Fender conversion necks

TTBZ

Had my telemaster for a little while now and whilst I love how it looks and sounds, I'm just not getting the feel I want from it with my old squier affinity strat neck. Im used to gibsons with a thicker neck profile/narrower width (have a 2008 sg standard which feels perfect) and most importantly the shorter scale. I have small hands and the spacing between frets on a fender scale feels too much - between this and the thin/wide squier neck I'm getting bad hand cramps. Going back to a gibson just feels right so I thought why try and bother fighting the fender just to try and keep it "authentic"?

What are the options for me, is it just warmoth who make the conversion necks or is there a uk based supplier I could get one from for a better price? Also which neck profile would be closest to my 08 sg standard? 

Starting to think I should have just got a bloody jaguar haha. Looking at prices of Warmoth, maybe that would be an easier option at this rate!

edit - I understand I'd lose a bit of "snappiness" going down to a shorter scale but could this be counteracted by switching to a maple 'board? Any other downsides? 

victorludorum

Use a capo ;-)

TTBZ

But then all my fret markers will be wrong and the fret spacing will still be different won't it? Plus it looks bad haha. The band I may be playing with soon only play in Eb so at least I'd achieve the slinkier feel without having to use tiny strings.

Seeing you post has just reminded me I never got back to your email about the song/changing the structure, completely slipped my mind! Sorry about that. I'll try and sort it soon.

victorludorum

I think if you place the capo on the first fret you will have the Gibson scale length, but I'm not 100% sure. Put 11s on there, tune down and Bob's your uncle!

I tune to D and use a capo at the 2nd fret on my tele. I use 11s as well and it works nicely for me.

No rush for the demo, it is yours after all ;-)

keithf

warmoth do conversion necks !

BoopDeWoop

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

victorludorum

BoopDeWoop said:

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

You'd have to shift the bridge too though...

TTBZ

I'll look into the cyclone necks, maybe just make do with a capo for now as much as I hate the look haha. Unfortunately I think warmoth are a bit out of my price range.

victorludorum

I just bought a neck from Musikraft, and with the change in FX rate it cost me deep in the purse. Paypal gave me the most generous exchange rate of 1.25, so bear that in mind if you do go the Warmoth route and GBP remains at these crap levels, which is likely I would think.

victorludorum

Are you not better off getting rid of the guitar entirely and buying a Squier Jag?

Wasn't there a Squier Tele Thinline that had a Gibson scale? I seem to remember that there was one a few years ago, so if you like the Tele sound, maybe that's an option...

victorludorum

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-vintage-modified-telecaster-thinline-electric-guitar#productDetail

BoopDeWoop

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

You'd have to shift the bridge too though...

Nope. The whole point of a 'conversion neck' is one that fits a guitar designed for a 25.5" neck without moving the bridge. I guess a little maths saves Fender retooling their bodies for different necks. Shortscale has the knowledge.

You can buy them from Warmoth or Musikraft but I haven't seen many of them parted out.

victorludorum

BoopDeWoop said:

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

You'd have to shift the bridge too though...

Nope. The whole point of a 'conversion neck' is one that fits a guitar designed for a 25.5" neck without moving the bridge. I guess a little maths saves Fender retooling their bodies for different necks. Shortscale has the knowledge.

You can buy them from Warmoth or Musikraft but I haven't seen many of them parted out.

Sorry, I should have said I was referring to the Jagmaster neck, which is standard Jag length I believe. A Cyclone neck would be a rare, rare thing, as you have said.

victorludorum

I can't see that the Cyclone has a 'conversion' neck. According to Wikipedia it has a 24.75 scale length, but doesn't mention it being a conversion neck.

ICBM

Cyclones are also notorious for not being able to be intonated correctly due to the bridge being slightly in the wrong position. I'm not sure if they're a conversion neck or whether Fender just got it wrong.

The Squier Vista Jagmaster neck is definitely a 24" scale and not compatible with a Strat body.

stickyfiddle

I have a 25" conversion on my Cabronita Tele, which came from USACG. I'm not sure if they still do the 25" option but it's a great neck and the slightly shorter scale suits the guitar well.

Not a cheap option with the pound so low though.

DrBob

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

You'd have to shift the bridge too though...

Nope. The whole point of a 'conversion neck' is one that fits a guitar designed for a 25.5" neck without moving the bridge. I guess a little maths saves Fender retooling their bodies for different necks. Shortscale has the knowledge.

You can buy them from Warmoth or Musikraft but I haven't seen many of them parted out.

Sorry, I should have said I was referring to the Jagmaster neck, which is standard Jag length I believe. A Cyclone neck would be a rare, rare thing, as you have said.

I'd be careful with that as well, there are at least two & possibly three different versions (dependant upon country of origin as I recall )of the Jagmaster and I think at least one of those has a 25.5" neck on it 

DrBob

Would this not be one for @GSPBASSES ? Strikes me that he would be the very man to whip you up a conversion neck 

TTBZ

I'll send him a message

victorludorum

DrBob said:

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

victorludorum said:

BoopDeWoop said:

The fender cyclones were 24.5 inches using a conversion neck I belive. Should bolt onto a standard strat or tele body and give you the shorter scale length. Probably quite rare though. How about a Chinese jagmaster neck, they're 24 inches like a jaguar. 

You'd have to shift the bridge too though...

Nope. The whole point of a 'conversion neck' is one that fits a guitar designed for a 25.5" neck without moving the bridge. I guess a little maths saves Fender retooling their bodies for different necks. Shortscale has the knowledge.

You can buy them from Warmoth or Musikraft but I haven't seen many of them parted out.

Sorry, I should have said I was referring to the Jagmaster neck, which is standard Jag length I believe. A Cyclone neck would be a rare, rare thing, as you have said.

I'd be careful with that as well, there are at least two & possibly three different versions (dependant upon country of origin as I recall )of the Jagmaster and I think at least one of those has a 25.5" neck on it 

As far as I'm concerned a Jagmaster neck will not work without moving the bridge, whether it's the older 24" one, or the the later 25.5" neck. The Jagmaster is not a conversion neck as far as I can tell and therefore won't work without moving the bridge, as @ICBM says.

victorludorum

Just looking at the photo of your guitar I see that the screw fixings for your bridge plate are actually quite a way forward from the rear of the plate. With this is mind, and if it were me, I would remove the plate, fix the pickup to the body and buy one of those half length (effectively a hardtail) tele plates with top loading strings. You could set this forward, and it would cover the holes left by the old bridge, and as it would be top loading, the string holes won't matter. Second hand Jag neck in place and voila, you have a proper 24" scale that is totally reversible if you don't like it ;-)