Widening a neck pocket

impmann · November 2022

So I have a rather lovely Rexter Strat body (one of the last he ever did) and a lovely old Fernandes neck that used to grace a very special (to me) partcaster I had. Sadly, the neck pocket needs to be a smidge wider - only a smidge.

So... bearing in mind this is a rather well finished body and I can be a complete klutz how would you approach this if you were in my shoes? I have a Dremel thingy (actually an Aldi knockoff but same difference) and some mini sanding drums...

All advice welcomed...

Fuengi · November 2022

I'm pretty sure I posted a similar question a year or two back and the responses were unanimously to reduce the neck to fit the pocket. It worked.

Roland · November 2022

Yeah. It’s a lot easier to use sandpaper, wrapped around a wood block, to take the finish off the sides of the neck.

TTony · November 2022

If it's "a smidge", do *not* use power tools, not even an Aldi Dremel.

Power tools will generally take off at least 3 smidges before you've realised, and you won't get a nice straight edge with a Dremel and sanding drums.

Sandpaper with a flat block. And take it evenly off both sides of the pocket / neck.

WezV · November 2022

I would always say to mod the part that has less value to you.

Personally i would do it on the body with template and router. The dremel and sanding drums would not be used for this jpb

ICBM · November 2022

The problem with removing wood from the sides of the neck is that if it's a finished neck you will now need it refinished. Also, if it's an accurate Fender copy with vintage bridge string spacing, the last thing you want to do is make the neck narrower - the strings almost fall off the sides anyway.

I would widen the neck pocket - it may be more difficult but it's the technically correct option. Sandpaper glued to a hardwood block and rubbed along the sides of the pocket *only* parallel to the body, not up and down, should do it if it's only a smidge that needs to come off. It can be tricky to get far enough into the corners though.

Make sure the block is wide enough to sit firmly on the floor of the pocket as you move it, so it keeps the side walls vertical.

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Widening a neck pocket

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