Putting strat neck on a tele body

domdotjones

This is probably a well-hashed topic, so apologies! 
I've been unsure about the Allparts neck on my tele partscaster for a while, and I've always loved the neck on my Roadworn strat. An epiphany occurred after breakfast and I decided to put one on t'other. A quick Google told me that a strat neck will go into a tele neck pocket, and it has, but I'm wondering whether it's worth sanding down the curved strat neck heel so that it marries more fully with the tele pocket. 

Is this a bonkers idea? Will it make any difference to tone, resonance? Will it throw out the scale length or the last frets on the board? 

Any advice very welcome!

Thanks

davros

Don't square the rounded heel, it might move the bridge position beyond the intonation adjustment limits

domdotjones

Great, thanks @davros ;

BillDL

The easiest way to check is to put the neck in the pocket and insert a couple of the screws.  Screw the saddles back and forward so you know the maximum forward and rearward limits.  Mark the half way position.  Measure 25.5 inches from the fretboard edge of the nut to the bridge.  You need the 1st string saddle to be a hair further back than 25.5 inches and then enough room for each of the saddles to be moved back by at the very least the relevant string's own diameter, with the exception that the 3rd string will need to go back almost as far as the 5th and sometimes even 6th strings.

If you square off the heel for a snug fit to a square pocket you might then be moving the neck further into the body and you would then need to plug the existing holes and drill the neck for the new screw positions.  You would then need to make sure that there was sufficient rearward movement for the saddles to compensate for the new intonation positions, and the likelihood is that you wouldn't be able to move the bass string saddles back enough.

domdotjones

Thanks I’ll give that a go!

ICBM

You must not square off the heel - the difference is the other way round, the overall length of the necks in the centre is the same, and the correct fit leaves gaps at the sides. If it bothers you, you need a custom pickguard to fit around the end of the neck.

paulnb57

ICBM said:

You must not square off the heel - the difference is the other way round, the overall length of the necks in the centre is the same, and the correct fit leaves gaps at the sides. If it bothers you, you need a custom pickguard to fit around the end of the neck.

Ive squared off the heel on an Allparts Strat neck to fit a Tele and its been fine, then recurved it to fit a Strat again and its still been fine.

CasperCaster

Umm, ignoring intonation issues which others have correctly raised, surely squaring off the Roadworn neck won't achieve anything unless you also plug and redrill the neck mounting holes, ot you'd just have to pack behind it?

It's not exactly.the same, but Fender used the 'W' rout for the neck pocket into the mid-noughties on its US instruments (until the end of the Mex STDs on Mex instruments) so all those necks are only in contact on the middle/end of the neck, and plenty of great guitars amongst the many thousands with that manufacturing feature.

ICBM

CasperCaster said:

It's not exactly.the same, but Fender used the 'W' rout for the neck pocket into the mid-noughties on its US instruments (until the end of the Mex STDs on Mex instruments) so all those necks are only in contact on the middle/end of the neck, and plenty of great guitars amongst the many thousands with that manufacturing feature.

There are also great guitars with no contact at all and the load taken entirely by the screws and the friction between the neck and the pocket floor. It’s a complete myth that you need a perfect fit for ‘vibration transfer’.

Funkfingers

The modern C profile on many Fender MIM Standard series necks is near enough identical on Telecasters and Stratocasters. Thus, the only significant difference is cosmetic. i.e. The headstock shapes.

domdotjones

All super helpful so thanks folks. I'll not attempt a squaring off procedure - it just needs intonation addressing and then away I go. And I think my playing has probably got to come on quite a lot before 'vibration transfer' makes the critical difference...!

Funkfingers

Strat neck on Tele body pretty much defines the CBS era Telecaster Deluxe. Obviously, this leaves two gaps in the corners of the pocket. Fender disguised these by shaping the pickguard to meet the end of the neck.

To do this on a regular Telecaster, you will need to have a bespoke pickguard made.

domdotjones

Thanks @Funkfingers ;