Reshaping a neck

citesquestion

I have a nice (unfinished) rosewood neck that is a bit too fat for me (like a 52 tele, size-wise). Is it a big job to reshape it to something thinner? Anyone good at doing this? Spoke to my regular tech who basically said it's doable but he can't be bothered. I know "sell it and buy something suitable" is probably the more sensible route but I really like it otherwise 

WezV

There is always a risk when taking meat off the middle as you don't know how far down the truss rod is. ... unless you have access to an x-ray

Better to reshape the cheeks instead,  you can make a big difference by reshaping the profile whilst only taking the minimal amount off the thickness

citesquestion

WezV said:

There is always a risk when taking meat off the middle as you don't know how far down the truss rod is. ... unless you have access to an x-ray

Better to reshape the cheeks instead,  you can make a big difference by reshaping the profile whilst only taking the minimal amount off the thickness

I do know a dentist who dabbles as a luthier but not sure how work-appropriate would that be for him!

SteveRobinson

citesquestion said:

WezV said:

There is always a risk when taking meat off the middle as you don't know how far down the truss rod is. ... unless you have access to an x-ray

Better to reshape the cheeks instead,  you can make a big difference by reshaping the profile whilst only taking the minimal amount off the thickness

I do know a dentist who dabbles as a luthier but not sure how work-appropriate would that be for him!

Wouldn't he have to X-ray it in 1" sections?

matt_sefton

It’s very simple. I’ve reshaped 3 strat necks over the last couple of years using a cabinet scraper, Stanley knife blade, sandpaper and files. Just take it slowly and keep checking how it feels.

Roland

It’s remarkable how little you need to take off the change the feel of the neck, and the sound of the guitar. I did one with just a cabinet scraper, followed by 240 and 320 grit sandpaper. Every three or four stokes I stopped to play it, and was surprised at the difference each time.

roberty

Roland said:

It’s remarkable how little you need to take off the change the feel of the neck, and the sound of the guitar. I did one with just a cabinet scraper, followed by 240 and 320 grit sandpaper. Every three or four stokes I stopped to play it, and was surprised at the difference each time.

I would believe that based on what I've measured and observed