Thanks for the kind words. And you are correct -He really wasn't playing it before, and now plays it a lot more due to the right feel. Made to be played !!!
@@feliceconte123 if you go through the gibson custom shop, the thinnest you can get is the V3 neck. IIRC its pretty close dimension wise. I’ve also seen some les paul standard 60’s that reach the oval C specs. You’re probably still gonna have more shoulder but you just gotta look around.
Really nice. I just got bought a neck from someone that had every spec I was looking for but is 0.9, where my other guitars are more like 0.86. It's only finished with tru oil so I wasn't too intimidated but, still, it's inspiring to see someone come out with such a beautiful result.
Good luck with it!!!! Stewmac now sells templates like the ones I made, of various makes and models.www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Necks_and_Fingerboards/Neck_Shaping_Templates_for_Electric_Guitar.html
@@user-lv7ph7hs7l 60s slim taper is still to chunky for my taste. I have been playing the hell out of a Schecter Solo II Blackjack. That neck is the thickest I can do. The Fender modern C profile suits me well also, though Fender fretwork is awful in my opinion. I know there are a couple good Fender necks out there, but they are hard to find. My friend has one such guitar. I have purchased 6 in the last two years and the last 3 I returned. I am thinking I might prefer the 24.75" scale length with jumbo frets. I'm always looking for the unicorn guitar that I can't put down. I am a drummer first.
look mom no scarf joint.haha..what grit did you start w the long fabric paper???my necks black on guitar so hoping maples okay underneath,but I wanna go for it..looks nice great job..
Hi thanks....I started with 120 grit of P grade paper. So if you see the letter P, that means the grit is very even and you'll likely pay a bit more for it.
Jamie Surette Thanks for the response I appreciate it.. I just put together a Strat kit and the neck is too meaty for me and this helps a lot. Take care bud.
Nice job ! I just bought a new accoustic and it's hard to play clean with the big ass neck . So I'm going to try to make it like my strat neck .I had a strat once that had a hard to play neck and took a sander too it .
Buy a Cabinet maker's gauge to check the profile of the neck in progress. You can take a perfect snapshot of the profile at any fret, compare it to your templates, and be a whole lot more accurate and quicker. They're not expensive ........
Not enough material is removed from that area in this case......but it's still as prone as ever for this headstock snap. I have a Gibson eds1275 from 1982 that has the neck volutes .They don't get in the way and they really reinforce this area of the neck/headstock. I wonder if most people didn't like them or it added to much time/cost in the manufacturing?
@@Barringtonjohnbruce I would much rather have the Volutes as an insurance policy on my investment. I couldn't care less about how the back of the guitar neck looks. I bet you are right, fussy customers probably shelved that feature. Keep making great videos!
Would a neck or headstock repair prevent one from sanding down their guitar’s neck exactly as you did here? I don’t have any info on the repair but based on what I can see it doesn’t look like the repair/repaired crack extends to any portion of the neck; mostly on the headstock and the area where the head meets the neck that you did some fine tuning on. Thanks.
I really want to do this exact thing to my LP. But I had a bad refret once so i'm terrified to have someone do this because other than the neck being too fat I love how it plays.
Only if you take too much away to expose the truss rod. Otherwise the adjusting of the truss rod affects the topside (fingerboard) side of the Truss rod . Not the back of the neck side. Not too much should be taken away by the headstock either.
Great video. I just had this done to a Harley Benton LP style guitar. My hands just never fit with the fat LP neck. What was that finish oil you put on?
I have a FG710-s yamaha that sounds incredible but has terrible D type neck....shoulders are uncomfortable. Neck is very thin with sharp shoulders. I'm a little worried that even if I just take a bit off the shoulders I may make the neck less stable....it's thin. I want to just round them a little.
These are handy www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Necks_and_Fingerboards/Neck_Shaping_Templates_for_Electric_Guitar.html - and may help with your decision.
Great video and nice work. What are your thoughts on converting it to a thin "D" shape by just standing the center flag and leaving the shoulders pretty much as is?
Thanks . That would be fine as long as you are careful. Stewmac sells templates that are helpful if you find one in the dimensions that you want.www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Necks_and_Fingerboards/Neck_Shaping_Templates_for_Electric_Guitar.html
So I have a Slash Epiphone Firebird that the neck is D shaped, It felt fine when I played it to buy it but the longer I played it I started getting thumb pain, its the shoulders on the D shape of the neck. I could do the same as you do on it correct? Except what would you recommend for getting past the poly coat? ( I know patience and sanding) I wouldn't think using any chemicals as that would mess up the binding, Did you use grain filler on the neck or just applied the True Oil?
what about the binding?did you tape it? and does it blend in w out lip on the outer sides by binding?**it looks like it has binding this guitar?***I just got a sweet deal $36 vintage brand Les Paul ,necks way fat n I'd like to shave her down as your found,tough to do certain useful chords w it being too wide n chunky..but my binding has a aged look n I don't wanna fudge up the curb appeal, any ideas,best $36 guitar I ever had,put mini humbuckers,cts pits good caps 50,s wired,n put $30 set Grover mini tuners I like better than big tulip knobs n faux Jade always despised them tuners klusons I guess ..I've done this on few guitars but never bound neck..I didn't catch ehat oil your using(type wise)..I like bare wood necks,once your hand oils do the polishing n really gets very fast for leads..nice vid thanks reply be helpful..winter project yes. .
