Vintique-style neck attachment

[kottkewannabe]

I realize this has been brought up a bit before, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer as to where to get the same thing without spending 70+ bucks. First of all, does anyone know what you call the threaded inserts? Threaded inserts? Set screws? Some sort of coupler? And does anyone have a link to where you would buy something that's threaded on the inside (for the bolt) AND the outside (to remain secure into the neck)? Home depot? Why can't I find anything like that in an hour of online searching? (Besides that I'm a dumbass) I've seen similar (yet unusable for this application) stainless steel inserts run something like 6 bucks for a HUNDRED! Certainly, there must be some place to find four of them and four bolts for under 70 bucks. Please help; I'm losing my mind.

http://vintique.com/necks.html

[Tonefiend]

They would have that stuff here.

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Also try Graingers, and if there is an industrial screw and bolt supply place in your area they will have it. In San Diego there is Ababa Bolt and Marshalls hardware.


Not that I would aver reccomend that modification. But $70 is alot of cash for $3 in parts. I guess the plating and neck plate account for the other $67

[Marcondo]

That neck attachment mod is a waste of time and $$ it does nothing to help the guitars sound. But it does make it real simple to remove the neck if you fly alot you could remove the neck and put your guitar in a suitcase.

A friend of mine did this mod to 3 of his Teles and the sound didnt change at all on any of them.

[kottkewannabe]

Tonefiend: Thanks for the link. I clicked around for quite a while and still couldn't find it. If you happen to know where I should go specifically, that'd be great but otherwise I'll try another route.

Marcondo: "That neck attachment mod is a waste of time..." is a bit of a bold statement. It certainly WOULD be a waste if my goal was to change the sound, but it's not. My truss rod adjust will be at the neck and the inserts will never strip out. Plus, they'll allow less moisture up into the neck. Sure I'm splitting hairs, but I'll have this guitar for 50 years and then pass it on to my son so in the long run, it'll be better than wood screws.

[Marcondo]

Pretty sure my friend got all the parts to do this for $8 at a Home Depot here in Bakersfield.

[kottkewannabe]

I fully believe you, but I went to my local Home Depot and never got a friggin' guy that could hand me what I was looking for. However, I've got a machinist on it who knows where to hunt this down in a second and we'll get something tomorrow. If anyone is interested in a set at a fraction of the price, feel free to post something here.

[duncan29]

Hello
I have 4 fenders and travel by plane frequently. I often thought how easy and how much safer it would be if I could just unscrew the neck from the body and put the whole assembly in a flight case, by the way REAL CHEAP but high quality all aluminium case are to be found at Rondo Music . com. HOWEVER the price of the vintique stuff is just rediulous, it is predicated on the fact that the parts are hard to impossible to find elsewhere. If you have found a reasonably priced alternative I would take it as a personal favor if you could tell me where to look. Incidently I beleive that albert King and Sonny Landrath both use this or a siimilar system.


Thanks Again
duncan29@pipeline.com

[Motojunkie]

I did a little searching, and this is what I came up with:

Go to McMaster-Carr and look at page 3037 about half way down. I'm not sure what size, but I think that's what you're looking for.

[duncan29]

Hello
Amazing this is exactly what we are looking for have you tried them yet? I f so what size bolt did you use?
Duncan

[guitar george]

You should be able to find the threaded inserts and screws at any well stocked hardware store or Home Depot.

As for the neck plate, that's another story.

Installation could be challenging but doable to anyone with decent woodworking skills and access to a drill press.

[Motojunkie]

No, I haven't tried them....yet. I'm going to wait until I have problems with the wood screws.

[kottkewannabe]

I contacted EZLOK (http://ezlok.com) and got four samples of each of their stainless steel knife thread inserts. Go to their website, click on "Wood" and then "Knife Thread". They have three sizes of stainless steel inserts. The largest one is too big so don't bother. As for the other two, you'll have to make up your own mind. The bolts (size 10...2" stainless steel from Ace Hardware...oval head) from the middle one fit snugly through the body holes and the inserts seem like they'll work out in the body just fine.

However, I called Bill Crook (of Crook Custom Guitars) and asked him about this. He said that he uses the size 8 inserts (EZLOK's smallest ones) and buys brass (non-EZLOK) ones at his local hardware store. He says they're strong enough to make a chin-up bar on (which he has) and that he uses them to leave the most amount of wood in the neck and to stay completely away from even the potential of poking out the sides of the neck with the threads. Personally, I'd still use the stainless steel (which he said weren't available at his local store) because they'll never tarnish or rust or corrode. Not to say that you're going underwater with these, but it seems like you'd want the connection to be as fluid as possible.

