neck pockets on cheap copies

samzadgan

so, as per a few other threads, i have been looking for a body to fit a neck on. the neck is built for a strat and so I have been looking primarily for a jazzmaster and failing that, a tele.

the other day i came across a little company here in sydney that sells cheap chinese guitars, much like the thoman style ones. They have a jazzmaster copy for pretty cheap ($aud250). But there were no specs about the neck size etc. So I called them and asked if they knew what the neck pocket measurements were, seeing as they claim that the guitars are built for them to their specs by a factory in china. Their answer was, "we cant tell you that as we dont have those measurements"...so obvioulsy these guitars are not built for them, and they are from a factory that a lot of other places (like thoman) buy their cheap clones from.

Its the right colour and if the neck fits, it would be a perfect guitar body. All I would do is make it a 1 P90 guitar with a black (or off white) pickguard...but i just dont know about the neck pocket.


so my question is...is it safe to assume that these cheaper guitars would have the same specs as the squiers/fenders they are modelled on? Given they are saving costs, i would assume the cheapest option is they directly clone a fender instead of redesigning it...but nothing is guaranteed i guess.

Chalky

I think you've answered your own question. The seller lied about them being made for them in 'the factory' in China. What makes you think there is 'the factory'? It is more likely sourced from wherever they are cheapest, almost certainly not a single factory. The major problem with trying to do repeat business with Chinese business has been their lack of adherence to specs, standards and quality. So you pays your money and takes your chance. If you buy cheap you get cheap.

ThePrettyDamned

Sam, I reckon you're way better off looking for either a Squier jazzmaster (like @bucket, which is white) or getting a warmoth body and buying hardware (more money, but you'll be able to get top spec everything).

Those squiers can be had used from time to time, and @bucket raves about his.

OilCityPickups

Chalky said:

I think you've answered your own question. The seller lied about them being made for them in 'the factory' in China. What makes you think there is 'the factory'? It is more likely sourced from wherever they are cheapest, almost certainly not a single factory. The major problem with trying to do repeat business with Chinese business has been their lack of adherence to specs, standards and quality. So you pays your money and takes your chance. If you buy cheap you get cheap.

I tend to agree with this. We researched getting some of our parts made in China ... but the horror stories from others who had been in our position as far as abandoning specs for no reason, and steadily falling QC with every order ... put us right off. I wouldn't trust two examples to be identical to 'Fender/Squier' spec let alone two batches! 

samzadgan

@Chalky & @theprettydamned yeah, you guys are right.

its just hard waiting for something to come up down here...there isnt the second hand market there is in the UK...and second hand aint that much cheaper either.

Chalky

I do sympathise - is postage from the UK too much? Probably a daft question

samzadgan

Chalky said:

I do sympathise - is postage from the UK too much? Probably a daft question

Yeah postage a bit of a killer. But I am going to be in London for just over a week in August...so it may well be that i buy something in London.

Its not that the guitars (Squiers and Fenders) are that much more expensive...about the same after FX, but its the fact that in the UK there are so many second hand ones and so many people selling bodies. Over here it seems like second hand is sold at a premium and no one really sells parts that much.

Shark_Eyes

Sam, If you spot a killer deal, I'm sure someone will happily look after it for you until August. 

I, for example, have a space for a spare guitar, I'll even play it and check it sounds wicked. Just something to consider.

Sassafras

If it's for that aluminium neck you got recently, it probably deserves the best body you can find and afford to do it justice.