Hello

I am looking to replace the neck on my 50’s Baja telecaster as it is a V neck and I can’t get on with it.

I had a guitar with a vintage c neck on it a while ago and I got on well with that one. I’m wondering, will this one fit the Baja?

There is this one: https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_tele_neck_vint_c_shape_mn.htm

or this one

https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Fen...a_3w9XVf4esq_wALr1CAEhoV2hOohil8aAlNgEALw_wcB



I also intend to take the hardware off the current neck and install it on the new one if that’s possible

I’ve tried talking to Thomann about it and they don’t seem interested

Also one of my concerns is that I’ve bought necks in the past when I’ve looked to replace the Baja neck and they’ve looked ok on the advert but when I’ve received them they’ve been a really dark orange colour and just do not match the neck colour it already has.

I’d like your opinion on this

This is the link to the neck itself, and if you look at photos of the Baja in butterscotch blonde you’ll see what colour neck it has on it currently

I know studio lighting can make a product look a different colour or shade, so I wanted your views on this.

What do you think?, will it match or not? Let me know which one

I want to be sure of all this before I order so I can avoid any hassle of having to return it if it isn’t right as I don’t know Thomanns returns policy

Thank you

 

Last edited: Feb 12, 2024

To be honest nobody is going to know what color those things are going to arrive in. Urethane and polyurethane is a little orange and it will feel different from what is practically raw wood on a seventy year old neck.

The two necks you linked are the same neck just at different stores.

You could just have Warmouth build you a neck for the same price and they'll be happy to talk to you about what you want till the cows come home.

 

If you wish to soften the V give it to a luthier or do it yourself. You have nothing to lose.

 

You mean sand it down into a c shape?

 

Have someone who knows what they are doing, reshape it.

You can risk it yourself, but you might get carried away and not leave much wood over that truss rod.

Worse comes to worse you buy a new neck, but if you care about the value of you vintage instrument and have an intact 50's neck and mod it looses that value. Some people care and some don't, in the end it doesn't matter either way.

 

In the late 80s I bought a 57 Squire Strat and like you I could not get away with the neck so one week later it was back up for sale in the shop that I bought it from. I ended up buying a 62 reissue Japanese Strat which has a neck to die for and I still have it today.

Why don't you sell it and buy a Tele with a neck that you like? Once you start changing necks you end up with a parts caster. Another option is

https://warmoth.com/guitar-necks

 

Just keep in mind when you buy an after market neck, they aren't necessarily ready to play. They may need to have the frets leveled or the nut, if it comes with one, filed down a bit. If you're really looking to take the replacement route, you may want to consider your counterpart who loves v-necks and is selling a used c-shape on ebay or reverb.com. It also gives you the opportunity to move up in quality on a neck for the same price.

 

You can reshape the neck for sure.
A lot of high end necks are hand finished.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=video+reshape+guitar+neck

And so, you are certain it will work.
After market necks can be a pain to adjust yourself (neck pocket, slightly different scale length ...).

 

remodeling is an option. however, it's not without risks. i'm an enlightened amateur luthier. I once saw a professional luthier friend destroy a fender usa neck by sanding it too much, when he wanted to shape it like a rory gallager neck. To avoid breaking a neck, he now takes an X-ray before doing the work. Reshaping the neck shape involves a much more expensive varnish than planning frets on a new neck. I have a Baja and it's true that the neck is a real log, but that makes the sound. I have over 30 guitars and almost all the necks are different, but that's no longer a problem for me. persevere in mastering this profile.

 

Sell the Baja and get a 60's Vintera II, and you can thank me later.

 

Fender Replacement Parts:
https://www.fender.com/en-US/parts/electric-guitar-parts/necks/replacement-necks/

Warmoth Guitar Parts:
https://warmoth.com/guitar-necks

 

Last edited: Feb 12, 2024

As a guitarist, i hate those V necks.
They were supposed to help you place your thumb behind ... but ended up making it slippy and inaccurate.
Surprise ... almost no guitar still use it.

And shredders NEVER used it as reference. Only flat C/D necks.
After that, you can choose a different neck thickness/wideness according to your hands and playing.

On my side, Jackson flat C compound radius.
And some Ibanez Wizards too.

About taking risks reshaping it, yes there are.
BUT buying a new neck will need some work too.

So the fastest/secure option is to SELL the guitar and buy another one.
Sorry to say that.

Second secure option : give this guitar to a luthier to mount the new neck.

 

If I get the thomann neck would the tuners on the Baja go straight into the new neck or would the new neck need some adjustment?

 

i've always reshaped my necks if I didn't like the feel. even if I did I still clean them up with a a sanding sponge to smooth the volute and heel, also makes the neck more faster.



better to work slow with something this fine, as its really hard to convert sawdust back to wood... i use the P1500-P1200 pads for finish work,on the neck, also works on frets without leaving bits of steel wool all over the place.

 

if you have a neck you currently like, you can have a luthier match the profile exactly or you could enquire with Warmoth as whether they will custom match the profile for you.

https://warmoth.com/

there is a custom build option on each neck style
https://warmoth.com/guitar-necks