inspected by Leo

[oneeyedog]

Hi folks, just looking thro some postings and I came across a broadcaster photo posted by desertrat07 which showed a lebel on the guitar "inspected by" signed Leo Fender. Does anyone know if most of the guitars af this time would have actually gone thro his hands. My ASAT is of this time and I was just wondering! How difficult is it to remove the neck and check... or should i say how easy is it to put it back on and have problems?
cheers
john

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi John,

Only Broadcasters have that inspection sticker signed by Leo. Doing that was a little coup by Dale Hyatt and these guitars are certainly famous for it. So if you have an ASAT, don't expect a Leo signed inspection sticker in the pocket.

But if you're still interested to learn about the birthdate of your guitar by inspecting date stamps on neck heel and/or in the neck pocket, this is how I do it:

• Put a capo on the first fret
• Slacken all the strings, they should just barely flop.
• Turn instrument around.
• Remove bolts and neck plate
• Gently turn instrument around again.
• Gently pull up neck. After wiggling a couple of times it usually comes out. But G&L neck pockets are pretty tight so just be careful and don't yank any harder than you need to.
• Turn neck around so the neck heel points up.
• GET YOUR CAMERA AND MAKE PICS. Since there is no maintenance to be done, you might as well use this opportunity to make a memento of what is visible.
• Check the quality of said pictures. Are the stamps readable? You just want to make sure you don't have blurry pics before everything is put together again.
• Gently push neck down in pocket, I don't slide it in but have the neck basically just sit up high and push it straight down.
• Put back neckplate and bolts. The holes usually line up again and you'll be able to get the bolts in a decent amount just by hand.
• Tighten bolts and then back out about a turn.
• Tune up strings again. This will seat the neck properly in the pocket if it wasn't already.
• Tighten bolts firmly, remove capo, tune up guitar again and voilà!

Hope this helps,

- Jos

[KenC]

I agree with Jos, but I would add the following:

Since there is no maintenance to be done,

I check the dates during my first string change. This is the perfect opportunity to clean the fretboard and apply oil (I use pure walnut oil from the grocery store) to rosewood or ebony boards, since I don't have to worry about cleaning oil residue off the body afterward.

The holes usually line up again and you'll be able to get the bolts in a decent amount just by hand.

Just a warning, if the threads don't slip into their original grooves you can end up stripping the hole. I have one instrument with this issue. Now that I'm thinking about it, I will probably go ahead with that repair this weekend. You should be able to find the original thread grooves by easing the screw in. The problems come if you just plow in blindly, especially if the neck has been off that instrument once or twice before.

Ken

[KenC]

Does anyone know if most of the guitars af this time would have actually gone thro his hands.

John,

If your ASAT was built in the April-June '86 time frame and has a maple body, it was probably just pure chance that it didn't get the BC cosmetics and signature sticker. From what I understand, both models were being made at that point, with no differences other than cosmetics. I haven't played a BC (yet), but I can't imagine anything significantly outperforming my early '86 ASATs!

I recall the thread about your blond ASAT a while back, but don't remember the dates. Do you know whether it's maple or ash?

Ken

[Miles Smiles]

The problems come if you just plow in blindly, especially if the neck has been off that instrument once or twice before.

I always just make the first 2 or 3 complete turns (with grip in the thread) with just my fingers. Then I use the screw driver and again at first I do it with just 2 fingers. If it doesn't go easily, I unscrew it and try again.

I once travelled with an old EKO guitar. I just loosend the strings put a Capo in the first fret and put off the neck. I than gave it in my suit case between my cloth. In the hotel, I assembled it and when I travelled on or home, I put off the neck again. The neck got off and on at least 30 times, and there wasn't an issue with the threads. No I own a Traveler Speedster, which plays much better and just is cabin luggage.

[louis cyfer]

if you have the neck off, drop some super glue in the neck holes, that will harden the threads and stripping it becomes pretty much impossible. you can also tighten the neckbolts harder this way without worrying about stripping the holes. better connection between the neck and body.

[jakkanen]

Just a warning, if the threads don't slip into their original grooves you can end up stripping the hole. I have one instrument with this issue. Now that I'm thinking about it, I will probably go ahead with that repair this weekend. You should be able to find the original thread grooves by easing the screw in. The problems come if you just plow in blindly, especially if the neck has been off that instrument once or twice before.

One trick with screws in soft material is, before tightening the screw, push down gently while turning it backwards. Eventually you'll feel it drop a little and that's when the threads have aligned correctly and it should be safe to tighten. This is especially useful when reassembling consumer electronics with plastic cases that have been put together using self-tapping screws.

[oneeyedog]

Does anyone know if most of the guitars af this time would have actually gone thro his hands.

John,

If your ASAT was built in the April-June '86 time frame and has a maple body, it was probably just pure chance that it didn't get the BC cosmetics and signature sticker. From what I understand, both models were being made at that point, with no differences other than cosmetics. I haven't played a BC (yet), but I can't imagine anything significantly outperforming my early '86 ASATs!

I recall the thread about your blond ASAT a while back, but don't remember the dates. Do you know whether it's maple or ash?

