Changing the neck on a Kotzen?

LKV_Jazzmaster

Hey guys, 

So something I've never done is change the neck on a guitar, having been lucky enough to have never had an issue with one! 

I got a Kotzen tele in a trade recently, and its now on the classifieds, because my girly little hands can't get on with the fatter neck. 

Im debating whether or not I just swap the neck out to something thinner and learn to love it? As I don't seem to have a lot of interest.

So any recommendations on were to source a neck. Ideally Modern C shape with 12 inch radius. I also think it would look quite cool with a reverse tele headstock! Would I just have to buy a left handed one for this? Not bothered too much about the fretboard material but cost would be a factor, say no more than £150? 

Would a mex neck fit straight in the pocket I wonder? 

Sorry for the amateur hour but until you've done it it's kind of an enigma. 

TIA.

DrBob

If you do swap necks keep the original for if you want to shift it on later, the neck is the major attractor for most people ! 

LKV_Jazzmaster

DrBob said:

If you do swap necks keep the original for if you want to shift it on later, the neck is the major attractor for most people ! 

Great point, last thing I'd want to do is devalue it! 

Arktik83

If it were me I'd just bite the bullet and sell the Kotzen and get a similar body setup with a thinner neck because, to me, the neck feel is far more important than the body.

You could sell the Kotzen and build a tele to your specs with change left over I'm sure.  Not sure if you would be the same but again if it were me, it would feel weird having a lesser spec neck fitted.  I think it'd always bug me knowing that it's not original.

Not much help with the neck pocket I know, sorry!

Dominic

Learn to love it
they are great guitars
it will probably take you a month but you will come to love the neck when you acclimatise
The big draw with these is the neck -if you can't get on with it after a month bite the bullet and sell the guitar

victorludorum

Get a Squier John 5 neck. They are your spec and fairly easy to get. When I'd stripped off the black paint from my one it was a really lovely piece of wood underneath.

LKV_Jazzmaster

Dominic said:

Learn to love it
they are great guitars
it will probably take you a month but you will come to love the neck when you acclimatise
The big draw with these is the neck -if you can't get on with it after a month bite the bullet and sell the guitar

Unfortunately for me my hands aren’t only small but my fretting hand has a few screws and plates from misadventures on a motorbike. 

Arktik83 said:

If it were me I'd just bite the bullet and sell the Kotzen and get a similar body setup with a thinner neck because, to me, the neck feel is far more important than the body.

You could sell the Kotzen and build a tele to your specs with change left over I'm sure.  Not sure if you would be the same but again if it were me, it would feel weird having a lesser spec neck fitted.  I think it'd always bug me knowing that it's not original.

Not much help with the neck pocket I know, sorry!

Very good point. I get irritated with enough with studio written on my LP and has to change the truss rod cover so I’d probably be no good with a cheap neck...

Thanks for the input gents. Looks like I’ll definitely be letting it go. 

lovestrat74

Sell it or trade it for a US deluxe model. Has the binding like the Kotzen and really looks the part but has slimmer neck.  See if anyone has one on here for trade plus a little cash your way

jeztone2

Just sell it. Then buy an American Deluxe Tele used and have it refretted to 6100. Add a Dimarzio to the bridge and it’s virtually the same guitar.