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.
www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/32523-stainless-steel-tracing-profile-gauge?item=44K1402 Something like this could help. Stew ac makes templates of classic guitars-www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar/
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.
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 ........
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!
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.
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?
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.
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 .
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!
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.
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.
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 !
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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/
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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!!!
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.
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!
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/
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.
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
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 !
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…
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
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.
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.
Thanks for sharing your work. I can only guess that the owner is thrilled after the transformation, they're probobly playing it right now.
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.
Ugh… questioning the owners judgement. Find another guitar, don’t ruin that one. They make different models, lol.
Every day that a Les Paul neck is cured is a good day haha.
Great! I love slim necks like Ibanez Wizards. So I sanded down a Harley Benton and a Kramer Assault. But I have still to go a little more on them.
How did this turn out? I have a Kramer SM1 that I wanna sand down too.
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.
Thank you !!
WOW Excellent job............. Thanks for Sharing...............you are Blessed....
Looks great. I have an epi explorer that kills my hand so I’m going to try this
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
Beautiful
Thanks For watching !
thanks, I got a new epi SG custom, and the neck feels weird, but I love the front! LOL gonna be doing this
Good luck with it ! Thanks for watching !
Very nice work....a labour of love
Nice job. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome !
Nice work. Thank you for the lesson
, I appreciate your craftsmanship.
Thanks and you're welcome !
agreed.
Making a Les Paul what it should have been in the first place.
Ever tried a 60s Les Paul? It's like a shredder neck in comparison.
@@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.
Thanks for sharing, looks great
You're welcome. Thanks!!!
How much might someone expect a service like this to cost?
Hi. Great and very informative video! Thank you so much .
You're welcome !
Great job! Where could one find those neck profile cards you were using?
I’m about to do this very thing to my Les Paul Junior.
www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/32523-stainless-steel-tracing-profile-gauge?item=44K1402 Something like this could help. Stew ac makes templates of classic guitars-www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-necks-and-fingerboards/neck-shaping-templates-for-electric-guitar/
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.
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 ........
How does that work? Interested to know.
I would love mine done but I can not do that
How much a job like that cost? Thanks!
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!
How much would this cost to have done? I have a LP that needs the anti-club fix. Great video!
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.
If it's a Gibson then the resale value should be fine. Maybe sell it for a Classic?
Good job mate
I kinda want this on my lp too now xp
Well get it done then 😊
What grit you ise to remove the paint layer
I believe I cautiously started with 120 P grade sandpaper
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?
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.
50s vs 60s neck. Plenty of Epis and Gibsons have 60s necks those are great. 50s is... authentic. But not great to play.
I have an ESP Les Paul and it's nearly identical neck profile to my 60s neck Gibson.
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 .
Good job! But, I would have refinished the whole back of the neck including the back of the head stock.
Thanks !!!
I love this. Would this affect the structural integrity of the neck, making it more prone to the dreaded Gibson headstock snap?
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!
Great job! Liked and subbed!
Thank you very much !!!
Very nice work that came out looking very nice. Did you only use sand paper the entire time to take away material?
Thanks -Yes only sandpaper, with the exception of a card scraper on the finish, in spots, but otherwise only sandpaper.
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.
I have done several like this, only takes 30 minutes or less.
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.
Thanks for watching ! Good luck with it.
Do you reshape the neck? I am in the same situation
@@herickvar8608 I actually ended up trading the guitar for a PRS Starla which I liked more.
I do the same to most of my guitars :)
Cool -Thanks for watching!!!
The only scary thing for me- if you hit truss rod groove. I seen it few times. Do you have any "trick" to not fail here?
Did it on a cheap Jackson and just filled it with saw dust and CA glue. If I did that on a nice guitar I would be heartbroken.
Cabinet File works best for this job. I shape necks all the time. Just quicker but otherwise you did a beautiful job
Yes ....Great suggestion. Thank you for watching !
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 !
It's funny and quite repulsive when old men assign genders to inanimate objects, I hope you didn't try to stick your knob in "her".
Thank you Jamie! I found this highly informative, and now I'm not as frightened at the idea of having my les Paul neck thinned out!
Thanks for writing. Glad you found it informative!!!
Great! I worked it in my SG to V profile neck its sooo nice😍
So glad It worked out for you !
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?
www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products/original-wood-finish/
@@Barringtonjohnbruce Thank you!
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.
I agree, a good relic job would’ve gone a long way. Or like someone else said, stain the bare wood cherry red before applying finish
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 job! It looks like it came off the assembly line, like that!
