Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

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theactor19
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Mon May 09, 2011 12:35 am

Couple more questions before I order:

1) i'm not gonna get holes drilled incase it doesnt fit my tokai strat.. is this a good idea?

2) If I get musikraft to finish it with nitro, can I just slap on a decal over the finish?

3) Curved nut or flat?

4) thinking of finishing with nitro, as it seems most accurate in terms of playability, feel, and what everyone here generally prefers. I'm thinking of getting the light tint. Or should I stick with the clear. Should I get gloss or satin?
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Brandon
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Brandon » Mon May 09, 2011 2:03 am

theactor19 wrote:Couple more questions before I order:

1) i'm not gonna get holes drilled incase it doesnt fit my tokai strat.. is this a good idea?

2) If I get musikraft to finish it with nitro, can I just slap on a decal over the finish?

3) Curved nut or flat?

4) thinking of finishing with nitro, as it seems most accurate in terms of playability, feel, and what everyone here generally prefers. I'm thinking of getting the light tint. Or should I stick with the clear. Should I get gloss or satin?
1. It's ok, you can use the neck holes on the body as guides

2. Yes, not sure about late 60's, but pre CBS that's the way they did it

3. I say curved

4. the nitro is easy to darken. Cant go wrong either way, it'll just take longer to darken without tint. But historically accurate would be WITHOUT tint. But if you want a more aged look, tint.

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Tone Slinger
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Tone Slinger » Mon May 09, 2011 10:29 am

I think these last few posts are sound advice. If your Tokai is already olympic white, and hasent yellowed any (Not sure what Tokai was using for paint), then I'd get the clear nitro.

I would put the decal on after you get the neck. You can always get someone to put a couple coats on to 'seal' it in (decal) later.

Not 100 % sure about the nut slot, but most luthiers like the curved bottom for strats, so I'd say go with it.


One more big point to consider is this, "How do you want the 'Fender stratocaster' logo to be posistioned. The black strat has the 'Stratocaster' at the 'ter' area pretty close to the high 'E' tuning post, whereas the White one is laid almost perfectly. Observe little details like this. The 'stratocaster' on my Musikraft neck is more like the black beauty strat than the woodstock, although mine is a clone of the woodstock.
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theactor19
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Mon May 09, 2011 2:13 pm

Tone Slinger wrote: 1) Do you have the saddles on your bridge (Tokai) as high as they will go, or do you have more range(setting them higher) if needed ? If you go 'vintage' style frets (I think you are, right ?) then you should be alright. If you go for bigger frets, then sometimes they are to high for the saddles.
I have no idea if the saddles are at the highest or not. What I do know is that the action is set up pretty low, and my plan is to get vintage frets 6203 .080 X .043, so I should be fine right?

Tone Slinger wrote: One more big point to consider is this, "How do you want the 'Fender stratocaster' logo to be posistioned. The black strat has the 'Stratocaster' at the 'ter' area pretty close to the high 'E' tuning post, whereas the White one is laid almost perfectly. Observe little details like this. The 'stratocaster' on my Musikraft neck is more like the black beauty strat than the woodstock, although mine is a clone of the woodstock.
While I am building a tribute-esqe strat, its not exactly a replica, since the Tokai body is a righty.. so it'll be a righty guitar, only the neck will be reverse headstock. I'll check out hendrix's headstocks before placing.

I did find a good site for decals:

http://www.decaldeluxe.com/Stratocaster-Decals.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you scroll down, I'm deciding between the 1968-1970 decal, or the Hendrix Reverse Decal. What do ya think?
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theactor19
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Mon May 09, 2011 2:40 pm

Hey guys,

So I plan to order this week. Here is the order form again. Lemme know if its right. Notice the question beside the tuner holes. Should I ask for this? Also if I buy any Fender F Tuners, not vintage ones from the 60s, but ones made today, I should have no problem?

Image


Thanks
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Tone Slinger
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Tone Slinger » Mon May 09, 2011 3:09 pm

I would get the decal 'left handed' like the neck your getting. I dislike a 'right handed' decal on a left handed neck.

