Strat questions

[tomjackson]

Some questions for our forum experts

1. The body holes for the neck bolts are threaded on my strat, should I drill these out so only the neck itself has a thread? 

2.  Do you think the large HHH route in the american strats changes the tone from the vintage set up?

3.  Do you think the 2 pivot bridges change the character from the 6 screw bridges?

Thanks in advance....

[jpfamps]

Some questions for our forum experts

1. The body holes for the neck bolts are threaded on my strat, should I drill these out so only the neck itself has a thread?

 

Why do you want to do this?

2.  Do you think the large HHH route in the american strats changes the tone from the vintage set up?

I'm not convinced this will make much difference.

3.  Do you think the 2 pivot bridges change the character from the 6 screw bridges?

Yes, I think this definitely makes a difference. For what it's worth I prefer vinatge-style bridges.

[Philly Q]

Some questions for our forum experts

1. The body holes for the neck bolts are threaded on my strat, should I drill these out so only the neck itself has a thread?

 

Why do you want to do this?

I think there's an argument that, if the body holes are too small, the screws will "lock" in the body holes when they reach the neckplate, before the neck has been pulled tight to the body (unless you've clamped it first!).

On most US Fenders I've owned, the screws just barely touch the sides of the body holes - they look threaded but in fact they've just left marks and turn quite freely.

[tomjackson]

At present when i screw the neck on the screws thread through the body and push the neck away so theres a gap.  I suppose clamping would stop this but I've heard you get a stronger join if the screws pass through the body untouched. 

Same principal as this:-

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/hardware.html

[Philly Q]

I don't think it'll do any harm to drill the holes bigger, but only a tiny bit, just so the screws turn freely.  They don't need to be flapping around!

[Afghan Dave]

I read on either Strat-Talk or Telecaster Forum that you can create a tighter more resonant join by screwing the neck on 90/95% of the way...

Then tune guitar to pitch, so the string tension pulls the neck in tight...

Then finally fully torque the screws down into the neck...

Is this true, or mental?

[Philly Q]

I don't know if that gives a tighter join or not, but I leave the screws <100% tight before stringing up, because then I can see if the strings are properly aligned.  If not, there's enough play to yank the neck straight before fully tightening the screws.

[AndyR]

Related to what Dave's read, I read that on a strung and tuned strat (or tele, or any other bolt-on), that you can safely loosen the neck screws a few turns until it goes "crack" (not all do if neck already seated in the optimum position). Make sure it's lined up ok, then retighten the screws...

Idea is it gives you a better join, resonance, vibe, sex-appeal, chance of winning lottery... what ever your desire

I crossed my fingers and tried it - and much to my amazement it worked!!! The guitars are even in tune after the operation. I've done it to 5 fenders, 3 went "crack" and seemed noticably more "alive" afterwards. 2 were silent, and it made no difference to those.

One of the unaffected ones, my Roadworn, I've discovered has very tight screw holes in the body. Having said that, the neck/body joint looks very good and snug, sounds very alive as it is, so I'm not messing.

[jpfamps]

Some questions for our forum experts

1. The body holes for the neck bolts are threaded on my strat, should I drill these out so only the neck itself has a thread?

 

Why do you want to do this?

I think there's an argument that, if the body holes are too small, the screws will "lock" in the body holes when they reach the neckplate, before the neck has been pulled tight to the body (unless you've clamped it first!).

On most US Fenders I've owned, the screws just barely touch the sides of the body holes - they look threaded but in fact they've just left marks and turn quite freely.

That makes sense.

As you can tell I don't do guitar repairs.

Thanks.

[FELINEGUITARS]

At present when i screw the neck on the screws thread through the body and push the neck away so theres a gap.  I suppose clamping would stop this but I've heard you get a stronger join if the screws pass through the body untouched. 

Same principal as this:-

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/hardware.html

I drill the body holes so that the screws dont bind on the body wood - can cause problems when assembling otherwise

I use the threaded inserts on a few guitars of my own
Crank the neck as tight as can be!

The one thing I would recommend on a fender guitar is remove the damn production checklist sticker from the underside of the neck to get as much wood to wood contact as you can in the cavity

I read on either Strat-Talk or Telecaster Forum that you can create a tighter more resonant join by screwing the neck on 90/95% of the way...

Then tune guitar to pitch, so the string tension pulls the neck in tight...

Then finally fully torque the screws down into the neck...

Is this true, or mental?

I am really not sure or happy about how they describe that in terms of things going "crack"- although I suspect that what in essence is happening is that the strings are pulling the neck hard into the  body cavity and making good contact (and therefore good coupling as far as resonance goes) with the end of the cavity.
So you have a better resonant system going on - which considering  how poor the fit is on some guitars can only be an improvement. But you have to be careful applying full string tension without it being clamped in so as not to strip the screw holes.

[gingataff]

I read on either Strat-Talk or Telecaster Forum that you can create a tighter more resonant join by screwing the neck on 90/95% of the way...

Then tune guitar to pitch, so the string tension pulls the neck in tight...

Then finally fully torque the screws down into the neck...

Is this true, or mental?

Something like this?
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=456627

[martinw]

I read on either Strat-Talk or Telecaster Forum that you can create a tighter more resonant join by screwing the neck on 90/95% of the way...

Then tune guitar to pitch, so the string tension pulls the neck in tight...

Then finally fully torque the screws down into the neck...

Is this true, or mental?

Something like this?
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=456627

I did this today with my Strat. Worked a treat!  :D