First partscaster problem - neck too wide

scarry67

Just tried putting a nice All Parts TMO V neck on a Squier CV60s Tele body and it's about 1 mm too wide at the heel. I was foolishly confident after putting a Fender MIM Esquire neck straight and easily onto similar Squier body years ago without problem and assumed All Parts neck would be same width as the Fender 50s one. So what to do? I'm guessing that I need to carefully sand down the heel a bit on each side. The lower section has far more wood on show obviously than the upper bit so it's presumably a case of sanding small section. I have a feeling that the pre-drilled holes in the neck won't quite be the same either but that's for another day... Your help appreciated. 

Winny_Pooh

If the neck is finished then take the wood out of the neck pocket sides with a small sanding block instead. With a bit of wax to reduce friction you can then get it in. 1mm is nothing. 

scarry67

Standard advice seems to be take wood off the neck. It’s a nitro finish on the neck. If I get that off at the heel it might slide in... either way I’ll get sandpaper out tomorrow

Zoolooter

I’d take it out of the pocket. The neck being more valuable than the body.

Danielsguitars

That's why I don't like all parts necks, too wide imo, I had to open a pocket by a mm which was very annoying 

GoldenEraGuitars

Is the neck new or used? Is it finished?

scarry67

Bought the neck off ebay, nitro finish, Gotoh tuners, barely used. Seemed like a good idea at the time! Then bought used CV 60s for the lovely bound body. Expected to sell CV neck although it’s v nice...

GoldenEraGuitars

Remember, the applied finish on the heel of the neck will have added the extra width. I believe a dry fit would have worked. 

scarry67

Is it easy to sand off nitro finish?

mrkb

The squier CV neck pockets are narrower than standard - I opened mine up by about 1mm carefully using a sanding block along each side, taking a small amount off each time and keeping it square. The warmoth site lists the standard neck pocket size if you need to check.

Danielsguitars

The neck I got given was unfinished and still too wide

paulnb57

Danielsguitars said:

That's why I don't like all parts necks, too wide imo, I had to open a pocket by a mm which was very annoying 

Ive never had an oversize Allparts neck...weird...

scarry67

Having never sanded a body pocket before, it seems more problematic than working on the neck. It’s the curved section that will surely require a deft touch?

mrkb

If it’s the width that’s the issue you wont need to do much sanding to the curve, and some Tele bodies have extra material machines from the curved area anyway. Post a photo of the body so we can advise.

As I said I fitted a standard width neck to my CV thin line body and has to sand a small amount away. I’m an engineer so i have a set of vernier callipers, so could measure everything to work out that the body neck pocket wasn’t the standard width.

i did all the light sanding with a cork sanding block and about 400 grit sandpaper.

scarry67

Thanks Mark. I think that’s what I’ll try. Is the rule of thumb that you sand the less valuable of the two parts? 

stickyfiddle

TBH I'd recommend measuring both pocket and neck heel as accurately as possible and adjust which ever is not to normal spec (possibly both!). If you don't, you'll end up with 2 non-standard parts which might still be annoying if you switch things around in future. This way you'll end up with two standard-fit parts that can be used on other guitars with ease.

mrkb

Here’s the warmoth neck size info, my cv body had a 55mm width pocket rather than 56mm. You should be able to check that with a ruler.

https://www.warmoth.com/guitar/bodies/options/guitarneckpocket.aspx

scarry67

The neck runs from 54mm to 55.5mm...

paulnb57

There is a lesson here for folk wanting to get into partscaster, although Fender and Squier are modular and many parts are interchangeable, NOT ALL ARE, if at all possible measure before buying.....
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or keep the parts and find parts that are compatible and build another and another and another!

GoldenEraGuitars

Pics would be good. 

My approach would be to message the seller of the neck and ask what he used to spray the neck. If it was from a rattle can, buy a can of the same tint and proceed to lightly sand the heel of the neck. You can then touch up the sanded area on the neck and achieve a colour match. 

I hasten to add that if you’re not comfortable or confident doing any of the work I’d suggest taking the body and neck to your local tech. 

mrkb

GoldenEraGuitars said:

Pics would be good. 

My approach would be to message the seller of the neck and ask what he used to spray the neck. If it was from a rattle can, buy a can of the same tint and proceed to lightly sand the heel of the neck. You can then touch up the sanded area on the neck and achieve a colour match. 

I hasten to add that if you’re not comfortable or confident doing any of the work I’d suggest taking the body and neck to your local tech. 

But you then end up with a non standard neck, that will be difficult to sell on. The dimensions given by OP show it’s  the body neck pocket that’s not standard, just needs a slight sanding to widen it. Doesn’t take much as the wood on the treble side only extends 10mm along the side of the neck.