G&L with a twist

[BatUtilityBelt]

Well that's sad. I saw this G&L Tribute Bluesboy for $199 shipped and had to think about it.

https://reverb.com/item/39850719-g-l-tr ... -for-parts
The problem is this - it's not a Fender. Let me explain. A Fender or Squier with a twisted neck can be fixed up with any other Fender or Squier or Mighty Mite or Warmoth or other brand neck.

But a G&L neck can't be replaced with a Fender neck, and it looks like G&L doesn't let you just order a neck online, or even see what the pricing would be. I'm sure G&L would have been sued if their necks were interchangeable with Fender's back in the day, but today? That's just a shame.

[glasshand]

Weird - you can order a body, or pickups, or a bridge, or electronics from G&L, but not a neck. I don't know what's up with that.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Weird - you can order a body, or pickups, or a bridge, or electronics from G&L, but not a neck. I don't know what's up with that.

Exactly. I looked, fully expecting to see necks.

[mozz]

I have seen g&l necks for sale before. They are out there. Anyway is the neck currently bad? I wouldn't worry about it.

Edit
I see it is already warped. Maybe it's a common thing with tributes?

[SamIV]

G&L USA necks do not work on the imports and the imports do not work on USA models. Oddly enough I have a Peavey HP special neck - Wolfgang - that fits the pocket on my G&L Tribute model and intonate as well. Wanted to use it on a Fender specked body, but found out recently that it will not work on that.


Fixed the spelling - geez. I think y’all figured it out anyway.

[BatUtilityBelt]

From what I read from people who have considered it, a G&L neck is about 5/16" longer than a Fender neck. One said there is not enough room to move the saddles back 5/16" to accommodate that difference with a Fender neck, but I'm not actually convinced. Looking at the pictured bridge close up, my eye-balling says there is 5/16" clearance there, though the springs might have to be shortened to do it. Anyone have first-hand knowledge?



My guess is the problem lies not with the ability to back off the saddles, but where the ferrules are. Would there really be an issue if the strings had to wrap under the saddle by maybe 1/8" to reach the ferrule?

[BatUtilityBelt]

I pulled the trigger and bought it.

Option 1: I currently have a cool tele neck waiting for a project, so I will test-fit that neck when the G&L arrives. If the pocket fit and action are close enough, I will try moving/modifying the saddles to intonate.

Option B: I can raise the action on the twisty neck and try it out for slide.

Option 3: Full electronics and tuners to move to another body, so parts and experience are pretty close to worth it anyway.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Now I can't wait to see the guitar. It might not even have a twisted neck after all. Zooming in shows one of the most poorly cut nuts I have ever seen.

[honyock]

Depends on the twist too. If the treble side is lower than the bass, it can essentially have no effect on playability.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Silly me - I already have a guitar with that bridge, an American ASAT Classic. So I got it out to see what a 5/16" move of the saddles would mean on that bridge, and it looks doable to me if I replace or cut the springs. The only hinky thing would be the saddle height adjustments would probably sit oddly on some of the mounting screws, but no worries there. I can't measure the neck pocket till the Tribute gets here though.

[SamIV]

The neck pocket is between a 32nd and 1/16 inch wider than a fender pocket if my memory serves me well on my Tribute body. Not here with me or I would measure it for you.

[tobijohn]

From what I read from people who have considered it, a G&L neck is about 5/16" longer than a Fender neck. One said there is not enough room to move the saddles back 5/16" to accommodate that difference with a Fender neck, but I'm not actually convinced. Looking at the pictured bridge close up, my eye-balling says there is 5/16" clearance there, though the springs might have to be shortened to do it. Anyone have first-hand knowledge?



My guess is the problem lies not with the ability to back off the saddles, but where the ferrules are. Would there really be an issue if the strings had to wrap under the saddle by maybe 1/8" to reach the ferrule?

Couldn't you also just move the bridge plate back a bit and make it a top loader?

[BatUtilityBelt]

My guess is the problem lies not with the ability to back off the saddles, but where the ferrules are. Would there really be an issue if the strings had to wrap under the saddle by maybe 1/8" to reach the ferrule?

Couldn't you also just move the bridge plate back a bit and make it a top loader?

That looks like another option, but not a reversible one, so I'd try it late down the list. I am making a lot of assumptions that an neck swap is even possible. But if a tele neck fits the pocket and the action can work and the intonation difference turns out to be the 5/16" I've read is likely, I'll try all the reversible options first. I know it's only a $200 guitar as it sits, but I'll still take small steps first. I've even saved guitars I paid as little as $25 for.

