baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

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del
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baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by del » Mon May 09, 2022 8:49 am

Is there someone/place who offers a baritone conversion neck that is the standard size but with, say, only 17-frets for a 28" scale that then requires moving the bridge towards the butt of the guitar?

In other words: the neck would be the same size, but the frets would be spaced more widely (and there would be fewer of them) to accommodate a longer scale and the bridge would be moved back (in the end, the guitar would fit in a standard tele case). This as opposed to a conversion neck like the sub-sonic, which is longer and has 21 frets for a 27" scale that matches with existing standard bridge placement (and the guitar won't fit in a standard tele case).

Alternately: I've thought about trying to refret a tele neck myself, but that would be a totally new skill set for me. Do you think this would this be terribly hard for a novice?

I know I could buy that conversion neck or the new Squier CV Baritone altogether, but I'm weirdly interested in this particular idea...

Thanks for your thoughts!
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Gordon » Tue May 10, 2022 6:45 am

del wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 8:49 am
Is there someone/place who offers a baritone conversion neck that is the standard size but with, say, only 17-frets for a 28" scale that then requires moving the bridge towards the butt of the guitar?
I've looked for such a neck for years... Nothing. Unless you ask a luthier, and those I tried gave me super high quotes.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue May 10, 2022 7:53 am

That is a great idea, but considering what Gordon said, a homemade neck may be the answer to that. I can't imagine that it would be TOO hard. You could order a 27" fretboard and then just cut it down for a shorter neck...

I totally understand the desire though. I'm still planning to make my Juniorbird body from Deed_Poll to be my baritone, but the Warmoth conversion neck (works with a 25.5" scale body, which the Juniorbird was drilled to be) is SUPER long. It would break my heart to do, but if it's that long, I may look into another guitar to be my baritone, and use the Juniorbird with a 25.5" neck. I haven't decided yet.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by del » Tue May 10, 2022 8:34 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 7:53 am
That is a great idea, but considering what Gordon said, a homemade neck may be the answer to that. I can't imagine that it would be TOO hard. You could order a 27" fretboard and then just cut it down for a shorter neck...
Thanks! That's a good idea!
Find a fretboard-only that is fretted for a ~28" scale, shorten its length to size for a standard tele neck, then replace the fretboard on that neck.

Off to investigate this possibility!
The Kinks - The Fall – The Bad Seeds - Spacemen 3 - The Gories - Royal Trux
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by ThePearDream » Tue May 10, 2022 5:15 pm

I recommend Luthier Mercantile International if you are looking for a fretboard slotted to a custom scale, as well as radiusing and other options.

I have all the tools to do it myself, but I still use them whenever I can. Cutting those slots by hand isn't very fun.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Gordon » Wed May 11, 2022 2:46 am

del wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 8:34 am
Find a fretboard-only that is fretted for a ~28" scale, shorten its length to size for a standard tele neck, then replace the fretboard on that neck.
Just get a bass fretboard, and cut the lower section. Either at a selected fret to install the nut, of judt before so you can use a zero fret and won't have to cut the nut in details.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed May 11, 2022 3:06 am

Precision Guitar Kits is another option. I bought one from them for my upcoming console steel guitar project and it's very nice.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Deed_Poll » Wed May 11, 2022 7:58 am

I'd be looking at short-scale bass necks, and see about replacing the nut / tuners with something suitable for six strings. I think you could make something pretty unique and playable that way, especially if you can start with a paddle headstock.

The reason you can't find one for a reasonable price is because to produce a neck for a reasonable price, you have to make thousands of them.

There quite simply are not thousands of people prepared to drill extra holes in their guitar and completely transform the way it plays - I'd say there might be a couple of dozen, *if* you can reach them as a company, which you can't. Because finding a "needle" customer in a "haystack" market requires a larger marketing and advertising budget, not a smaller one.

Anyway, that's why the product you're looking for doesn't exist. However, it's also why if you can make it happen one way or another, the result will be cool and unique!

Best of luck with it!
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Steadyriot. » Thu May 12, 2022 8:28 am

del wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 8:34 am
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 7:53 am
That is a great idea, but considering what Gordon said, a homemade neck may be the answer to that. I can't imagine that it would be TOO hard. You could order a 27" fretboard and then just cut it down for a shorter neck...
Thanks! That's a good idea!
Find a fretboard-only that is fretted for a ~28" scale, shorten its length to size for a standard tele neck, then replace the fretboard on that neck.

Off to investigate this possibility!
Can’t you just slot a (cheap) fretless neck?
"If someone duetted with a Bald Eagle, they could rule the Country charts from here to eternity." ~shadowplay

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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by del » Thu May 12, 2022 10:07 am

Steadyriot. wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 8:28 am
del wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 8:34 am
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 7:53 am
That is a great idea, but considering what Gordon said, a homemade neck may be the answer to that. I can't imagine that it would be TOO hard. You could order a 27" fretboard and then just cut it down for a shorter neck...
Thanks! That's a good idea!
Find a fretboard-only that is fretted for a ~28" scale, shorten its length to size for a standard tele neck, then replace the fretboard on that neck.