I've centered the size 10 inserts over the neck holes of a Tele and they seem to have plenty of clearance, but not tons. Bill says that Brad Paisley has had all of his guitar retrofitted with the small inserts, loves them very much, and has had no problems. Call EZLOK...they'll send you free samples of each...tell them you need four of each and just decide for yourself. My luthier's going to use the medium-sized ones on a guitar in the next week that's been stripping out time and time again and so I'll let you know what we think after the fact if anyone is interested.

[duncan29]

Hi
Just terrific the degree of intercoperation on this forum, my first one and I m very impressed Im going to try and get samples of All of them and try them out on a kay stratotone that
i use to learn new technique nd to try new parts , Ill keep you imformed , stay in touch
duncan29

[javacody]

I'm thinking about going this route too. How do you secure the inserts in the neck? I'm also thinking about using ferrules in the body holes so I can eliminate the neck plate. Anyone with any experience doing this?

[kottkewannabe]

We finally tried these, using the 10-24 inserts. As mentioned in E-Z Lok's chart, you drill a 3/8" hole, which is the exact size of the main body of the insert...the cylinder, minus the threads. Do this VERY carefully...center your bit right on the holes already there. Clamp it down if you can and check its "centeredness" from a couple angles before you pull the trigger.

If you drill the right hole and screw it in (using a flatblade screwdriver in the slots of the insert)...making sure to put it in as straight as possible...you will find that those little "buggers" are never coming out. The threads cut into the maple and they STAY. I suppose you could put a tiny bit of wood glue on them, but no one I've spoken with has felt any need to do so. After we cranked those in, there was absolutely no question to if they were going to last a lifetime, and I'm sure you'll find that to be the case as well.

One little note with these is that the appropriate bolts (something like a 1 3/4", SS, oval head, bolt) fit snuggly through my USACG body, but we had to ever-so-slightly widen the holes in the "real" Fender. It was an older, odd one, so I don't know if this is standard or what, but if Fender is in fact drilling a slightly smaller hole than USACG, this may account for Bill Crook opting for the 8-32 size.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

[kottkewannabe]

...no experience on the neck ferrules, though I'm considering using those on a Warmoth LP project in the future. They can make it out of korina (mmmm.....koriiiina) and though it wouldn't be vintage (or modern) correct, the purists would have to get over it and with these inserts (and USACG neck), I couldn't help but predict it having an even-better-than-glue connection (no mucky glue between the pieces of wood). Though I could bear to go with a bolt-on joint, particularly with their contoured heel, I'd still want to avoid a big shiny plate. Please let me know what, if anything, you find in this whole arena. Thanks, Cody.

[javacody]

Brad,
You know I need photos man! Give your fiance some loving and get her to take some pitchers! :)

[kottkewannabe]

Actually, she put in her two weeks . Can't blame (or fail to support) her...they were A-holes. But I can't help but privately mourn the loss of my free studio access. Alas...

Wait...with all of that crap, I can't even remember what you wanted pictures OF. At first I thought you meant my new neck, but that's a different forum. Remind me...

[javacody]

Well, my last post could be taken the wrong way (oops!), I meant the guitar neck of course. ;)

Too bad about her job.

You know, you could buy her a digital camera to cheer her up.

[kottkewannabe]

I'm still really slow, sorry. The LP is only in my mind, so there's nothing to take pictures of. If you meant my current USACG project, I was confused since I hadn't mentioned the new neck on this forum and so I didn't know if you were just tying it over from the other place. In any case, I fully intend to take and post all appropriate pictures as soon as I can (which is never soon enough, is it?)!

Take care, all!

[Tonebender]

kottkewannabe,

Was there any change in the tone of the guitar you put the inserts into?

[kottkewannabe]

This particular guitar came into the shop having already been dowelled once and they were crumbling; it wasn't simply a choice to upgrade. So, sorry...but there wasn't a frame of reference to compare it to. I believe it really has to do with how hard you crank down on them. If you give them a normal amount of tension, the neck and body should connect in a normal manner, but if you boost that amount up, you should reasonably expect different results.