Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi all,

So the only real dimension I can find for a Fender T/S neck is the width of a nut at 1-11/16".
The problem is that I need to know the width at one other location in order to create my drawing in order to machine one, and to machine a proper pocket in the body for these.
Typically, in the acoustic world we use a dimension for the width at the 12th fret, and at the nut to determine the taper. In the case of these electrics, I can't seem to find any reliable source for this other dimension.
If I use the taper I find in drawings and start at the nut, I end up with a pretty large gap on either side of the neck to the body. I just can't see this amount of a gap being used in production, so I'm figuring the drawings I've seen simply can't be correct. In fact, I have yet to find one where the drawing had an actual 1-11/16" nut, or where the neck and body were actually on the real centerline of the drawing, for that matter.

Does anyone know what the other dimension is?

Thanks...

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Are you milling a pocket for a stock neck, or are you making your own guitar? I ask because I've made my own F*nder (to borrow Hesh's nomenclature) where I did not want standard neck dimensions. Most bridges that your buy have a fixed string spacing. 2-1/16" I think. That limits somewhat your choices unless you go with a home made bridge or individual string bridges. From your nut width less the desired amount of string spacing from the edge of the board to the string spacing on the bridge you should have all you need to draw it out.

If it has to be exact F*nder spec, then there are dozens of CAD drawing available on the neck. If it helps, my mid-90's Strat is 2-1/6" at the 12th fret. Both E's seem to be exactly 1/8" in from the edge of the fingerboard at the nut. As for the neck pocket, Warmouth provides those dimensions:

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/faq2.aspx

My tele plans also show the pocket as being 3.113 long, 2.135 wide at the front and 2.224 at the back. The corners are radiused at 0.25 and the pocket is 0.625 deep. Mounting holes are 0.075 off the center line, 2.00 in length and spaced 0.625 from the back wall of the pocket. Holes are usually 5/16 but should match the screws you will use. Tele and Stat necks are slightly different (one more fret).

I used those dimensions to make my tele routing template - it has worked fine with aftermarket (Mighty Mite) necks but the best solution obviously is to measure the neck you are going to use or make neck and body at the same time to match.

Edit to add that the above measurements have worked fine with the bridges that I've used (StewMac and a couple of others) but I have seen different spacing at the bridge - that of course can affect how much the strings are offset from the edge of the f/b. And I really suggest having your bridge in hand (or at least the spec) when you rout your neck pocket so you get the overstand right - you want to make sure you have adequate travel to get the action you want.

Yes, I'm making my own bodies and necks. And I'm using drawings recommended by folks over at the TDPI forum and other places, and I'm finding errors in the drawings, like parts that are supposed to be symmetrical to the centerline, not being actually symmetrical. I'm also finding that the taper shown on neck pockets does not match the tapers of the neck drawings. I'm starting to think that the scale length and locations for the bridges may not be spot on as well...
So it sounds like I simply need to decide on the neck dims, and then along with the bridges, calculate the neck tapers and then re-draw the neck pockets to match the necks properly.

Live and learn...

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Oh rats...
I didn't even stop to think that they are different as far as the number of frets, and therefore the fret at which they join the bodies. I should have come to that conclusion on my own, but didn't.... thanks.

I guess that explains the difference in the body string hole locations, but I thought that was just because the bridges were so different.

Sounds like I have a lot of work to do...

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

No, I think they are the same, its just that a Strat fretboard extends past the end of the neck to give it one more fret. I don't have my plans in front of me to check that but you can get the dimensions off of websites like StewMac

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Su ... uitar.html

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Su ... uitar.html

The other difference, obviously, is the headstock size and shape.

I think my plans are the ones from the TDPI forum, they are drawn by T. Downs in 2007. Here is a tele style guitar from those plans (and dimensions above) with a strat style neck - worked fine,

IMHO if you can model in 3D the neck shaft to heel or neck shaft to headstock transitions well enough to machine on a CNC then your CAD Kung Fu is strong. Figuring out the outline for the neck and matching neck pocket should be no problem without needing other drawings. In fact, I would caution you on relying on other people's drawings. They are probably not as good as yours are going to be.

My CAD Kung Fu is pretty decent...

I spend all day doing 3D CAD work in Creo Parametric, working on mechanical and electrical components for a prominent Pro-Audio speaker manufacturer. Yeah.... fun gig.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That's a cool looking Tele!

Is it pine? Nice...

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That's awful tight!

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yes, its hundred year old pine from an old barn on a homestead near where I live. There is a great horned owl that lives in the barn

Sweet ! Love the owl...

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I like these, I have both the Strat and Tele sets, great neck fit matches up with my Fender necks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Telecaster-MDF- ... SwgZ1XuxjX

So.......
I just received some parts in the mail from Sweetwater today, and one of them is a Fender Tele bridge.
I also happen to have a Tele bridge made by Joe Barden Pickups. The Barden is unquestionably the better made product, but there are three major differences.

The first, is the spacing of the holes for the strings. Here's what I've found:
Fender = 2.125" (2-1/8")
JBE = 2.15625" (2-5/32")
So the Barden is 1/32" wider.

Not much, you say? Well, it matters a good bit when you start looking at the edge of the fretboard and the string spacing next to the edges, and it also matter when you're making a vacuum jig for machining parts on a cnc.

The second issue is that the angle for the pickup is 3 degrees different between the two. I first discovered this when I placed the Barden bridge on the body to test the fit, and I found the string hole distance issue, and then discovered the difference between the pickup slot on the bridge and what was cut by the cnc. The Fender bridge fits the slot right on, but the finish quality is pretty poor.

The third issue, ,or maybe it's a non-issue, is that the Barden bridge has brass bridge pieces that are angled - seemingly compensated for the string diameters, whereas the Fender bridge just has the straight brass bridges.

Thoughts?

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

And what's with the "PAT. PEND." mark on the Fender bridge? You would think after 60+ years of making the thing they would have the patent long by now....



(joking guys)

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."