Can some one set me straight.

Done it myself once. No problem - just plan ahead, and don't erase the centerline until you're sure it's all done!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thanks Chris.

the neck pocket is arguably the most critical step of a bolt-on body, so if you have crude tools or are not confident of the outcome, don't have jigs, etc, then it makes sense to get that step executed perfectly and precisely before you invest all that time with the peripheral artistic sculpting of the body shape, cavities, etc...it is generally easier to run a router around on a nice broad flat slab of wood.
the same concept can apply to other critical operations such as tuner holes, through-body string races, truss rod fitting, and more

It could be wrong to do if one isn't thinking ahead.
For instance if one routed the pocket in a body blank for a Strat style
and didn't think about the body horn(s). (locating pocket is more than just centerline)
Body thickness...correct depth of neck pocket could be an issue by changes to the front and back for whatever reasons.

Centerline can be found anytime if the neck has been made for it.

I always route the neck pocket first. I trace out the shape of the body in pencil, then route the neck pocket to the neck, then cut out and shape the body perimeter.
It's a good way to ensure that the neck pocket lines up with the side of the neck exactly.
Otherwise, if the neck heel is larger than the outline, it'll hang over a little.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I think it would be a bad idea on a carved top with a set neck. The neck angle is set to the plane of the top - it would seem to be very difficult to carve the top to the 4 degrees or so of the pocket.

Surely that's the other way round, the plane of the top follows the angle of the neck, many things contribute to the neck angle. The body however is purely aesthetic.

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Actually, it's easier.
Less wood to sand to the correct angle.
Obviously not a problem if you're routing the angle.
I route the pocket with an angled template taking into account the final depth then sand the top to the right angle.
I then thickness the tenon so that it glues to the bottom of the pocket as well as the sides.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

On the CNC, it's my first operation. Then pickups then control rout and outline last.

On a flat-neck Tele build, I route the body outline before I cut the pocket.
I use matching templates for the neck and pocket so a good fit is not a problem.
For me, it's easier to center the pocket template on the body than it would be to center the body template over the cut pocket. Of course, I'm always open to trying something different.

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