Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

[Inazone]

Once upon a time, I thought it'd be soooo cool to have an SL2, DR2 and RR2. Over time I was able to make that a reality. Unfortunately, over the years, I've come to prefer the Dinky/Soloist shape to the point that I don't really like playing anything else. My RR2 looks, sounds and plays great, but after gigging with it once, I've concluded that it's not practical for playing on small stages with that long upper fin.

I don't particularly want to get rid of the RR2, and since it is the one USA Rhoads with a bolt-on neck AND no inlays, I've thought of matching it to a Dinky body. To make it as painless as possible, I've been looking for loaded bodies with the same trem (chrome JT580LP) that will accommodate a 22-fret neck, with trans black or gun metal gray finish if possible.

As it stands now, my only practical option would be the JS30DK. I could have the finish I want, the cool no-inlay USA neck, and just need to upgrade the pickups. I could sell the import neck or keep it around in case I wanted to switch back later.

Does this sound cool, or like a recipe for disaster? Are the USA and import bolt-on necks generally interchangeable if the scale length and number of frets are the same?

[rps14a]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

im sure it would be fine except you might have to drill some new holes in the usa neck if they dont match the ones on the import body.

chris

[Cuthbert]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

Strange idea...neverthless it can work...

[bibz]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

I wouldnt redrill the usa neck, I'd redrill the body. Surely its better to grip the neck then the body, and the neck is worth more then the import as a whole. Keep all the rr2 bits so you can still have a kickass rare usa rhoads, and possibly recoup' half your outlay on the dinky with the spare neck.

[Inazone]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

Bumping this in hopes that someone knows where or not the neck pocket dimensions on the imports and USAs have stayed the same over the years...

[slash]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

[ QUOTE ]
Bumping this in hopes that someone knows where or not the neck pocket dimensions on the imports and USAs have stayed the same over the years...

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know for sure but I would bet the neck would fit fine. The holes may not match but who knows. Track down Newc he has a lot of experiance with doing similar experiments.

[rocksoldier]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

I would try to find something nicer than the js30 if it was my neck.
Perhaps a body from a bolt on toothpaste charvel? Those are 22 frets and dinky sized, just an idea.
I just wouldn´t feel right mixing a cheap import with the kickass usa neck.

[Newc]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

STOP!

I put an older Professional neck on a recent WRMG body (the infamous Cracked Mirror Warrior), and to my dismay found two major issues:

#1: The older necks used fatter neck bolts.
#2: The neck bolt holes were slightly repositioned in relation to the recent necks.

Together, these two issues meant that newer, thinner bolts wouldn't hold the neck tightly, and there was a gap between the heel butt and the body in the pocket.

This led to the N.B.S. - Newcenstein Bolt System:



It's ugly, but it works.

But in your case I'd suggest finding an older JSX-94 Dinky body - those were the only 22 fret Dinky bodies as far as I know. However, the body shape itself is closer to the Stealth or older SLS - the horns, mostly.

[Inazone]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

I like the Stealth/SLS body shape, so that's no issue. I'm definitely not going to start drilling the RR2 neck, and hopefully not a body either, cheap or not. Unless some amazing opportunity comes along, I'll probably just scrap this idea.

Thanks for the help, guys.

[Newc]

Re: Import/USA mutt idea: good or bad?

However, the PC1 neck I had mated perfectly to the Halford body (also a recent WRMG body), but I do believe the PC1 neck was a 2003.