Also, keep in mind that a strat with a reverse headstock PLAYS differently. The low E has a looser sort of feel to it, and the high E has a tighter feel (unless you use a floyd rose). The tuning is also different to handle (staying in tune that is), especially if you use the bar. Like Hendrix, you will find keeping the wound strings in tune a issue, whereas on right/right style guitars, the unwound tend to be more of a problem. Some will not agree, but this is what I've found.

Still, dont let this keep you from your 'vision'. There are fixes for most everything.


The Klusion tuner holes are smaller than the Fender 'F' tuner holes. You will want the 25/64" holes. This is the same size as the mini Schaller .
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theactor19
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Mon May 09, 2011 3:39 pm

Tone Slinger wrote:I would get the decal 'left handed' like the neck your getting. I dislike a 'right handed' decal on a left handed neck.

Also, keep in mind that a strat with a reverse headstock PLAYS differently. The low E has a looser sort of feel to it, and the high E has a tighter feel (unless you use a floyd rose). The tuning is also different to handle (staying in tune that is), especially if you use the bar. Like Hendrix, you will find keeping the wound strings in tune a issue, whereas on right/right style guitars, the unwound tend to be more of a problem. Some will not agree, but this is what I've found.

Still, dont let this keep you from your 'vision'. There are fixes for most everything.


The Klusion tuner holes are smaller than the Fender 'F' tuner holes. You will want the 25/64" holes. This is the same size as the mini Schaller .
If I get the reverse headstock right neck, I think the decal site I posted doesnt have left handed decals?

I do like to use my trem bar alot, a la hendrix. So you're saying that the tuning on the reverse headstock will go out of tune more often? Hmm, no I'm on the fence. Which way should i go, reverse headstock or regular. If the reverse is part of the tone, then thats important to me. But at the same time, I dont always want to be out of tune. hmmm

I emailed Musikraft regarding the F Tuners. They said to select Gotoh/Scaller/Sperzel 10mm, and make a note in the comment section specifying that i want to install Fender F Tuners. This should be correct right?
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Tone Slinger » Mon May 09, 2011 3:50 pm

Yep, they use a different measuring system than Warmoth, but that should be right.

I personally dont hear much difference 'tone wise' with the lefty neck. It is more of a feel type thing. The tension seems a little different.
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theactor19
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Mon May 09, 2011 4:14 pm

Tone Slinger wrote:Yep, they use a different measuring system than Warmoth, but that should be right.

I personally dont hear much difference 'tone wise' with the lefty neck. It is more of a feel type thing. The tension seems a little different.
which do you prefer in terms of feel? standard to the reverse headstock?
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Tone Slinger » Tue May 10, 2011 8:56 am

Standard by FAR. The lefty neck lets TOO much wound string past the saddle. EVEN THOUGH the note, effectively starts at the nut, the string going past it creates a certain amount of resonance. That is why locking nuts, like floyd rose, etc, 'neuters' certain tonal aspects. The string past the nut to the tuner is important in terms of tone and headroom.

To have MORE wound string past the nut (lefty neck on righty body) causes the wrong vibration (looser feeling) for the big strings. They (wound) need a tighter vibrating feel. I hope I'm making some sense here.

If you want a lefty neck, I say go for it, but keep in mind, that the main thing you will achieve (imo) is 'appearance'. Experience is the BEST Teacher though.
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Tue May 10, 2011 2:00 pm

Tone Slinger wrote:Standard by FAR. The lefty neck lets TOO much wound string past the saddle. EVEN THOUGH the note, effectively starts at the nut, the string going past it creates a certain amount of resonance. That is why locking nuts, like floyd rose, etc, 'neuters' certain tonal aspects. The string past the nut to the tuner is important in terms of tone and headroom.

To have MORE wound string past the nut (lefty neck on righty body) causes the wrong vibration (looser feeling) for the big strings. They (wound) need a tighter vibrating feel. I hope I'm making some sense here.