I didn't tape it but I was careful in this area. If your binding is white and has aged nicely then you don't want to sand it. If you do then Stewmac.com sells a "Straw" stain that looks good when ageing white binding.
Very nice,man!Would you can do this for my guitar too???No,joke!I did it by myselfe in 3 sessions and the result is more then i expected,wonderful!I did this on a Harley Benton Aeolus Bengal Flame,and now it´s so much better than before!Without the lack!Nice C-profile and a very nice design;eingeleimter Hals: gerösteter Riegelahorn!!!It looks and feels fantastic!
Hi there. I’ve got a “vintage” fender strat reissue with a “thick C” neck profile. How much might this service cost near me? I want it to play like my other strat. Thanks
How difficult/easy would you say this job was? I am thinking of doing a overhaul on my epiphone les paul as my preferences have changed so one of the changes I want to do is make the neck less fat and more like a strat or my jackson.
Quite easy if you have the right measuring tools. Here are some templates you could buy of common shapes.www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar/. Stewmac also sells lacquers, so if your neck is Mahogany you would pore fill first, but if it's maple you could spray right from an aerosol can, some of which are tinted. If you heat the can in a bath of hot water before spraying it will spray like a dream. Good luck ! www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/finishing-supplies/colors-and-tints-and-stains/colortone-tinted-aerosol-guitar-lacquer/
It's been a while , but I likely sanded and checked the profile for a 3 hour period. Certainly didn't want to go too fast with this. Thanks for watching.
I'm mostly a hobbyist in an area flooded with musicians, so I keep busy locally here in Nova Scotia. Maybe a face book search on a guitar site in your area would get you testimonials, on some of the most trusted luthiers. Good luck and thanks for watching.
www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Finishing_Supplies/Finishes_and_Solvents/Tried_and_True_Original_Wood_Finish.html. He hasn't mentioned a change in tone, but I can't help but think that a slightly smaller neck may sound a bit different than a thicker neck. I doubt the finish on the neck would have made a difference in the tone.
Where's your contact info? I've got an Epiphone Les Paul 100 that has a tree trunk neck that needs to become a Hendrix sized neck. I've only got my Dean Strat HSS knockoff and my Jay Turser Knockoff SG in the meantime until I can get it sanded down.
you could use something like this against your favourite neck - www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/32522-pvc-profile-gauge?item=03N0101. or just use the premade ones from stewmac -www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar/
Nice work. I'm considering getting this done to a Dean ML with a bit of a baseball bat for a neck. Does sanding it down like this change integrity of the neck? ie. being more susceptible to temperature change/ needing neck adjustments more often? -Thanks.
The integrity of the neck shouldn't change with this kind of alteration as we are keeping the size of a Strat in this case. If you go too thin then it's a chance you take . I can't help but think the tone will change slightly from a thicker neck to a thinner neck. Your last question is a really good one - one I would like to know the answer myself. My guess is that it would need more frequent adjustment ,if it's just a wooden neck and truss rod, but if it's reinforced with titanium or carbon fibre, they don't require truss rod adjustments that often. If you get it done you should write back in time and let me know the differences. Thanks and good luck!!!
You got this ! Stew Mac sells profile templates . But a profile or contour gauge taken from your favourite guitar and some sandpaper and a calliper and you're well on your way to enjoying that guitar more than ever. On a side note, I think I would Like to add a Casino to my collection someday.
The necks on Gibson's/Epiphone with that wide shoulder instead of rounded neck makes the neck feel unnatural for me. However I do own an Epi SL which is the cheapest les paul available and the neck feels great! haha..Its more similar to my ESP/cheap strat.
I guess you're matching a set profile, but I feel that one would only need to sand the bottom half, behind the lowest strings? Also, that Les Paul's neck must be very thick because I don't remember Stratocasters having thin necks, been awhile though.
Can this be done on an acoustic with a rod in the neck? I bought a brand new Taylor online and the seller is ripping me off on the return ($500 restock) so I'm either going to sell it or modify it.
