Headless president!

[Acoustic addict]

I inherited this headless 1964 Hofner President (Serial No:1166) Thin Brunette in the late 90s & held on to it all these years in the hope of finding an original neck for it! However, this seems almost impossible, so far. So I've now decided to buy a pre made neck stock & get it finished by a luthier/ repairman.

The biggest problem I've encountered so far is finding the exact measurements for this neck. I've made a drawing of it in the hope that some kind soul out there might be able to help me. I'd be very grateful if anyone out there who owns a 1964 President Brunette, would be kind enough to provide me with the neck measurements! Perhaps just note these on the drawing itself & post it?

DESPERATE!

Thanks in advance.

[Acoustic addict]

http://s987.photobucket.com/user/raa...tml?sort=3&o=0

http://s987.photobucket.com/user/raa...tml?sort=3&o=2

http://s987.photobucket.com/user/raa...tml?sort=3&o=1

[Ned Milburn]

Anyone that hand-carves necks and hand-carves them well should be able to make you a suitable quality replacement. It might not be the exact duplicate of an original factory made, but it should be close enough to be authentic looking.

The only real dimensions you need are the neck thickness (1st and 10th frets or just before the heel begins) and width (nut & 12th frets).

I'd recommend you choose a fingerboard radius and neck shape that suits your playing, rather than be dogmatic about sticking to the original. Not often you get the chance to have a custom made neck for a guitar, other than ordering the whole guitar from a luthier.

[Acoustic addict]

Yes absolutely, I just need a neck made as close as possible! I know, for I 've tried to get an original neck for the past 15+ years to no avail! I might follow your advice about the neck radius & thickness as I don't have very long fingers!

Not often you get the chance to have a custom made neck for a guitar, other than ordering the whole guitar from a luthier.

Well, I've already contacted a couple of luthiers who were very willing to take this on! They also assured me that it's better to have the original specs if the guitar is to maintain any of it's original resemblance or value!! Their estimate was around £500 to make a complete neck from scratch! (But I forgot to ask if that included the fretboard as well!)

I then just found out that a few companies are supplying excellent half fabricated necks for between £35-£100 depending on the wood type. This would actually save the luthier a lot of time & me quite a lot of money in the process.

The reason I asked for the neck specs was 'cause there a few variations in lenghts & widths of the necks supplied!

I hope am not being dogmatic (or may be a little)..but I only want the guitar as close to as the original! Thanks just the same for your thoughts & comments!

Cheers!

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by Acoustic addict

Yes absolutely, I just need a neck made as close as possible! I know, for I 've tried to get an original neck for the past 15+ years to no avail! I might follow your advice about the neck radius & thickness as I don't have very long fingers!

Not often you get the chance to have a custom made neck for a guitar, other than ordering the whole guitar from a luthier.

Well, I've already contacted a couple of luthiers who were very willing to take this on! They also assured me that it's better to have the original specs if the guitar is to maintain any of it's original resemblance or value!! Their estimate was around £500 to make a complete neck from scratch! (But I forgot to ask if that included the fretboard as well!)

I then just found out that a few companies are supplying excellent half fabricated necks for between £35-£100 depending on the wood type. This would actually save the luthier a lot of time & me quite a lot of money in the process.

The reason I asked for the neck specs was 'cause there a few variations in lenghts & widths of the necks supplied!

I hope am not being dogmatic (or may be a little)..but I only want the guitar as close to as the original! Thanks just the same for your thoughts & comments!

Cheers!

I think 500 pounds is a fair price if the job is well done. I would expect that price should include fingerboard, fret-work, and mounting on the guitar.

For reference, if I were to take the job on I would not bother with trying to pre-order a neck. I'd simply build one from scratch to the desired specs. A big cost factored into the price of the job is the fret work and even bigger is the re-finishing. Other than that, a neck is pretty simple. A few sticks of wood (& truss rod) glued together, shaped, then completed with finish, frets and tuners.

[charles Tauber]

IF you can find a neck that will just "drop in", then, yes, having a fully assembled neck, with slotted, attached fingerboard, will save a luthier time/money.

I strongly advise against buying a half-backed neck and then giving it to a luthier and say, "Make this work". Instead, if you agree with him or her to use a pre-made neck, let the luthier select - and be responsible for - the neck chosen. Of course, the neck chosen should meet with your approval, before the luthier orders/purchases it. If something sufficiently close to what you want can't be found as a pre-fabricated neck, then it probably is just as cost-effective to have the luthier build one from scratch, rather than modify a pre-fab that isn't what you want, or won't work as supplied.