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Bolt on neck to a set neck body?

This has nothing to do with a CBG, but the situation I was dealing with and how I overcame it could be helpful to someone as far as building technique/solutions are concerned.

I acquired a set neck body for a SG type guitar on FB Marketplace for a good deal, finding a neck for it wasn't easy.
I had also acquired a Gibson scale bolt on neck for a cheap amount.
So I thought about adapting the bolt on neck to the set neck body. I was working on a set-neck SG kit and compared the 2 and decided that I'd make a "spacer" to glue in the neck pocket to bolt the neck onto or glue the neck to or both!

The spacer would have to have a degree cut of 4 degrees to give the neck the right tilt, but it would have to have the neck at the right height and the part in the neck pickup cavity would need to remain a certain thickness without interferring with the neck pickup height adjustment.

Using the kit set-neck to get all my adjustments and checking the bolt on neck measurements, then subtracting the last from the first, I was able to get the right measurements for the needed spacer. I made 4 spacers before I got it all correct and cut right. I used some Red Oak I had in my shop for strength and had to orientate the wood to ensure that I wouldn't be gluing or bolting into end grain.

The spacer at the body pickup cavity is 10mm thick, 12mm thick at the end of the neck past the 22nd fret and 5mm at the 17th fret where the spacer ends.
Total length of spacer is 115mm
Width is 57mm to fit the neck cavity tightly and happened to be right with the neck width.

I'll be attaching the spacer first and then the neck being careful to get it in it's right scale position, making sure it's high enough for strings to be in plane with the bridge and making sure the neck is straight so outer strings with have good spacing on the fretboard without dropping off.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 23, 2021 at 10:24am

these 3 pics show the mock up, the contour I'll need to carve and the way the spacer gives the needed degree.

Permalink Reply by Rooster Reaves on October 23, 2021 at 1:05pm

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 25, 2021 at 10:44am

Hey Rooster, you have to click the HTML Editor button on top right of the window to post.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 15, 2021 at 11:37am

I found out that the spacer is actually 1/16" too tall.

I made a jig for my router and got my router out and discovered that it got wet during storage and rusted up in lock mode. I got the motor freed up but the collet wouldn't budge after 4 days of sitting in penetrating oil. The router was 20 years old(Craftsman) so off I went to get a new one. My angle grinder died 2 months ago so I bought a new Dewalt angle grinder and router with plunge adapter for my Christmas present.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on November 24, 2021 at 9:25am

I got the spacer trimmed down, but noticed that the degree seemed off. Then it came to me, I made me degree jig 4 degrees from 90 degrees on my Miter Saw. That actually gave it a 8 degree angle on my spacer.
The spacer was already glued in so I cut a new spacer from 0 degrees and glued it in place. Now this body is ready to place the neck, get sanded for primer/paint/clear.
How did I get the 4 degree cut from 0 degrees on a Miter Saw that doesn't have a 0 mark? First I put a 2x4 in and did a 45 degree cut, with that board still in place I used it as a stop base and put my 1x3 board against it(standing up), move the degree setting back to 41 degrees and cut.

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on February 10, 2022 at 10:07am

how did it turn out ?

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 13, 2022 at 8:29am

Hey Sam, I started painting, but the weather stopped me and then I went through a Sciatica attack that was real bad. It got up to 71 degrees yesterday and I thought I might get to work on paint and clear coat, but we 15 to 20 mile and hour wind, so no go. I may have to wait til spring.
The spacer for the neck worked out great once I figured out how to cut the degree correctly. ;)

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 1, 2022 at 10:12am

So I have an update.

I had about 4 coats of Dupli-Color Artic White and 4 coats of 2X clear and it was hanging to dry inside of my bathroom to keep the bugs off of it. While it was hanging on a hook, the hook straightened out and it fell about 2 & 1/2 feet to the tile floor. It first hit the headstock and chipped the paint, then flopped on it top after managing to hit both sides putting 4 dents in the Mahogany. Good thing the neck is Maple or that headstock would probably have snapped off.

I've had nothing but a bad time with this guitar and the Gold SG I'm also building, it's like they are cursed or something. LOL

I did the clothes iron trick with the steam on a wet washcloth and got the wood to swell enough to remove 3 of the dents 100%. The 4th dent was on the upper horn and it was about 3/16s" deep, I got 90% of it out. The rest will get some wood putty after I sand it back down to the primer and start painting again. Urrrrrgh!

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 1, 2022 at 10:13am

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 1, 2022 at 10:15am

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 8, 2022 at 10:17am

got all the paint off and down to the wood. fixed any dents or scratches and it's ready for primer. Just waiting on the weather.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 25, 2022 at 8:41am

Got it painted and oiled the fretboard. Added aluminum shielding and the tuners.
Next will be the bridge and stop tail piece and pressing in the bushings for them and cutting a few guard pieces. I'll be using Brown Tort material because it looks fantastic on White and too much Black would be bad.