thebrig Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Has anyone ever narrowed a neck? ie, turning a precision size neck into a jazz size neck. I know I could do it without the frets on, but could it be done with the frets on, would I need to file the frets first with a metal file or is there a way of taking off the wood and frets at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) Isn't there a Precision with a narrowed neck for sale here at the moment? I'm sure I read it this week. Worth a look in the for sale forum and ask the seller? Frank. Edited July 1, 2020 by machinehead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 11 minutes ago, machinehead said: Isn't there a Precision with a narrowed neck for sale here at the moment? I'm sure I read it this week. Worth a look in the for sale forum and ask the seller? Frank. I'm looking to do another P bass self-build with a maple neck and I always prefer the jazz size necks, I usually use Squier VM or Mighty Mite necks on them but Mighty Mites are virtually impossible to find in the UK nowadays, and most maple necks on jazz basses usually have blocks which I don't like, so I was thinking of finding a Squier VM P bass with a maple neck and possibly narrowing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I’ve never done it , but looking at it from a carpentry angle, you would have to file the frets first , or remove them, and then slim the neck down with a spokeshave, I’d say it could be done but I think it would be quite a bit of work 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 @Andyjr1515 did one for me. I bought a nos Shergold neck and he reduced it down to jazz neck proportions. I believe he did a thread on it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Paul S said: @Andyjr1515 did one for me. I bought a nos Shergold neck and he reduced it down to jazz neck proportions. I believe he did a thread on it. I did...and I think I did. I'll see if I can find the thread. It doesn't need the frets removing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songofthewind Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 7 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: I did...and I think I did. I'll see if I can find the thread. It doesn't need the frets removing. I for one would be very interested in seeing this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Me too, please find that thread Andy 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 The thread is here. Some of the emoji's and bullet points are u/s in the thread but all the text and the photo links are still there: According to my thread text, I used a sanding block with 80 grit wrapped round (that would have been emery cloth - the red coloured stuff you can usually find in a roll in B&Q and Homebase, etc, decorating sections. Ditto the cork sanding blocks - cheap and cheerful). The reason for using cloth is that the fret ends tear through sandpaper too quickly. It doesn't take long, but you have to be careful always to be sanding from the fretboard side towards the back or along the neck edge, but again dead straight or, better, heading to the back of the neck so that the emery cloth is always pushing the frets into their slots and not out of them. I'll draw a picture if I can. I have also used a Shinto rasp in the past - Shinto' are great and work on metal as well as wood. But here again, you have to be paranoid in always filing the fret ends down into their slots and never up. Nevertheless, emery cloth works pretty quickly and is the safer option. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 What great work Andy, that blows my idea out of the water 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: It doesn't take long, but you have to be careful always to be sanding from the fretboard side towards the back or along the neck edge, but again dead straight or, better, heading to the back of the neck so that the emery cloth is always pushing the frets into their slots and not out of them. I'll draw a picture if I can. I mean like this. So as you are sanding along the edge, either direction, you are always moving the block slightly downwards at the same time and so the frets are always being kept secure in their slots: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songofthewind Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Thanks for that, Andy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Thanks Andy, that was the method I was thinking of using but wasn't sure if it was do-able or not. I might just have a go at it now 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz39 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Here's me thinking some burly craft-scissors and the finishing-cling film from the acoustic build would do the trick... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Gosh, reading that thread brought back memories of the bass. Wish I hadn't sold it. Hey Ho. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 @Andyjr1515 narrowed the neck on my silk bass when he brought it back to life...I'm sure there's more detail in the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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