Making 24 fret Rhoads

[snake_pearson]

So I am in the midst of creating my new Rhoads mutt (Ex Pro alder body, replacing blade with regular 3 way toggle) and realized since I am having it refinished anyway, why keep bashing my head against the wall trying to find a bound 22 fret neck when I can put a 24 fretter on there? (thus why my quest now to find a DK2M neck...far easier than finding bound RR3 necks or Charvel 475 necks.)

I know it's a fairly common mod and the overhang is going to interfere with the neck pickup, but I really have two questions: 1) how far back am i going to have to route the neck pickup, and 2.) Does anyone have pictures of this mod they can post so I can see how the distance between the neck and bridge pickups is going to look?

[Devotee]

Once you get a neck, fit it on the body and measure the scale length from the nut to the bridge. The scale length should be 25.5" but with the 24 fret neck on it will be longer so you will have to route for the difference.

EDIT: I just realised something. Are you going to get a 24 fret neck and cut away some of the heel to get the fretboard overhang? I think it would just be easier to route the neck pocket a little further into the body. Either way, you'd still have to re-route the neck pickup cavity.

[snake_pearson]

Once you get a neck, fit it on the body and measure the scale length from the nut to the bridge. The scale length should be 25.5" but with the 24 fret neck on it will be longer so you will have to route for the difference.

EDIT: I just realised something. Are you going to get a 24 fret neck and cut away some of the heel to get the fretboard overhang? I think it would just be easier to route the neck pocket a little further into the body. Either way, you'd still have to re-route the neck pickup cavity.

Man, I would hate to start cutting away at the heel. I would rather fill the pick up cavity a bit and have the neck pickup rerouted down a little. Also then if the pocket actually had to be cut a little deeper we could move the pocket down. Somebody was throwing a POS maple neck (had a cute little charvel sticker that was too small for the headstock someone put on there and the neck was a baseball bat...I kinda felt bad if the person who bought it actually thought it was a real charvel neck) onto an old Charvel body cut for a 22 fret neck and the only problem I saw was that they almost completely lost the single coil neck pickup. Now when I though about doing this mod before I always stopped because I knew ultimately I would have to refinish the guitar. Since I'm refinishing it anyway, I figure what the hell let's do it.

So my immediate concerns then would be does the neck pocket on the actual body need to be cut down a little to accomdate the neck, or is it really just the neck pickup that is going to have to be moved? I guess I'm curious as to if I'm going to have to move it down so far that it is basically going to look like a middle pickup rather than a neck, and at that point I might as well just do a single pickup, like the rr24's.

[logan]

So I am in the midst of creating my new Rhoads mutt (Ex Pro alder body, replacing blade with regular 3 way toggle) and realized since I am having it refinished anyway, why keep bashing my head against the wall trying to find a bound 22 fret neck when I can put a 24 fretter on there? (thus why my quest now to find a DK2M neck...far easier than finding bound RR3 necks or Charvel 475 necks.)

I know it's a fairly common mod and the overhang is going to interfere with the neck pickup, but I really have two questions: 1) how far back am i going to have to route the neck pickup, and 2.) Does anyone have pictures of this mod they can post so I can see how the distance between the neck and bridge pickups is going to look?

OK! Firstly, the easiest way to obtain a maple jax fit neck is via ed roman or ebay - depending on the condition required (and the budget!)
guitar parts online do a pretty good looking maple retro fit jackson style neck that would only require a bit of black binding around the headstock for a mere £50 odd quid... but without seeing one i can not as yet speak of the quality - plus its not a jackson neck which is kinda where were all at -

as for the spacing issue, i cheated some what with the explorer - i swapped the fretboard rather than change the neck length (being a neck through i could only gain a few mil from the widow headstock if i tried - ) from there i simply re-positioned the bridge according to the specs of the fretboard instrument then redrilled the bridge posts.....
And now none of this matters as i went on a mental one and its fretless lol still, at least the fret marks are in the right place and its a decent scale length

I would imagine routing the neck pocket is the easiest way to go - iv seen it done on quite a few gibson/rg ibanez efforts in thge 90s i believe... most likely the whole shred paul with a floyd retro nightmare! - but still possible, measure up the difference in length on the 22 and 24 fret necks, from nut to last fret and that gives a pretty good idea of the distance, 22 fret necks are same scale length as 24s arent they? only less frets? right now im confusing myself.....

Either way, a product called TETRA GUN can make all the difference when mounting the neck -
Its a barrel cement used to hold a floating barrel in its mountings on sniper rifles, allowing for better resonance of the barrel -
I use this when mounting necks - either simply add the cement (a minimal amount) when fitting the neck or, in the case of my preference - I wrap the neck in cellophane then fit it with a layer of this cement, and thus when i remove the neck i can remove the cellophane and the neck is not glued in, but has a perfect fit bed to seat - this improves sustain, and all importantly works a damn sight better (and easier) than filling a body once youve re routed for a neck!