If you want a lefty neck, I say go for it, but keep in mind, that the main thing you will achieve (imo) is 'appearance'. Experience is the BEST Teacher though.
haha, you are making sense. When you talk about how the reverse headstock affects the feel/tone, and how it doesn't feel or sound right... but isn't that how jimi had it? so would the feel/tone be closer to jimi's, rather than a standard righty 68 strat?

when you say that there is an affect on resonance, are you saying that there is less resonance on the bass strings with a reverse neck? If this is the case, wouldn't there be more resonance in the treble strings, which could be good?

Also, you were talking about how the reverse the headstock doesn't stay in tune as well. I wonder what the other people who ordered the musikraft reverse headstock neck are holding up with theirs.
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Tone Slinger » Thu May 12, 2011 9:10 am

I'll try to explain what I've noticed on lefty neck/righty body guitars.

Words are only SO accurate, thats why I like musical 'expression/feel' over words to a great extent. Feel and instinct was before words. Words (language) was created to try and express what we 'feel'. Sometimes there isnt a proper word or description, you know what I mean ?

Anyway's, Hendrix, of all the guitarist who have ever used a tremelo, had the WORST tuning stability of ANYONE. He could barely touch the thing and be out of tune. ALOT of this (tuning instability) was the result of the strings being flipped.

The low 'E' and 'A' strings on a reverse, non locking nut, neck, will need a string tree to keep them (Low 'E' and 'A') from 'popping' out of the nut when playing. A string tree is one of the MAIN problems with tuning instability, when using the bar.

Normally the unwound high 'E' and 'B' strings need the string tree, which causes an additional friction point, and is HARD to get right. BUT, when using a reverse headstock, you have the windings on the strings to deal with (much more friction on the string tree).

I could go into GREAT DETAIL as to what you could try to overcome some of these problems you will encounter (PM me).


You will get a looser type vibration/resonance with the low strings. The high strings will seem tighter. This is sort of opposite from what you encounter with the right handed neck.

If you are 'used' to the feel of a right handed neck, then the reverse lefty neck will feel alot different, maybe to the point of 'dislike'.

Maybe this could be a learning adventure for you, in that you will learn ALOT about tone, feel, and set up, on your way to being comfortable with the reverse headstock neck.

Let me know if I can help in someway.
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by theactor19 » Thu May 12, 2011 5:42 pm

So I message this guy on youtube (superreverbking) who plays alot of hendrix and owns a bunch of different strats, both with reverse headstock, and regular. I asked about tuning, playbility, feel, etc. And he said he didn't really notice much difference at all.

Also check this site. its of all the hendrix tribute guitars: http://guitarinternational.com/2010/05/ ... o-hendrix/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a quote from the article:

"Reversing how the left-handed neck is strung (the low E, for example, being where the high E would be on a left-handed neck strung normally), reverses the usual length of the strings and results in a somewhat different “feel” and, arguably, creates a difference in tone.

The differences are the result of a change in tension of the strings (apart from the G and D string which, being in the middle, aren’t really affected). For example, the low E, when strung in reverse, is now the longest string and subject to greater tension due to the increase in length. Conversely, the high E is now the shortest and its tension is less."

If the high E has less tension, wouldn't it feel looser?

Can anyone else who owns a reverse headstock neck chime in with there experience in terms of tuning, playibility, and feel?
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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Bahadir » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:45 pm

exp69 wrote:
theactor19 wrote: Hey Man,

couple questions:
1) Nut Style: Vintage Style .125 Curved Bottom <-- is this right for hendrix strat?

2) also I noticed you got medium sized frets, instead of the vintage.

3) I was thinking of just getting the shellac finish as it is included. Would this be good? I dont think they still offer the stabilized wood finish that you got.

Anyway, great looking strat (and strap!) Thanks
1) Nut style is right for that kind of neck.
I didnt understand what do you mean,if we talk about vintage correct neck that nut is wrong.

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Re: Help me Find the Most Accurate Hendrix Neck!

Post by Bahadir » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:47 pm

Tone Slinger wrote:I would get the decal 'left handed' like the neck your getting. I dislike a 'right handed' decal on a left handed neck.

Also, keep in mind that a strat with a reverse headstock PLAYS differently. The low E has a looser sort of feel to it, and the high E has a tighter feel (unless you use a floyd rose) .
Wrong tighter one low E on reverse headstock.

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