• From: northern England
  • Registered: 2006-12-03
  • Posts: 36

Topic: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

I've got an old Korean Squier Telecaster that I've owned since the early 90's and was second hand when i bought it. Over the years I've replaced the bridge (and drilled through the body as the old one was a toploader) the nut (twice) and had all the electrics replaced including the pickups.  The only original parts that remain are the neck, body and the machine heads.  It now sounds great but the neck is on its last legs.  The frets have been redressed a couple of times already and are wearing badly.  The fretboard edge is wearing away and it's basically knackered.

Now for my problem.

Should I replace the neck with a cheapo no name replacement, buy a proper fender (or Mighty Mite) neck or just give up the ghost and buy a new guitar?

The reason I've kept this guitar so long is because it feels so nice to play.  It just seems to fit me and that's why I've kept throwing money at it rather than buying a proper tele and just binning it.

Does anyone out there have any experience with cheap replacement necks? Are they any good?  I'm not the most practical of people so how easy are they to fit?  I can use a screwdriver and a bit of sandpaper but beyond that I'm a bit clumsy.  Is it as simple as undoing and redoing screws or is there more to it?

Does anyone think I may be as well splashing out on an expensive neck and having it fitted and set up by a proper guitar tech?

Or is it time to buy a new guitar?

  • AJB99
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-01-02
  • Posts: 2

Re: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

99% of the reason why people love their guitars is because the neck feels "right".  Change the neck and you have got an old Korean guitar with an el cheapo neck. 

Fitting and setting up necks is not difficult.  But in truth it is time for a new guitar.  Get yourself a real, second -hand if you like -  tele and enjoy it for 20 to 30 years.  Money well spent.

Guitar collector -acoustic and electric.  Playing for too many years.  Forgotten too much.
  • Registered: 2007-12-24
  • Posts: 67

Re: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

I understand how you wear out frets, but I don't understand how you wear out a neck. People love the feel of an old worn neck on a 50's tele, why not a 90's Squire? Are the screw holes worn? Has refretting damaged the fingerboard?

If pickups are the nervous system of your guitar, the neck is the soul of it. You can get a first rate neck from Warmoth or any of several other sellers for about $200. You can get a cheapy from GFS for $50 or a respectable one for $90 from International Luthiers web page. The thing is, it will never feel the same. There is a slim chance you will like the new one better, but chances are that you will not like it as well. While mounting the new one is easy, getting the thing set up just so can be tricky. I would say, spend $45 on one more refret and save your real money for a new guitar. Then save this old friend for a back up guitar. Pull it out once in a while and enjoy that "well worn jeans" level of comfort.

  • From: northern England
  • Registered: 2006-12-03
  • Posts: 36

Re: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

thanks guys, you've been a help.  I'll keep it until it falls apart in my hand, then I'll buy an American Standard!

Cheers

  • Registered: 2011-11-29
  • Posts: 1

Re: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

Just found this.  I am in pretty much the same situation, and I was wondering how this played out for you.

  • From: northern England
  • Registered: 2006-12-03
  • Posts: 36

Re: fitting a new telecaster neck...or not

Good grief, I'd forgotten I'd posted this.

I took the advice and kept the neck.

I kept playing it for about two more years with the same neck.  I tried out a couple of other tele's and realised I was being over critical of what I'd got.  The frets were still ok and the fretboard edges were not really a problem.

Then, one day, I saw a bargain tele on ebay and bought it.  I fell in love with it and found I played the squier less and less.  I finally gave it to a friend who I still play in a band with (he'd given me a bass a couple of years before and he was in need of a guitar for a project we were working on at the time).  He still plays it and hasn't had any issues as far as I know.