Great video! Just the thing I was looking for! I used to own a Gibson Les Paul 1960 Classic in tobacco sunburst she was beautiful! She had a fall and broke her neck. I have a Les Paul Studio....it has more of a 50's style neck...kind of fat. Could I do something like this to make it more of a 1960's cut? Subscribed with the bell!
Thanks ! You could use rasps and files , but here I show how good P grade sandpaper can do the job just fine. Stewmac Has templates of popular neck sizes now ,which could make this even easier. www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar/. Good luck !
Thanks for the video! I've been wanting to try this for a long time. I'm wondering about the grain on a mahogany neck. Do you think there is a need for pore filling? In the video, the surface of the neck looks very smooth and consistent. Did the original pore filling go deep enough that the sanding didn't "re-expose" the grain? Thanks again!
The original pore filling was sanded off .I would like it as smooth as possible if it were my guitar ,so pore filling is a great idea indeed.Thank you Tim !
The job itself looks well executed but the guitar looks odd to me. I would have preferred if more transitional marks were done mimicking the wear the hand would do at the top and bottom of the neck.
Who cares ….. seems like the owner is an actual player and not a collector / reseller , so why would he care of it Lowers the value. He’s gonna keep the guitar for life.
I am so glad to see someone do this. I have a Epiphone Les Paul Gold Top that I really like. But the one thing I dont like about it is the neck carve. I am a fender guy and Gibson and Epiphone necks tend to have fat shoulders which I am not a fan of. So, not I see this is something I can totally do myself. Looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Thanks for watching. This is not unusually thin like a Petrucci model or anything, just a bit smaller. But one always feels a bit nervous when working on any guitar.
@@MrBLawson85 www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar.html A call to stewmac might help. They sell these templates that will help you along. They also sell stains , and have a cherry stain that would match perfectly with this guitar ,but the owner wanted it natural. With your Epiphone be carefull of not removing too much at the nut /truss rod nut, area of the back of the neck. Again ,those templates, a caliper , and I used 120 Grit papers as to not be too aggressive ,and with some care you should be fine. Stewmac has experts that will help with your questions !!!
@@Barringtonjohnbruce Hi Jamie, I have an Epiphone with at veneer on the body. Do you think I could do this to the whole back of the guitar (neck, headstock and body) without the veneer falling off or something? Greetings from Denmark
Hello, I am trying to do that to my LP, when you are using the wheels you add something like a white bar, what is it? . Minute 10:53 Thank you in advance.
www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/sanding-and-polishing/buffing-and-polishing/colortone-buffing-compounds.html. Thanks for watching !!!
No need to really go thinner there more than 1mm As Gibsons are 22mm all the way down, The fender is 21mm The truss rod is 1/8” (3mm) deep in a Gibson, So if you go a 16th” (1.5mm) you are 1.5mm safe… more potential for it to snap off. But it’ll work…
Some of those 70s les pauls had such thick necks, they were almost unplayable-very fatiguing if your on a long gig & is what kept me away from PRS guitars
I've been wanting to sand the red finish of of my SG but I'm not sure what gade sand paper I should use just to remove the finish without accidentally misshapping the neck
haha... I've since found out how I can lower the volume in different segments on I movies, so I'll be doing that in the future .Thanks for watching !!!
Seems to me the customer is just asking for his Les Paul to end up with a broken head stock. The head stocks on Les Paul's already seem to snap off with ease with the stock thick d shaped neck, the customer better never accidentally drop this guitar, even on carpet.
it's not because of the thickness Les pauls necks break off as often as they do, it's because of the backwards tilt and width of the headstock itself and it falling on it's back and not face.
I would agree. The last thing u ever want to do is remove any mass under the nut into the headstock. The angle of headstock matters (at 14degrees) b/c it puts more string tension stress at the nut where LPs tend to break. If u don’t like the neck don’t buy the guitar. Not to mention any resale value that LP had is GONE.
Peter Frampton would beg to differ, his black beauty had the neck thinned out, and the middle pick up was added after.... I sanded down my Les Paul neck because the thickness was giving me hand cramps, I love my Les Paul, if I can love it more with a slight alteration...I say...do it!
Gustavo Millan I have one that I love but the neck is just too fat compared to my others. It was an online order and I did not realize how much neck shape mattered. To me, I have so much history with that guitar, I would consider a new neck or thinning it up a bit
You should have removed all the lacquer in my opinion off of the hill and the back of the headstock leaving only the black face of the headstock and the lacquer on the body itself the transition marks look cheap.
OMG and here I am trying to find fattest neck I can. Can’t stand skinny necks. My hands and fingers too big. I couldn’t finish watching. Good work tough for those that are interested in skinny necks. Thx.
getting ready to watch...so your going to shave down what is not even really arguably the worlds most prone to breaking neck and make it even thinner?..........ya cause what could go wrong.