Ken

Hi Ken how would I know if it is maple or ash?
john

[KenC]

You have to look at exposed wood. Large sections of missing finish work, or else remove the neck and check the pocket. If you post photos here, you'll get plenty of feedback on what kind of wood it is. Some of us may even agree on it.

Ken

[oneeyedog]

not the best pictures but hopefully you can tell the wood type?
john

[oneeyedog]

[oneeyedog]

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi oneeyedog,

Judging from the grain, body wood looks like swamp ash, neck is maple.
Hope this helps,

- Jos

[KenC]

I'm with Jos. The body grain looks too straight and too prominent to be maple.

Ken

[louis cyfer]

Hi John,

Only Broadcasters have that inspection sticker signed by Leo. Doing that was a little coup by Dale Hyatt and these guitars are certainly famous for it. So if you have an ASAT, don't expect a Leo signed inspection sticker in the pocket.

But if you're still interested to learn about the birthdate of your guitar by inspecting date stamps on neck heel and/or in the neck pocket, this is how I do it:

• Put a capo on the first fret
• Slacken all the strings, they should just barely flop.
• Turn instrument around.
• Remove bolts and neck plate
• Gently turn instrument around again.
• Gently pull up neck. After wiggling a couple of times it usually comes out. But G&L neck pockets are pretty tight so just be careful and don't yank any harder than you need to.
• Turn neck around so the neck heel points up.
• GET YOUR CAMERA AND MAKE PICS. Since there is no maintenance to be done, you might as well use this opportunity to make a memento of what is visible.
• Check the quality of said pictures. Are the stamps readable? You just want to make sure you don't have blurry pics before everything is put together again.
• Gently push neck down in pocket, I don't slide it in but have the neck basically just sit up high and push it straight down.
• Put back neckplate and bolts. The holes usually line up again and you'll be able to get the bolts in a decent amount just by hand.
• Tighten bolts and then back out about a turn.
• Tune up strings again. This will seat the neck properly in the pocket if it wasn't already.
• Tighten bolts firmly, remove capo, tune up guitar again and voilà!

Hope this helps,

- Jos

jos, loosening the bolts, retuning and tightening again only makes a difference if the holes in the body are not the proper size, and the screws bind in there. if the neck screws move in the body holes freely as they should, and not bind/thread in there, there is no benefit of that procedure. if the holes are too small, the procedure you described helps, but redrilling the body holes to the right size is even more helpful for proper fit, so that is a better solution, and once that is done, the procedure you described is no longer necessary.

[yowhatsshakin]

louis, I believe you yourself have experienced a couple of times that the neck got 'out of whack' during transportation. Said procedure is just to ensure that the neck is properly seated. Yes, it is usually not necessary if the bolts line up properly and being able to finger tighten the bolts will certainly provide you with valuable feedback in that respect. Given that we are talking about taking a neck off an already existing guitar, one should be able to put it together as it came apart. And yes, even after all of that, one should still check whether the strings are running properly over the pole pieces and have the proper distance form the edge of the fingerboard. Since the procedure only takes a couple of seconds, it IMHO falls in the "it can't hurt" category and it has become habit for me where I don't even think about it (which makes producing instructions like stated above a weird kind of exercise because habits and assumptions need to be expressed too).

After all, when crossing the road, I bet you look left and right for traffic even if there isn't any. But why was it necessary to look in that case?

- Jos

[louis cyfer]

louis, I believe you yourself have experienced a couple of times that the neck got 'out of whack' during transportation. Said procedure is just to ensure that the neck is properly seated. Yes, it is usually not necessary if the bolts line up properly and being able to finger tighten the bolts will certainly provide you with valuable feedback in that respect. Given that we are talking about taking a neck off an already existing guitar, one should be able to put it together as it came apart. And yes, even after all of that, one should still check whether the strings are running properly over the pole pieces and have the proper distance form the edge of the fingerboard. Since the procedure only takes a couple of seconds, it IMHO falls in the "it can't hurt" category and it has become habit for me where I don't even think about it (which makes producing instructions like stated above a weird kind of exercise because habits and assumptions need to be expressed too).

After all, when crossing the road, I bet you look left and right for traffic even if there isn't any. But why was it necessary to look in that case?

- Jos

you are right, it can't hurt. i have seen a lot of people who claim the sound of the guitar improved after this procedure, others never noticed a difference. the reason is the fitting of the screws in the body. i guess i am just trying to point out to check the screw holes by pushing the neck screws in and out through the body a few times to make sure they move freely. remedy if they don't. i have seen necks shifting during transport, but never one that my tech had seated the neck on. between the super glue in the threads (or steel inserts sometimes if it's a neck i have to remove more often, like fenders with the trussrod nut at the neck heel), and proper body holes and tightening, you can literally do pullups on those necks without shifting them.

i rarely look either way when crossing the road, i figure they are not gonna want to mess up their car, and if they do hit me, i make bank.

[yowhatsshakin]

i rarely look either way when crossing the road, i figure they are not gonna want to mess up their car, and if they do hit me, i make bank.

Touché. I just don't really know to feel sorry for you or the car, but I have my suspicion.

- Jos