Change neck profile???

locoblanco · #1 10-13-2010, 05:40 PM

I recently purchased a Silver Creek T160. I really like the sound, playablility etc with the exception of the V-neck....I have arthritis and a couple badly broken fingers from the past and the V shape seems to really aggravate it.

My question is can I change the profile of the V to a milder parabolic curve shape without ruining the structural integrity of the neck???...I have pretty good wood working skills and the tools to do it with ( I think) so I am not concerned with the actual task just what the net result will be....I searched forums about thinning the profile but this is more of an actual profile style change and I hadn't really found anything that addressed that....any thoughts???....thanks

Cheetotoe · #2 10-13-2010, 05:47 PM

Gitnoob has done it. He has a nice write up of it, but I dont have a link. Just do some googling with "gitnoob" in the search. By the way, my T-160 didn't come with a V-neck. It seems the newest ones don't, so you may have gotten an older one.

Joe Sustaire · #3 10-13-2010, 05:49 PM

I would go for it, if it'll make it better for you. The only thing to watch out for is to leave enough wood under the truss rod. Maybe someone here can tell you what kind of truss rod they use and how deep it's set into the neck. But I think that's the only thing you'd have to worry about structurally.

Good luck,
Joe

locoblanco · #4 10-13-2010, 06:08 PM

Thanks for the gitnoob heads up....I'll check it out....I have also pretty well decided to go for it as well....I am going to research the depth of the truss rod and decide from there how much to try taking off....thanks for the help.

Cheetotoe · #5 10-13-2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locoblanco

Thanks for the gitnoob heads up....I'll check it out....I have also pretty well decided to go for it as well....I am going to research the depth of the truss rod and decide from there how much to try taking off....thanks for the help.

No problem! Remember to take it very slow. You can always take more off...can't put wood back though.

gitnoob · #6 10-13-2010, 07:50 PM

Here's the thread about my neck shaping experience:
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=2588863

I love the both the new profile and the TruOil finish.

But, people have said that the latest batch of Silver Creeks has a new neck profile -- no longer a V. So you might consider selling your old one and trying a new one. A lot easier than what I did.

Chris Kemp · #7 10-13-2010, 07:52 PM

OK so you say that you are a craftsman with good wood working ability. When it comes to working on guitars that statement usually gets a lot of people in trouble.
I'm gonna take you at your word and give you a few pointers. First of all I have shaved a lot of necks and refinished them. The newer less expensive guitars have a heavy urethane coating on the neck. I have seen this put on so thick that the factory paints a wood grain finish over the top of it. I'm not sure if the Silvercreek is finished this way. If it is it will feather edge out when sanded but you will have to restore the urethane finish. This is not the urethane finish that you buy at home depot, it is the same type of two part finish that is applied to newer automobiles at the factory. Use a two inch or longer number twelve bolt and a magnet to see how much wood can be shaved before you cut into the truss rod channel. Hold the bolt in one hand and pass the magnet over it. Feel the pull. Now pass the same magnet over the back of the neck to see how much pull the truss rod has on it. If you are a craftsman, who is good with his hands, a few times of doing this you should be able to gauge how much wood you can remove. Be careful and remove the material a little at a time. You will be surprised how much of a difference fifty thousands of an inch can make. Measure the neck first with a pair of calipers up and down the neck at half inch intervals. Write all of this down and keep checking as you shave off the paint and wood. Good luck!

locoblanco · #8 10-14-2010, 04:57 PM

Many thanks to all of you who responded....the precautions suggested by Chris Kemp are good ones and I may well be one of those who find out the hard way that I only thought I was decent at wood working. Thanks for the tips and I will post later on my results....hopefully with no tear stains on the computer screen.

I appreciate the link from gitnoob and will take a look at it before going forward.

Thanks again to all....

Chris Kemp · #9 10-15-2010, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locoblanco

Many thanks to all of you who responded....the precautions suggested by Chris Kemp are good ones and I may well be one of those who find out the hard way that I only thought I was decent at wood working. Thanks for the tips and I will post later on my results....hopefully with no tear stains on the computer screen.

I appreciate the link from gitnoob and will take a look at it before going forward.

Thanks again to all....

Just remember a little bit at the time.