Sourcing a JM neck in the UK; any advice?

[rain.parade]

I'm just about to embark on a Jazzmaster parts build (my first partscaster), and I'm looking for neck recommendations.

I'm after a traditional 60's style, so rosewood board, truss-rod adjustment at the heel and vintage frets, although I'm flexible on the radius. Also, preferably unfinished as the current plan is to get a professional LPB nitro finish with matching headstock.

Options seem to be limited, particularly in light of CITES. I've seen Hosco branded necks at around £120, as well as All Parts in the £160-£200 range (although those don't seem to be as readily available).

Does anybody have experience of these necks, or could suggest alternatives? I'm planning an incremental build, so may use some cheaper parts along the way, but the the aim is to eventually end up with a guitar that's in the same ballpark as my 62 AVRI. I don't want to be swapping out the neck later, so happy to pay what's needed to get that sort of quality.

Cheers.

[Amon 7.L]

I'm just about to embark on a Jazzmaster parts build (my first partscaster), and I'm looking for neck recommendations.

I'm after a traditional 60's style, so rosewood board, truss-rod adjustment at the heel and vintage frets, although I'm flexible on the radius. Also, preferably unfinished as the current plan is to get a professional LPB nitro finish with matching headstock.

Options seem to be limited, particularly in light of CITES. I've seen Hosco branded necks at around £120, as well as All Parts in the £160-£200 range (although those don't seem to be as readily available).

Does anybody have experience of these necks, or could suggest alternatives? I'm planning an incremental build, so may use some cheaper parts along the way, but the the aim is to eventually end up with a guitar that's in the same ballpark as my 62 AVRI. I don't want to be swapping out the neck later, so happy to pay what's needed to get that sort of quality.

Cheers.

Welcome on board,
I think this will check all of yer boxes:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jazzmaster-L ... ctupt=true

[rain.parade]

Welcome on board,
I think this will check all of yer boxes:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jazzmaster-L ... ctupt=true

Thanks! Yes, I had seen that one, although I'm still considering whether or not to do down the aged LPB / lightly relic'd route (I know!). It looks like that seller has some finished Allparts necks for sale too, so I will contact them to see whether they do unfinished.

I'm wondering whether the Allparts ones are liable to be a bit more pricey because they're officially licensed (no mention of that for the Hosco's), or whether they're better made.

[Amon 7.L]

Keep one thing in mind: if you go with a thin skinned nitro finish, you'll easily end up with a "light relic" guitar anyway. Nitro is very delicate and even if you treat it with all the possible attention, it will start flacking off by just playing it and/or seasonal changes.
I have had my CIJ jaguar refinished in nitro and even though I handled the thing like it were a baby, it just went on its own path and aged itself in less than a year. It's lovely, I promise you.
Also, you can't never go wrong with Lake Placid blue, you'd be simply speeding up things a tiny bit
That said, it's your guitar, you are the only subject you have to satisfy

RE_AllParts necks: I have one in my jagstang-done-right and it's flawless. I had no extra work to do, no sharp/uneven frets. I read a lot of reviews before buying it and the majority were agreeing that even when extra work was necessary, it was on the real minor side of the spectrum.

[MechaBulletBill]

Message rexter, he can get you an allparts neck sprayed with lovely thin nitro

[rain.parade]

Message rexter, he can get you an allparts neck sprayed with lovely thin nitro

Thanks, will do. I'd looked at the website but didn't spot that they did necks, plus they're local which is cool.

[Amber]

Rexter is doing me a light to med relic lefty JM neck through GuitarBuild, shaping the headstock (and also spraying a body)

They can be vintage spec as far as I can tell, though mine is a 7.5 to 9.5 compound radius, but 7.5 is available.. Mine is vintage frets, clay dots etc.

[bjornsynneby]

Allparts JM necks are good. I have a 9,5” radius neck which i sprayed with amber tinted nitro. You will have to level the frets and mount the nut. After I did the initial setup the neck has been stable. I have been warned that the Hosco neck is not stable by several luthiers but I have no personal experience.

[Bradley-Jazz]

My latest build (a rosewood board Tele) had a Hosco neck - I couldn’t find an Allparts one in stock at the time. It was fine, but I felt not as good as the Allparts ones I’ve had before. No problems with stability or fretting, but the rosewood fingerboard (and I do think it is rosewood) was a bit pasty. I dyed the board with scratch cover, and it looks good and plays nicely. The heel was also a fraction too wide, but easily sanded.

If Allparts was in stock, I’d go for that one next time, but happy enough with my Hosco.

[rain.parade]

Thanks all for the pointers - much appreciated!

I've spoken to Rexter who's told me that he's had to give up on the Allparts necks at the moment due to supply issues. That seems to be reflected across the board, with all UK sellers appearing to have no stock. Axecaster has a blog entry suggesting that it will be 90 days before Allparts get their paperwork sorted out and they have stock again.

Interesting hearing opinions on the Hosco necks - I've seen mixed opinions elsewhere, and the consensus seems to be that they're not bad, but maybe not quite up with the Allparts. Judging by pictures, the headstock shape also doesn't look completely accurate, although that might be my imagination.

Another option would be a GuitarBuild neck like @Amber , which could be customised to suit, but would be a fair bit more pricey. I'm not in a massive hurry as my original plan was to initially use an old Squier Strat neck I have, and build up with better parts incrementally; its just that a custom colour JM really needs a matching headstock (unless its white or black ), and it seems sensible to have body and neck done at the same time.

On the positive side, I'm going to visit Rexter's workshop when he's open again after holidays and, judging by the pictures in a multitude of colours here and on his website, my resolve over LPB might well be tested!

[rain.parade]

Quick update - given the current unavailability of new All Parts necks, I've bought a used one on eBay. Looks pretty good - nitro finished but hasn't had tuners installed yet - but we'll see when it arrives.

So that's a neck sorted, plus the old pickups and bridge from my AVRI. Still quite a way to go then...