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Hey guys. I’ve got this basswood San Dimas body. Actually, it’s a slimmer version of a San Dimas. I’m looking for suggestions for necks I can put on this guitar. It’s a 25.5, and the pocket width is 2-1/4 I believe. Ideally I’d like to have a headstock identical to the fender-esque San Dimas headstocks, but with different timbers. I’m also looking for something of high quality that has that high end feel. Something that plays/feels superb. I had a musikraft neck on my old guitar and it just wasn’t that great. Any suggestions? If anyone here makes outstanding necks and also does guitar finishing, please contact me. I might want to be your next client. Thanks!

Not sure that you will find any prospects for you here if you are looking for someone to make a custom neck AND be competitive in prices as well as deal with the issues associated with the body that you have.

These days necks are crapped out by the big neck producers and available for peanuts compared to what it takes an individual to produce a neck well, fret it, have it fit your pocket perfectly... and nail the neck angle. If you're a shredder you or someone will want low action, drop tunings making decent, precise fret work even more important. We charge $160 just to make a custom bone nut and set-up an instrument to give you some idea what it costs to build a guitar one part at a time.... with outsourced labor.

Further the scale length will create dependencies on you or whomever in locating and installing the bridge that will make this a logistical nightmare to do via shipping and consulting, shipping and consulting, etc.

Lastly there are several professional finishers that we refer folks to in the US, you didn't mention where you are. They are all charging north of $500 and earning it too to finish an instrument. They are not keen to prep excessively of do any completing of the manufacture of the instrument either.

In my estimate off the top of my head knowing as I do that just the fretwork on a properly made, hand crafted and fretted neck is around $500 if it's a bound board with quality work what you are asking for custom neck, fretted, finished and finishing the body with likely other issues the time required would price this at $1,500 plus depending on many things.

My shop wouldn't touch it and we won't get involved with any "parts guitars" unless they have been a successful, playable instruments prior. Too many pitfalls and a major time suck.

Who made the body and if it's a commercially made body what necks do they recommend?

Buy a Warmoth and be done with it.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Musikraft made the body. I could order a neck from them for it, since they will make pretty much anything you want, but the last one I had from them just didn’t have a good high end feel to it. Always felt like I was fighting that guitar.

It appears to me I’ve already asked this question before here, and it totally slipped my mind that I had done so. Lol... I apologize.

I seem to have spoken with a gentleman about a year ago on here by the name Brian who was willing to build me a neck for this body. I might have to take him up on it.

I think I’m just going to do the finish on the body myself. I like the wood grain, so I’ll probably just leave it natural with oil finish. Do you recommend a good oil finish product that will not alter the color too much? Do you recommend a good tutorial on applying oil finishes? I’m not really concerned if the finish is perfect or not.

Thanks!

Lol, yes. Unfortunately I’m too picky With how it should look, and the radius too (I run 12-16 compound), and warmoth doesnt offer what I want unfortunately.

it was probably Brian Howard. hes has a very good reputation. And he contributes a lot to the community.

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Could've been me.... I make a few custom necks a year. I also do finishing. Give a call or email for a current quote.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/