Attaching old neck to new body?

axisus

I am knocking up a telecaster for one of my daughters. I have an old Hohner neck that is pretty good, and I have routed out an old body blank that I acquired many years ago. I've yet to drill the holes through the body, but it occurred to me that I can't think of a way that I could get them to alight with the neck holes. Is there any way it can be done or should I just fill the neck holes with dowel and drill new ones?

DrBob

There was a guy on here who built an amazing replica of the John Squire custom offset guitar who had the same issue. From memory he worked in the cycle industry and he was able to fabricate four centre punches that he inserted into the holes in the neck with just a few mm sticking out. he then located the neck into the neck pocket and gave it a bit of pressure, removed the neck & hey presto, four punched marks inside the neck pocket. That seemed a cool solution 

barnstorm

Do you mean you’re not sure how to mark a guide, or that you’re worried about not drilling dead straight? A brad point bit the same diameter as your neck holes would be helpful either way, I reckon.

axisus

DrBob said:

There was a guy on here who built an amazing replica of the John Squire custom offset guitar who had the same issue. From memory he worked in the cycle industry and he was able to fabricate four centre punches that he inserted into the holes in the neck with just a few mm sticking out. he then located the neck into the neck pocket and gave it a bit of pressure, removed the neck & hey presto, four punched marks inside the neck pocket. That seemed a cool solution 

I think that could work actually, I may consider that as something to try. 

paulnb57

Find a nail that fits fairly snugly into one of the neck screw holes, remove and saw it off so the it will stick out by about 1/4 inch, stick it into your drill chuck and sharpen one end to a point, slide it back into one of the neck holes and put the neck into the body and press down, the point should leave a mark on the body in the neck pocket, highlight the centre point with a pencil, now lay the neck plate in the neck pocket and align it over the marked hole, square it up and now mark the other three with the pencil, drill, fit and crack a beer!

SteveRobinson

As above but use four nails (I use cut down woodscrews) for greater accuracy

ICBM

Measure. Accuracy is not that critical anyway since the holes should be slightly larger than the screws.

Don't fill the holes and redrill, that will weaken the neck for no good reason.

axisus

OK plan of action sorted. Thanks good people!

Andyjr1515

I personally take a piece of printer paper and press down on the heel of the neck where the four holes are, and round the outline of the heel, forming a light but perceptable impression in the paper.

  Then I cut out the outline with scissors, pop the piece of paper in the pocket and mark centres of the hole positions in the wood of the heel using something suitably pointed.  

Finally, I drill the holes using a bradpoint wood drill.

I use the same technique when I am veneering so that I can re-find the bridge screw holes, etc, which are pretty impossible to re-find any other way once the veneer has been put on... 

Maynehead

There are many ways you can mark the approximate location of the neck holes...

Aside from the aforementioned, you could even stick 4 thin patties of blu tack in the neck route under the approximate locations of the screw holes, then press the neck gently down on them to imprint the precise locations. You can then stick a bradawl through the blu tack to mark the wood underneath.