Not quite starting from a body blank but...

Chalky

...starting from a raw body that has the right raw strat outline and a neck pocket. That's it. Bought a neck off here recently that is undrilled. How do I decide where to drill the body and matching neck holes, best screws to use to attach the neck, and where to put the pickups and hardtail bridge? I've got a dual soapbar P90 in mind and maybe even a tunomatic bridge, a bit like Mark Knopfler's blue carve top Suhr/Pensa. So I might do some carving too.  Do I start by drilling for the neck, joining it together, then take all alignment and measurements from that? Pros and cons of a hardtail bridge versus a TOM and tailpiece?  All advice gratefully received and thank you in advance!

Ravenous

For the neck holes: I once did these by taking a known good neck, putting four dowel markers in its holes (they're like pointy metal cones), carefully offering it up to the neck pocket and pushing hard but careful.

Then I drilled the neck pocket holes undersize to be absolutely sure before I took them out with a file... that bit took ages though.

Sporky

Blimey. Lots of things there.

If it's a standard Strat neck pocket then a screw in each corner isn't a bad way to start - if you're going for a neck plate then it's even simpler. Transfer punch will get you marks in the right positions. Drill the body holes first, then use transfer punches again to mark the neck for drilling.

If you want a TOM with a strat-style body then you'll probably have to either shim the neck or recess the TOM - I don't think you can do the latter and have a stoptail though.

Chalky

Sporky said:

Blimey. Lots of things there.

If it's a standard Strat neck pocket then a screw in each corner isn't a bad way to start - if you're going for a neck plate then it's even simpler. Transfer punch will get you marks in the right positions. Drill the body holes first, then use transfer punches again to mark the neck for drilling.

If you want a TOM with a strat-style body then you'll probably have to either shim the neck or recess the TOM - I don't think you can do the latter and have a stoptail though.

Ah good point, Sir.  I see what you mean.  Right so a hardtail strat bridge sounds like the right way to go.

Sporky

Hardtail will be much simpler, but TOM with string-thru ferrules isn't unpossible - I did it on a £100 challenge guitar.

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/builds/sp5/finished.jpg

mikeyrob73

Sporky said:

Hardtail will be much simpler, but TOM with string-thru ferrules isn't unpossible - I did it on a £100 challenge guitar.

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/builds/sp5/finished.jpg

i love that @Sporky ;

Chalky

Sporky said:

Hardtail will be much simpler, but TOM with string-thru ferrules isn't unpossible - I did it on a £100 challenge guitar.

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/builds/sp5/finished.jpg

That looks great - any problems drilling that on a drill press?

Sporky

I CNC'd it all!

Doing the ferrules on a drill press is possible but it's hard to get them in a really neat line. No chance of doing the TOM recess that way though - that's a router job, and I'd make up a little template rather than just using a straight edge.

Funkfingers

Sporky said:

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/builds/sp5/finished.jpg

Is that a Harry-caster?

Sporky

Nope. Made it myself out of bits of wood and plastic and metal.

Chalky

Do I start by drilling for the neck, joining it together, then take all alignment and measurements from that?  Anyone tried using bushes instead of a neck plate, so that you can do a smooth corner for better access high up the neck?

Roland

Bushes look nice, but I always feel they are less secure than a plate. How about a curved plate like this: 

https://www.blackdogmusic.co.uk/product/curved-neck-joint-plate-in-chrome-black-or-gold/

Sporky

Chalky said:

Do I start by drilling for the neck, joining it together, then take all alignment and measurements from that?  Anyone tried using bushes instead of a neck plate, so that you can do a smooth corner for better access high up the neck?

I've used bushes in all of mine. Given that you can still pick the guitars up by the neck and swing them around, while a plate may be stronger, I'm not sure it matters.

And yes, get the neck in first, take your measurements for the bridge and so on from that.

Funkfingers

The nut is the datum point.

@Sporky When I wrote Harry-caster, I had in mind that the guitar would cater to Mr. Seven's fetish for offset waist "F" style instruments. 

Chalky

Roland said:

Bushes look nice, but I always feel they are less secure than a plate. How about a curved plate like this: 

https://www.blackdogmusic.co.uk/product/curved-neck-joint-plate-in-chrome-black-or-gold/

Thanks - that would have the benefit of giving me a curvature to carve down to!

Sporky

Funkfingers said:

@Sporky When I wrote Harry-caster, I had in mind that the guitar would cater to Mr. Seven's fetish for offset waist "F" style instruments. 

Ah - gotcha!

In which case, yes - especially if in twenty years it appears on eBay. It's even got lefty tuners because I drew them the wrong way around in CAD and righties wouldn't fit...

stickyfiddle

Not sure if you've thought of a wraparound bridge? One of those ones with adjustable saddles should work nicely with the rest of the spec and remove the ferrule alignment issue.

Sporky

I think that'd be an enormous pain to get right on a stratish body - getting the neck angle right, getting the pickups to the right height.

Maybe I'm just a wuss.

stickyfiddle

Perhaps - i'm no woodworker! But geometry-wise it can't be any worse than a tunomatic, right?

Sporky

Yes.

A TOM can be recessed with a router bit and a straightedge.