Thank you for the kind comment Brian !!!
Does it fuck.......
would it be very hard to put it back to d shape ?
Might be easier to "shrink" your hand ; )
Isn`t his procedure dangerous for the Truss Rod?
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 job
Thank You
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.
I want to do the same on my Epiphone Casino coupe.
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.
Is posible to add more wood to sanded guitar neck? To make it thicker.
I'm sure there some kind of a epoxy type bondo
Lmao. Nope
interesting, thanks!
With all that sanding, how do you manage not to remove the side position markers (dots)?
Not much sanding at all happens on the sides ,so the position markers remain safe. Good question and an important concern though.
Side markers are almost always, at least a heavy 1/8” - 1/4”, this you’d basically have to sand too much before it’d even present itself as a problem.
I don't know.....
is there a change in the sound after the procedure?
Hi, can I use mineral oil to finish a neck? Thank you
Do most guitar techs do this
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
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/
Hey Jamie, where do you think I could send my Les Paul to get this done? Do you have a shop?
I was thinking the same thing, have a 84 Gibson custom that I would love for him to do my les Paul just like he did with that one, neck looked sweet!
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.
If that's a genuine Gibson, that's one hell of a way to devalue it...
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.
should have atleast matched the stain
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
took me 5-6 hours (X whatever your guy charges per hour)
"tried and true oil" is that tru oil?
Here is what I used - Thanks for watching !
www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/finishing-supplies/finishes-and-solvents/tried-and-true-original-wood-finish.html
Wow
you could've put some red tint in that oil
Stewmac sells a cherry that would have matched perfectly, but my friend wanted the raw mahogany look.Thanks for watching !
Aside from the two oil applications, how long did the sanding and shaping process take? Thanks
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.
@@Barringtonjohnbruce Thank you!!!!
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
@@Barringtonjohnbruce thanks. What oil did you use to finish and seal it?
@@jduncanm3golf www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Finishing_Supplies/Finishes_and_Solvents/Tried_and_True_Original_Wood_Finish.html
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.
Yes !Use callipers and neck templates and you'll be fine.
@@Barringtonjohnbruce thanks! I'm going to try it.
werent you worried about going to far and exposing the truss rod?
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.
@@Barringtonjohnbruce i have an Epiphone LP I want to do this to, but I'm very afraid of going too far.
@@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 !!!
thank you man i really appreciate your response
@@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
What brand of oil did you use? Did it change the tone of the guitar?
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.
If you want to change your tone, change your speakers.
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.
I'm in south west Nova Scotia
Nice. But.. Is it safe? What about truss rod? Thanks
The truss rod is the utmost concern, but we really aren't sanding too deeply. As long as you keep measuring along the way.
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!!!
Jamie Surette thanks for the response. If I get it done I will let you know what I find.
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.
It’s definitely a thick LP neck here!
Where are you located and how much does this service cost?
I'm in Nova Scotia Canada. As far as cost- It's 5-6 hours of work
Mahogany neck? Looks like maple.
what would be the cost for that?
Could easily be a 5 hour + job, x whatever rate your guy charges.
@@Barringtonjohnbruce that is a low cost labor hour, cheers.
Where u locate and HM u charge ?
What kind of oil did you use on the neck?
www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products/original-wood-finish/
That buffer damaged my hearing! lol
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!
How did you make those profiles? Thanks!
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/
@@Barringtonjohnbruce Thanks!!
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.
what oil did you use?
www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products/original-wood-finish/
why dont you buy a guitar with a slimmer neck? this is painful to see
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
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 !
Sounds like you’re masking an Irish accent
My first language is French !! Thanks for watching !!!
Jamie Surette wow, sorry for the mixup.
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 !!!
Jamie, great post!! Can I ask how you were sure you didn't sand through or near to the truss rod. That's what stops me doing the job on my ES339
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…
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
Anything lower than 120 would be too rough. Use P Grade paper the grit on the P grade is more even. Good luck!!!
@@Barringtonjohnbruce I appreciate it. How else could I prevent from scratching or sanding the fret board? (I have a rose wood fretboard)
@@mothmanpowerbomb4757 Masking tape and caution will get the job done.
This is a crime against humanity 🪦
I hate C shaped necks, this made me weep. Just so you know.
What`s the point, it still has that ridiculous 17 degree head stock angle, which is the very reason I`ll never buy a Gibson.
How do I say this in a nice way......here goes....this is a crime against humanity
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.
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.
Dodgy shaving down the neck it’s easy to hit the truss rod, then it’s only good for fire wood 🪵 😂😂
Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!