Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

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Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by 6120 »

Hi all,

I’d like to build a partscaster and looking for any recommendations on good quality and accurate bodies and necks that I can finish myself.

I bought a very good body and neck from USA Custom Guitars in 2002 but they seem to have changed business model and I’d like to use a UK based supplier or maker as far as possible.

I’ve got loads of spare pickups, fittings, and electronics so just need the basic body and fretted neck & saddle.

If anyone has any recommendations that they’ve used and been happy with I’d love to know!

Cheers!
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by Sam Spoons »

My goto electric has a '90s Squire neck which is simply sublime and a body from a 'Richwood' Strat. It's a very nice guitar but both body and neck were already finished. I also have a replica/relic Strat with, IIRC, a Chinese made neck which is also pretty nice (it's chunkier than I like but more 'historically' accurate). I don't know of any UK made kits or parts though.
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by Music Wolf »

I used Northwest Guitars for my Partscaster build. I bought a finished body but I think that they do unfinished. They are close to me so I was able to go in an pick a body myself (I went in intending to get a Fiesta Red body but couldn't resist Surf Green). Neck and body were a very good fit.

Can't resist chance to re-post pic :bouncy:

Image
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by Wonks »

Do you want a plain wood body and neck which you will finish yourself, or ones that are already finished so you just have to maybe drill a few holes for pickguards etc. and just screw it together?

I know someone who's used https://www.guitarbuild.co.uk/ for bodies and necks. The bodies were OK, but they screwed up a custom neck order twice and the third neck was OK, but nothing special for the money.

He's then used https://guitaranatomy.com for the necks and Guitarbuild for the bodies and been happy with the result.

There are also various UK suppliers of Mighty Might necks and bodies.
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by 6120 »

Thanks everyone for your suggestions,

I can finish the body and neck myself but if I can get a reasonable cost finished body I'd go with that. I saw Northwest guitars and they look pretty good but don't know anyone near me who's got one but I'll give them a call.

Mr Music Wolf, that guitar looks just like the one I'd like too!

Mr Wonks, I thought Mighty Mite were long gone but again, I'll dig them out. I've also seen Warmoth are still available so will look at them.

Mr Spoons, I hadn't thought of an existing partscaster (Clapton and Gilmour both did it) simply because I'm trying to keep the cost down but if I can get something fairly low cost I'll go with that.

A bit of background on this: I was always a Strat guy but five years ago I bought a Patrick Eggle Super Strat (HSS) that, IMHO, is one of the best guitars available and I haven't played either of my two Strats in a serious way since and they're just not being used. The Eggle covers all the sonic bases I want and is extremely well built and comfortable to play and I really can't justify keeping two unused guitars on the wall.

My thinking is that I can sell my two very good Strats for a decent price and obviously buy another good guitar (been thinking of a P90 equipped guitar as I haven't got one), but, I'd still like to have a strat style guitar especially for the 2 & 4 positions.

I've got three spare sets of Bareknuckle strat pickups, Callaham bridges, Gotoh & Fender tuners as I swapped out various combinations of pickups and bridges on my Strats over the years, so I've really got everything you need except the body and neck to put them on.

I sold the USA Custom parts caster I put together to my nephew who was just starting out on guitars many years ago so I know what you need to do to put one together.

Thanks again!
Terry
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by Wonks »

Warmoth’s reputation these days is a bit so-so. Their quality control has been up and down, and you tend to pay for the name rather than the top quality they were once known for.

With necks, decide if you want to fit vintage or modern tuners, as the hole size is different and often the spacing is different by a few mm overall as well. You probably know this already, but it’s easy to forget when you see something you like!
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by 6120 »

Thanks Wonks, good point.

I should also add that I also got a tele body and neck from USA Custom Guitars a few months after getting the Strat body and neck and they made sure that the necks were a perfect fit for the body. I've still got guitar that and it plays brilliantly well.
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Re: Recommended replacement guitar bodies & necks?

Post by Random Guitarist »

I bought a deep v strat neck from northwest a few months ago. Excellent piece of maple, well shaped and flawlessly finished. The frets were up and down and had a tiny bit of 'fret sprout', but that's to be expected on a new neck.

I recently finished the guitar and could not be happier with it, the neck is a nbig part of that happiness.
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