Off to investigate this possibility!
Can’t you just slot a (cheap) fretless neck?
I haven't found a fretless guitar neck - though unslotted fretboards are widely accessible.

My current plan is to either:
1) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the frets and markers, fill the slots and marker holes, cut new slots for a 28" scale, install new frets.
2) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the fret board, slot and install frets at a 28" sclae on a new fretboard, replace that onto the neck.

Both plans seem like projects that will require purchasing/borrowing some more precise tools than those I own, but... maybe a fun summer lark!
The Kinks - The Fall – The Bad Seeds - Spacemen 3 - The Gories - Royal Trux
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Thu May 12, 2022 10:15 am

del wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:07 am
Steadyriot. wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 8:28 am
del wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 8:34 am


Thanks! That's a good idea!
Find a fretboard-only that is fretted for a ~28" scale, shorten its length to size for a standard tele neck, then replace the fretboard on that neck.

Off to investigate this possibility!
Can’t you just slot a (cheap) fretless neck?
I haven't found a fretless guitar neck - though unslotted fretboards are widely accessible.

My current plan is to either:
1) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the frets and markers, fill the slots and marker holes, cut new slots for a 28" scale, install new frets.
2) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the fret board, slot and install frets at a 28" sclae on a new fretboard, replace that onto the neck.

Both plans seem like projects that will require purchasing/borrowing some more precise tools than those I own, but... maybe a fun summer lark!
I don't want to discourage you as this project sounds awesome! But... that sounds like a lot of extra work. You could buy or build a neck, and get a blank fretboard (no slots) from a luthier supply company. Or see if a company like Warmoth would be willing to make you a neck with no fret slots. Between them and USACG, someone should be able to make a neck with no fret slots...
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by del » Thu May 12, 2022 10:43 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:15 am
del wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:07 am

My current plan is to either:
1) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the frets and markers, fill the slots and marker holes, cut new slots for a 28" scale, install new frets.
2) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the fret board, slot and install frets at a 28" sclae on a new fretboard, replace that onto the neck.

Both plans seem like projects that will require purchasing/borrowing some more precise tools than those I own, but... maybe a fun summer lark!
I don't want to discourage you as this project sounds awesome! But... that sounds like a lot of extra work. You could buy or build a neck, and get a blank fretboard (no slots) from a luthier supply company. Or see if a company like Warmoth would be willing to make you a neck with no fret slots. Between them and USACG, someone should be able to make a neck with no fret slots...
The neck is the real wrinkle. Moving the bridge is definitely within my skill set, and all the fiddly setup bits I can do and will generally enjoy, but I agree that the neck work seems challenging. And I'm not sure how forgiving fret-working is for a novice. Hmm...
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Thu May 12, 2022 3:52 pm

del wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:43 am
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:15 am
del wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 10:07 am

My current plan is to either:
1) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the frets and markers, fill the slots and marker holes, cut new slots for a 28" scale, install new frets.
2) start with a fretted tele neck, remove the fret board, slot and install frets at a 28" sclae on a new fretboard, replace that onto the neck.

Both plans seem like projects that will require purchasing/borrowing some more precise tools than those I own, but... maybe a fun summer lark!
I don't want to discourage you as this project sounds awesome! But... that sounds like a lot of extra work. You could buy or build a neck, and get a blank fretboard (no slots) from a luthier supply company. Or see if a company like Warmoth would be willing to make you a neck with no fret slots. Between them and USACG, someone should be able to make a neck with no fret slots...
The neck is the real wrinkle. Moving the bridge is definitely within my skill set, and all the fiddly setup bits I can do and will generally enjoy, but I agree that the neck work seems challenging. And I'm not sure how forgiving fret-working is for a novice. Hmm...
I agree (and I'm in the same place, skill-set-wise)! All I was saying is that if a neck would be tricky to do anyways, why also add removing frets from the wrong-scale positions and have to fill the wood in the fretboard as well? But maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're referring to 🤔
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by del » Thu May 12, 2022 6:19 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 3:52 pm
I agree (and I'm in the same place, skill-set-wise)! All I was saying is that if a neck would be tricky to do anyways, why also add removing frets from the wrong-scale positions and have to fill the wood in the fretboard as well? But maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're referring to 🤔
I don’t think you’re misunderstanding at all.
I like sort of complex projects - especially when getting 70% right is still pretty great and usable and a fun personal accomplishment.
I worry that this neck/fret work might be more complicated. I’ve been reading that it really is a bit forgiving and doable with the right tools, but I don’t have those tools, and their costs add up.

I’m starting to lean away from a DIY approach to the neck and employing a professional.
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Re: baritone tele conversion - "short" neck and moved bridge?

Post by Deed_Poll » Fri May 13, 2022 4:06 am

True, Warmoth or similar might be able to make you one with no fret slots and no markers... That's a good idea! Then you could take it to a luthier just for fret install (and possible markers, too).
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