Necks and Bodies Faqs

Why are your prices for necks and bodies so low?
For a couple of reasons. We run a small shop so our overhead is lower. There are no employees, just myself and Bette, so each neck and body you order is hand made by me. I was a programmer engineer for many years so I do web programming, database for accounting, networking, mechanical and electronics mods and design for in house tooling and blueprints for our necks and bodies. This all saves a lot of money for internal operations of a small business.

And lastly, we are new and have to earn your trust so we are charging low prices at this time. We know they are low, but rest assured we will raise them over time. We are currently much lower than the big guys when you compare apples to apples and our quality is as good and better from our own real world comparisons.

What is your delivery time if I order? Right now it is 3 weeks. That will slip occasionally with the ebb and flow of orders. If we get backlogged we will stop taking orders until we catch up, so now is a good time to purchase. I will post if and when the delivery time changes.

What do I need to know about a Fender™ neck and body to use an Aperio neck or anybody else’s neck? or Ok, blah blah, can you forget all this jibberish and just tell me what I need? I make necks that are 25.5″ scale and 22 frets long, meaning they have an overhang like an American Strat™ or Tele™. A lot of neck pockets are 5/8″ or .625″ deep, meaning that the bottom of the heel to underneath the fretboard is 3/4″ or .750- this gives room for a bit less than 1/8″ underneath the fretboard overhang for a pick guard. Back in the day of 21 fret necks there was no overhang. So far so good. Back in the day Fender used a 5/8″ deep neck pocket but they don’t anymore, at least on current Teles and Strats since 1996, and maybe more from my measurements. But I am sure not every Fender model is the same. I have measured these American guitars as they come into the shop, including my own, and the neck pocket is 11/16″ or .6875 deep. I state American because they are the standard to measure by, not MIM’s or Asians.
This is a picture of a 1996 American Strat neck pocket. It is 11/16″ deep.

So if you order a .750 neck from me or anybody else it will not fit a current American Tele or Strat that has an 11/16″ neck pocket without cutting off the pick guard! Big bummer. See that pick guard in the photo on the left? It was used on a Fender body where it had to be cut off because of a .750″ neck and then it was moved to this Warmoth body where the pocket is 5/8″ and it did not need to be cut off. If you buy a .790 neck and put it in a 5/8″ neck pocket it will be too high. If you are ordering for a Fender type replacement neck from me or anybody else you should measure the neck pocket depth. I contacted some major neck makers about this who only make necks for 5/8″ pockets. In their own self interest they totally ignored it, so be forewarned. They expect you to cut off the pick guard under the overhang. Yuck!

I offer them in both heights.

Okay, here is what you need without all the techno stuff:

Fender with a 11/16″ deep neck pocket- order a .790 neck

Fender with a 5/8″ deep neck pocket- order a .750 neck

What is your guarantee on an Aperio neck? It is guaranteed for life to the original purchaser. If the wood, truss rod, glue joints, dots, or side markers ever fail, return the neck to me and I will either repair it or give you a new one. I do not guarantee fret, fretboard or finish wear. These happen with use and are expected. The stainless steel frets we provide will last a long, long time. Let me know when you wear them out. The finish, if it is Tru-oil or Tung oil will wear over time and you should occasionally touch it up. I do not cover abuse like broken head stocks or jammed and stripped truss rod nuts. There is no reason, other than from misuse or neglect, that any of these two would ever happen with a responsible owner.

Who is your market for your necks and bodies? Working musicians! I make necks and bodies that are as good as any you will find anywhere. They are priced reasonably for working musicians. My parts and guitars are for those that simply need great instruments to play. They have excellent tone and build characteristics. The truss rods adjust the neck easily in both directions and they are dual acting with the minimum of wood removal, unlike others with giant masses of steel embedded in the neck. If you are looking for wall art or a guitar you are afraid to scratch, then I am not your man. I do not make pieces of art. Maybe I will some day! Do what Joe Bonamassa does and take your ’59 Gibson out on tour and play it. That is what it is for. If it gets stolen, too bad, keep smiling, and at least you can say you had one and played it for a while.

Fender™, Strat™ and Tele™ are all Trademarks of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation