G&L neck compatability

[bigben]

Does anyone know if the currently manufactured G&L necks will fit on a GFS Paoliwino tele body?

I'm considering buying a "partscaster" built by a skilled, reputable builder who used all top notch components and who has been very helpful in terms of answering questions. My only worry about buying this guitar, sight unseen/unplayed, is that I may not like the neck that's on it. I may love it, but if I don't, I'd probably want to replace it. My current 3 bolt Legacy has my "perfect" guitar neck. All maple, 1 5/8" at nut, 12" radius, 22 frets. No other guitar I've ever played or even held feels better in my left hand(the Peavey Wolfgang hardtail I used to have came close). The neck currently on the guitar is from a newish Squier CV 50's tele. I've played one and even though all the guys over at TDPRI rave about them, it didn't blow me away, but I did like it a little. I've never had a 21 fret guitar, so I don't know if the loss of a fret will bother me in the long run. I think the fretwire will be smaller/thinner than my G&L, and obviously the radius is different. But, that's OK. I'm looking for something a little different. I forsee me Scotch-Briting all the gloss off the back of that neck one way or the other.

And before you say, why don't you just order a G&L the way you want it, trust me, if I had the cash right now, I would order one in a heartbeat. I want cherryburst/maple tele, and there's just not many of them out there and the Tribute's don't come around used in that color very often. Someday, I'll own a USA Bluesboy semihollow in cherryburst with "my" neck on it, but not this year.

Thanks,

Bigben

[Jim P]

Hey bigben! Well, sorry to say, but your G&L neck won't fit on a GFS body or, for that matter, any other body than another G&L. The reason being is because the G&L necks are actually a little longer (notice where the neck heel ends at the 22nd fret as opposed to a Fender), thus resulting in a different-sized neck pocket into the body. A swap either way would result in the overall scale of the guitar being considerably off by about 1/4" to 3/8". I'm into Fender guitars equally as much as G&Ls, and sometimes I find myself wishing I could swap necks and/or bodies, but it'll never happen. Of course, one can cobble things together through various techniques, but that's really no way to go. Sorry that I haven't been able to provide more of a positive view, but I guess it is what it is.

Regarding 21 vs 22 fret necks, of my 42 years of playing, I don't think I've used the 22nd fret any more than a few times, and I use the upper register all the time. All necks could have 21 frets and I'd never notice the difference if one fret was missing. I think it's really there for when you're playing in a common R&R key, such as "E", so that you can bend that upper D note more easily to an E. Of course, the modern Fender remedy to this was to simply create an overlap at the butt end of the heel to give us that extra 22nd fret, whereas Leo's remedy with G&L was to make the neck a little longer while keeping the butt end flush, if this makes sense. At least that's my take on it.

Jim