To neck plate or not to neck plate?
- slowlearner
- Blackwood
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To neck plate or not to neck plate?
Ok, so I've got 2 short scale basses (32") close to neck on, but I'm caught in a bind. I'd like to just use countersunk screws to bolt them without a neck plate. My dilemma is, the body timber is Kauri Pine. Now sure, it's not a hard wood strictly, but this timber has been stable for over 50 years now and for pine, it's quite hard. What making me think twice about a plate is two things...
1. It's whole lot of fluffing around with steel, shaping, painting, etc.
2. I reckon it's total engineering overkill.
3. I just tested a piece of pine with said screw and countersunk hole and I got the screw so tight my drill and my screwdriver couldn't do it up any tighter.
4. I could easily make it a 6 bolt (or more neck joint) taking the stress off each screw hole.
I know people are gonna suggest metal countersunk inserts instead, but for the trouble I'd go to to get them in OZ, I may as well make a plate.
So I am an idiot to leave the plate out, or will the wood be fine if the test worked?
1. It's whole lot of fluffing around with steel, shaping, painting, etc.
2. I reckon it's total engineering overkill.
3. I just tested a piece of pine with said screw and countersunk hole and I got the screw so tight my drill and my screwdriver couldn't do it up any tighter.
4. I could easily make it a 6 bolt (or more neck joint) taking the stress off each screw hole.
I know people are gonna suggest metal countersunk inserts instead, but for the trouble I'd go to to get them in OZ, I may as well make a plate.
So I am an idiot to leave the plate out, or will the wood be fine if the test worked?
Pete
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
Hi Pete, if you are worried about the countersunk screw wedging the wood apart you could look for screws like this.
Jim
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
- slowlearner
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
Where would I find such elusive creatures?DarwinStrings wrote:Hi Pete, if you are worried about the countersunk screw wedging the wood apart you could look for screws like this.
Jim
Pete
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
You would find them HERE You also might be able to get them in S.S. or gold or copper as they are a furniture type screw.
Jim
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
- slowlearner
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
Between this and some other advise, really I think I should just pull my finger out and make some plates. Dang, I'm lazy some times...
Pete
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
If you can use a standard sized plate you can buy Fender copies in chrome pretty cheap on Ebay from memory Pete. I have always made my own from S.S. but that's just me and I don't see a real need for the trouble I go to at times.
Jim
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
- slowlearner
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
No, nothing "standard sized" on anything I build. Lol
Gotta stop being like that, but I build what I want, not what fender wants. But yeah, I've got some plate and screws. Just need to do it really. I just hate working with steel these days. So much dirtier and dangerous.
Gotta stop being like that, but I build what I want, not what fender wants. But yeah, I've got some plate and screws. Just need to do it really. I just hate working with steel these days. So much dirtier and dangerous.
Pete
- Steve.Toscano
- Blackwood
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Re: To neck plate or not to neck plate?
I use the mounting ferrules from stewmac as someone else posted.
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