Neck replacement on Strat

[maxtheaxe]

Hello, new guy here, contemplating a neck replacement on a '95 fender Roadhouse Strat that's had some hard knocks.

To this end I've ordered (and just received) a Mighty Mite neck; maple with ebony board, 9.5"-12" compound radius. I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of this neck; some nice birdseye and even a bit of flame here, buttery-smooth ebony board with some nice color striping. decent fret polish/roll with very little detectable protrusion of the ends...and, totally unexpected, MOP dots (was sure it would have clay dots) all for about a third of what I would have at Warmoth or Fender.

The cons to this neck are few, but will need to be addressed; the nut is junk and I'll be replacing it with a graphite nut; wondering whether or not to go with pre-slotted. Also, the finish is very thin satin poly; thinking about going with a more durable, possibly gloss refinish prior to mounting this.

I have never replaced a neck, refinished, made a nut; I've remounted and adjusted the existing neck, which has a micro-tilt feature, but if this neck angle adjustment is necessary on the MM neck, I expect I'll have to shim.

Really, I guess what I'm asking is...is this likely to be a more or less straightforward bolt-on, other than the nut and finish issues? Also, what type/brand of laquer is best to refin a neck?

Incidentally, I'm also replacing the stock Strat trem bridge with a Wilkinson 100V trem bridge, so I may need to mount that first to set the static scale-length at 25.5"...waiting for the new bridge to hit the door.

Sorry for the long post...any advice from guys who've already been down this road will be much appreciated. Thanks

Max

[Schroeder]

Hey Max! So in reply to your question, there are a couple of pointers we can shoot out to ya. This install of a new neck on an instrument like a Fender is USUALLY pretty straightforward. If you're considering putting a new bridge on it as well, try installing one of them first just to make sure that will work before moving on... it's always easier to figure out a problem that comes along if you only have one variable to consider instead of many. We have never installed or checked out the Mighty Mite necks, mostly because we already have a couple manufacturers that we are pleased with, and to be totally honest, we've never been all too satisfied with any of the parts we have gotten from them. However, since I've never seen one, I won't pretend to say wether or not they're good.
Replacing the nut would be ideal for sure, replacing a plastic nut with practically anything will make it sound better. If you're going to attempt it yourself, probably a pre-slotted nut would be easier. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to slot string spacing in a nut if you've never done it before. Making a nut is a pretty in-depth, complex task. If you're considering doing it yourself check this link for a good overview of the process and everything you might need:

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/a-nuts.html

As far as finishing the instrument, we use a glossy nitro-cellulose lacquer. You can buy aerosol cans of this from various places, including Stewart Macdonald. Before you spray the neck, try on a test piece of wood or something to get your technique down so you can avoid getting runs, bubbles, etc. Nitro is extremely difficult sometimes if you're not in the right conditions. It sounds better than poly, but poly is probably a little simpler for non-professionals.

Hopefully that can give you some direction in your endeavor. Good luck! Peace!

Clark Post
Guitar Tech
Schroeder Guitar Repair

[maxtheaxe]

Hi Clark, Thanks for the reply. I live on the north Oregon coast, which means it's humid and cold here until about May. Since I'm already dealing with the bridge and the nut, I may just go with the finish that's on it for now and see how it wears. As you say, the fewer variables the better, and my conditions here are indeed difficult for applying finishes of any kind. I've done a lot of varnishing on yachts, usually teak or mahogany, and know from experience that a cool humid day can ruin a days work very easily.

One question...is it necessary to completely strip the poly before applying nitrocellulose? Will the nitro have any tooth on well-prepped poly?

I have to admit that I took a chance with the Mighty Mite, but it was a calculated risk, as I read as much info and as many reviews as I could lay my hands on. Nothing I read prepared me for just how good this neck turned out to be, and everything I read prepared me for the finish and nut issues.

I'm also thinking that I might be best served to install the bridge first so that I can physically measure the scale from it, and know whether I have to make length adjustments before I drill into the heel.

Thanks for the link to nut-making technique! Hey, BTW, do you have any recommendation regarding graphite vs. slip-stone delrin?