12" radius custom neck for CP JM?

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BarnyardCoral
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12" radius custom neck for CP JM?

Post by BarnyardCoral » Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:46 pm

Has anyone just gone and installed 12" radius neck on a classic player jazzmaster? I'm getting a little tired of fretting out above the 13th or 14th frets and with that stinking 12" radius bridge paired with a 9.5" radius neck (like a chocolate stout paired with sushi), I can't get the strings down enough to have action where I prefer to be. The other advantage would be an accessible truss rod that doesn't require disassembly to adjust. Let's be honest: Fender is full of morons sometimes and we sit there and take it, when we would laugh other companies out of the building for stupid shenanigans like that.
And I will be the one to hold Larry Csonka down, kiss him so hard, I'll take Larry Csonka's breath away...
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timtam
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Re: 12" radius custom neck for CP JM?

Post by timtam » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:25 pm

Swapping necks may be an OTT solution. Things I would consider first ..

That difference in radius (bridge flatter) is unlikely to be a factor in fretting out but the 9.5" neck may be. If you had a 9.5 bridge it could possibly be worse.

What is the action and relief ? On 9.5 and 7.25 radii you often need higher action to get big bends. Do any of your higher frets buzz on the top 3-4 strings without bending ? (ie you could just have some high frets that you hit on bends)

But if it turns out that the radius is your problem, and you don't want the action set any higher, one approach is to flatten the middle of the frets a tad, above where you mostly bend.

Regarding heel truss rod adjustment, Fender guy shows here (on a bass) how to do it without taking the neck all the way off. I would loosen the strings though, so there's little longitudinal force on the neck when you tilt it up a little.
https://youtu.be/qKtlsps4SqY?t=229

You can also make things easier with Stewmac's right-angled truss rod wrench ...
https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/T ... _Tele.html

If your pickguard doesn't have that little notch to aid access to the truss rod nut, you can add that with a big round file or similar. Some people also file a channel in the body (also with a big round file) to give better access to the truss rod nut. Finally, some people swap the screw-head nut for a hex one that may be easier to adjust (although the above Stewmac wrench may be the shortest tool and so make the screw head the easiest adjustment). That's one thing I haven't done yet but am planning to try one day. Making sure that the nut is the right length / thread etc will require some homework .. this one might work ...
https://darrenriley.com/store/fender-me ... 038454049/
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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ConeyIslandFrank
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Re: 12" radius custom neck for CP JM?

Post by ConeyIslandFrank » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:53 pm

I am thinking the same thing as you concerning a custom neck from Warmoth on my Classic Player. I posted a thread a while back that my two year old CP JM truss rod was frozen in place and I can't make it move either way. I'm so disappointed. And as far as fretting out so easily, I thought it was just me. Let us know if you do in fact change out the neck on your guitar.
frankie

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BarnyardCoral
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Re: 12" radius custom neck for CP JM?

Post by BarnyardCoral » Tue May 14, 2019 6:27 pm

Solved! Traded a fella straight up for his Roadhouse Strat neck. 12" radius, 22 frets (not that easy to get all the way up there though), headstock truss rod adjuster. Couldn't be happier.
And I will be the one to hold Larry Csonka down, kiss him so hard, I'll take Larry Csonka's breath away...
*Scheckenbacker on TGP

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