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Neck replacement on a Les Paul........


Fubar

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I don't think it would be a waste.

is it better to toss the guitar?

do lps all cost 300.00?

when did you last toss out 300.00, and which window should I watch?

 

set necks are made to be removed. so it can be done for sure.

google the process, I bet it's online somewhere.

 

Also, having spent a lot on both my epis over the years, I don't like 'polising a turd'.

My turd studio rocks out completely! I'm glad I got it, and feel good about what it cost.

 

 

where's the neck broken?

TWANG

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You see Stan I"m just curious by nature and like to know how things are dones and then do them myself......I could put up some guitars I've refinished but compared to these projects they were minor in comparison.......these are only a few of the pieces that were smashed to pieces that I put back together and rolled out of my garage........so you see its not about the money its about the challenge......so anyone taken one of these necks off?

 

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Nowhere in particular Twang I've seen a few new heritages etc broken at the headstock......I've also seen guys that are selling replacement necks now without pocket sizes I dunno if they would even fit.......but if it did it could be a fun project to pull one apart and refinish it like I did with an old Ibanez in gun oil......she's gonna be along cold winter up here in the great white north.......

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I see, OK, No better way to learn repair then to dive in and do it yourself. I was wandering where you'd find a neck, but think it could probably be done. Twang is a dealer and has done alot of stuff like that, and might be helpful. Good luck and let us know whats going on. Stan. P.S. love the Virago!!Nice collection!

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the virago came home on a flat bed, it was taken in exchange for a debt owed by the previous owner who took out a stop sign on it........the motor and frame were still in good shape so I rebuilt it from the crown up and back.......a ton of used parts lil wiring and complete repaint and and some rechrome.......and she was good to go......

 

my neighbour was smuggly grinning as he polished his Kawi Vulcan in his driveway the day I brought it home.......the following spring he wanted to trade bikes!!!

 

the current project and rig du jour is old school, for this winter it is right a 66 traynor and outboard reverb with an OBrien custom cabinet and emminence private jacks amps have been repotted retubed and recapped they will be retolexed and new grill cloths after Xmas.......but I'm always game to try rebuilding something......I agree sounds like Twang is a go to guy in this forum......

 

 

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the virago came home on a flat bed' date=' it was taken in exchange for a debt owed by the previous owner who took out a stop sign on it........the motor and frame were still in good shape so I rebuilt it from the crown up and back.......a ton of used parts lil wiring and complete repaint and and some rechrome.......and she was good to go......

 

[/quote']

 

Nice "basket case"! I had a 97 Virago 1100 Special with a custom painted tank.

(Indian warrior on a horse). It was a great bike and I would still have it today

but I got a disease in my knees '02 that cause my knees to collapse, so rather

than embarrassing drops at stop lights etc..I sold it to somebody that really appreciated it.

Excellent reliable bike and I had a lot of fun on those curvy country roads with

it.

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anyone replaced a neck on a les Paul' date=' not the bolt on type.........not knowing much about epis, I assume these are glued anyone taken the joint apart.....if so how did you do it............thanx#-o [/quote']

 

It can be done, but very tricky. You would have to cut out as much of the old broken neck as possible

and then deal with the tenon. Obviously you would have to invest in a heating iron to save the fingerboard

if it was a Gibson. On the Epis (with MOT markers) it's still possible but may not be worth it as you can

get a new fb and frets a lot cheaper than a heating iron to remove the fb.

 

Even if you got the old tenon carved out and the mortise undamaged to accept the new tenon, you'll

have to have a protractor to set the neck angle and keep it at that angle until the glue is dry. The

angle is roughly 4.4 degrees from the horizontal. If the neck "moves" during clamping and the neck

angle is off...the action will be off as well and you may not have enough adjustment in the t-o-m

to correct it.

 

Then you have the install the frets on the fingerboard and clamp the fingerboard to the neck...unless

you manage to find a neck complete with fingerboard.

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thanx for the insight Caverman.........this sounds like some research is going to be required, I thought the neck may come out a lil cleaner than that.......I wouldn't even attempt this without a complete replacement neck.......

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thanx for the insight Caverman.........this sounds like some research is going to be required' date=' I thought the neck may come out a lil cleaner than that.......I wouldn't even attempt this without a complete replacement neck.......[/quote']

 

The neck is glued to the body at the heel, the sides of the fb and the tenon, not

just the tenon, so it's a big job and fairly involved "surgery" to remove the old

neck. The Gibson repair shop can do it obviously, and so can a lot of good luthiers

out there that have the equipment and knowhow to do it..but it is not going to

be cheap by any stretch of the imagination due to the hours of labour involved.

 

The fit of the new tenon has to be fairly tight in the mortise (groove in the body

that accepts the tenon) and then you have to have a clamping jig to apply pressure to

the new neck in two directions (from the top and from the heel), as well as having the neck

and body supported at the proper angle in a pre-calibrated neck offset angle

support jig to get the correct action.

 

Stew-Mac sell these for several hundred dollars, but for a single repair,

you would have to build one yourself out of plywood using a long folding protractor

to set the correct neck calibration check from the body.

It can be done but it takes a LOT of preparation ahead of time and a fair amount of work to

remove the old broken neck.

 

The string tension is around 225lbs on the neck, so the gluing and clamping

has to be done properly the first time, otherwise the second neck may have to be removed.

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