[tobijohn]

That looks like another option, but not a reversible one, so I'd try it late down the list. I am making a lot of assumptions that an neck swap is even possible. But if a tele neck fits the pocket and the action can work and the intonation difference turns out to be the 5/16" I've read is likely, I'll try all the reversible options first. I know it's only a $200 guitar as it sits, but I'll still take small steps first. I've even saved guitars I paid as little as $25 for.

Thinking about it a little more, there would be a limit to how far back you could move the bridge plate without the original pickup rout showing. The bridge pickup rout would probably have to be opened up a bit in that direction as well. However, that and any new bridge plate screw holes should still be concealed by the bridge plate if you reversed the modification and moved it back to its stock location...

[BatUtilityBelt]

Update - The guitar arrived and I am checking it out. There actually is a slight twist:

...but playing and sighting down the neck, I don't think that is the problem. There is no relief, and in fact, there is a tiny bit of back-bow. And unfortunately, it looks like someone stripped out the trussrod trying to adjust it:

So I need to think about this because the neck seems salvageable if I can get that adjusted right and fix the nut slots.

[tobijohn]

StewMac has a tool for stripped out truss rods:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... nches.html

I bought one for project guitar but have not had a chance to use it yet...

[BatUtilityBelt]

StewMac has a tool for stripped out truss rods:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... nches.html

I bought one for project guitar but have not had a chance to use it yet...

Good idea. I got out my Harbor Freight version of that and lucked out.

I got a good grip into the truss rod, and found the back-bow had been put on the neck using the truss rod. I took it the other way, imparted just a very slight relief, adjusted the saddles, tuned, and all is good. No more sitar. I played it for about 10 minutes, and no more issues. I'm pretty sure I can adjust out anything that comes up. But I will replace the nut. What a deal - $199 for a maladjusted $539 guitar I just had to put a hex (wrench) on. It even still has the plastic on the pick guard.

[mickey]

StewMac has a tool for stripped out truss rods:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... nches.html

I bought one for project guitar but have not had a chance to use it yet...

What about when they are stripped on the OTHER END??????????

[BatUtilityBelt]

StewMac has a tool for stripped out truss rods:

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... nches.html

I bought one for project guitar but have not had a chance to use it yet...

What about when they are stripped on the OTHER END??????????

I think that's when you ask yourself whether the neck is worth a luthier replacing the truss rod because that is surgery.

[tobijohn]

What about when they are stripped on the OTHER END??????????

I think that's when you ask yourself whether the neck is worth a luthier replacing the truss rod because that is surgery.

Well, thankfully that hasn't happened to me yet, but yeah, no good solution...

[tobijohn]

... What a deal - $199 for a maladjusted $539 guitar I just had to put a hex (wrench) on. It even still has the plastic on the pick guard.

I don't understand how or why but every guitar I've been able to pull something like that off with sounded and played just as nice as anything else I have...

[BatUtilityBelt]

... What a deal - $199 for a maladjusted $539 guitar I just had to put a hex (wrench) on. It even still has the plastic on the pick guard.

I don't understand how or why but every guitar I've been able to pull something like that off with sounded and played just as nice as anything else I have...

I know, right?!? And that was why I took the chance. I was pretty sure I could make it ok even in the worst case, but no. Less than an hour to make it work right. I can't feel the twist, and it's barely visible. I've put almost 2 hours play on it now, and it plays and sounds great. I lowered the humbucker because I agree with the people who say the Bluesboy neck pup sounds too dark the way it ships (close to the strings). I put it almost level with the PG, and it is now articulate in every position.

I should give the store (Specialty Traders) credit too, for overstating the problem instead of understating it like some do.

[Flatline]

That is awesome. I'd play it as is and keep an eye on reverb or ebay for a cheap replacement neck eventually maybe...

[BatUtilityBelt]

That is awesome. I'd play it as is and keep an eye on reverb or ebay for a cheap replacement neck eventually maybe...

Even better - it doesn't need one. It plays great as-is, will only get a new nut. I think someone with little knowledge bought it with no setup, tried to set it up themselves, and failed badly (even rendering the truss rod end ugly but still working), then returned it.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Before I received the guitar, I contacted G&L to ask about a possible replacement neck. I just received an email back from them to the effect that they would sell me a replacement neck with either maple or rosewood fretboard for $250. Although this guitar turned out to not need a new neck, that is good information to put in the vault for later.