I havent got anything here at the moment with this done but i will get some pics up as soon as i can!

And all importantly good luck! look forward greatly to seeing your latest creation!

[Trem]

The distance from the two pickups would basically look the same as any 24 fret guitar with two hums at 25.5 scale length, as the distance between the (intonation center) of the bridge and 24th fret is the same. Type of bridge can move pickups closer or further forward or back, but typically only a small amount.

Most necks have a little extra fretboard after the 24th fret, little more than or around a quarter inch typically. The distance between two humbuckers center to center (mounting screws) on a 24 fret 25.5 scale is about 3.3" to 3.5" depending on bridge type (floyd/hardtail), and how close the bridge Hum is positioned to it. The measurements may vary slightly but not much to matter or notice really.

You will have to fill the neck pup cavity, and the mounting holes in the neck cavity. Route the neck pocket accordingly and re drill for the mounting holes using the existing neck holes (i would anyway) possibly take a little off the neck heel length - no big deal small amount and sand it down - but may not be needed but i probably would just for comfort and better access.. then re route for your neck pup or go single hum, but it should look like any other RR24 with dual hum as far as the pickup spacing.

[snake_pearson]

Thanks for the info, Trem. Doesn't sound as bad as I thought it would, really. I'll have to crunch some numbers and see how much money I would be putting into it vs. just buying a RR24M and having it refinished.

[snake_pearson]

OK! Firstly, the easiest way to obtain a maple jax fit neck is via ed roman or ebay - depending on the condition required (and the budget!)
guitar parts online do a pretty good looking maple retro fit jackson style neck that would only require a bit of black binding around the headstock for a mere £50 odd quid... but without seeing one i can not as yet speak of the quality - plus its not a jackson neck which is kinda where were all at -

as for the spacing issue, i cheated some what with the explorer - i swapped the fretboard rather than change the neck length (being a neck through i could only gain a few mil from the widow headstock if i tried - ) from there i simply re-positioned the bridge according to the specs of the fretboard instrument then redrilled the bridge posts.....
And now none of this matters as i went on a mental one and its fretless lol still, at least the fret marks are in the right place and its a decent scale length

I would imagine routing the neck pocket is the easiest way to go - iv seen it done on quite a few gibson/rg ibanez efforts in thge 90s i believe... most likely the whole shred paul with a floyd retro nightmare! - but still possible, measure up the difference in length on the 22 and 24 fret necks, from nut to last fret and that gives a pretty good idea of the distance, 22 fret necks are same scale length as 24s arent they? only less frets? right now im confusing myself.....

Either way, a product called TETRA GUN can make all the difference when mounting the neck -
Its a barrel cement used to hold a floating barrel in its mountings on sniper rifles, allowing for better resonance of the barrel -
I use this when mounting necks - either simply add the cement (a minimal amount) when fitting the neck or, in the case of my preference - I wrap the neck in cellophane then fit it with a layer of this cement, and thus when i remove the neck i can remove the cellophane and the neck is not glued in, but has a perfect fit bed to seat - this improves sustain, and all importantly works a damn sight better (and easier) than filling a body once youve re routed for a neck!

I havent got anything here at the moment with this done but i will get some pics up as soon as i can!

And all importantly good luck! look forward greatly to seeing your latest creation!

Thanks Logan! Yeah part of it comes down to my patience as well lol. Basically I'm bouncing back and forth between putting a bound Charvel 475 neck on it or DK2M neck. I have two 475 necks, one which is like Wizard thin (about 17.5 around 2nd fret, 19.5 at the 12th fret) which I think is going to be too thin for my liking so I'll either sell it or toss it on a different guitar, and another regular spec one which just needs a minor binding repair and slight fret redress. This is going to be for the twin guitar to my Pink and Black Rhoads (Black with Pink Bevels) and one of my main gigging guitars, so I thought a maple neck would look wicked on it. Tough decision, but whichever way I go I will definately post pics.

BTW I'm not sure I would trust those Dragonfire necks. They look pretty good but I had a nightmare experience with one of those 22 fret Ebony necks from AZguitars on Ebay. They couldn't give me any kind of measurements on neck thickness and were a bit rude about it. Then the fretboard came with cracks near the frets, the truss rod cavity was shaped too narrow, and the neck was a baseball bat...just the roundest most uncomfortable oar of a guitar neck ever. Then when I tried to sand it down to take some of the bulk off the freaking trussrod popped out. I just stick to real Jackson necks now, since alot of those guys can't give you any info on measurements or country of origin...although in my case in was probably China.