If you enjoyed this video, please HIT the LIKE and the SUBSCRIBE buttons! It really helps me to keep working on new material to be produced, thank you!

I finally took the plunge and asked my local shop to carry out this procedure for me and the difference was light night and day - it's like a totally different guitar! The drop off in the sustain was gone and it now rings like a bell. Thank you so much mate, you're a genius! This is what social media was meant to be about.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rhett, in certain guitars this procedure really makes a huge difference, in some others we are talking about subtle ones. However I always do that to my instruments, because that's how it is meant to be!

@rhettevans4592

2 жыл бұрын

I took the second plunge and had my £1000 Fender Performer done yesterday while I stood there biting my nails! Again the extra sustain makes it feel like a different guitar. Why isn't this standard practice I wonder?

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

@@rhettevans4592 I think that's the difference between custom made guitars by luthier and mass production made guitars by a huge company like Fender. I don't know why they are doing that, it must be a cost saving initiative not drilling the holes twice (smaller hole and then larger one) or something similar. From a mechanical perspective there's absolutely no reason to justify the absence of a properly drilled clearance hole in the body, the screws must pass through freely there. Glad it helped you out!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

I always do this to my Strats!!!

From Leo: That is a good solution if you have a problem. The screw holes may not be any problem. With the strings off, loosen the screws and put a piece of paper between the heal and the body. Tighten the screws, if you cannot pull the paper out, the screw holes are not a problem. Alberto is right, using the strings to pull the neck tight to the pocket is a proper technique. That 100 lbs of pull eliminates any minor gaps. I put all 6 strings to proper pitch, and loosen all 4 screws and then tighten them, knowing there is no slack.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Agree on the paper test! Thanks for commenting and hovering to my channel!!!

@lone-wolf-1

2 жыл бұрын

If the screws bite in the body and don’t have clearance in the holes, pulling the neck in the pocket might not work as well as with that little free space…😊

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

Just bought a Harley Benton Fusion ii HSH. Body has correct clearance holes diameter from factory. Now I know, and neck is tightened properly now! Thanks!👍

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Great!!!! Rock on!

Great tip! I always do that on my guitars, thanks for sharing!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

I have a Jackson, They are now owned by Fender and the screw holes in the body are the same way. So tight and threaded into the body AND the neck. I did this same thing to mine. Drilled the holes out larger. No problems and it sounds better and the neck fits into the pocket much better now.

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

You did the right way!!! Enjoy your Jackson!

I LOVE this guitar

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

CAR Stratocaster are the best. I have seen another video on his channel with a demo of this exact Strat!

@LostPlectrum

Жыл бұрын

It a fantastic one!!!

You have great guitar building skills!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Building skills is too much, I am an engineer who likes to know how things work!

I definitely learned something new here even though I haven't taken any action yet to drill bigger holes. What I noticed with my Fender Stratocaster Vintera is that the playability of the neck and the resonance change depending how I tighten the 4 neck screws.

@LostPlectrum

8 ай бұрын

Those holes in the body have to be bigger than the screws, that is basic rule for a tight fit between two pieces of wood. I have recently bought an American Original 50s Strat that was built like that from the factory, finally!

I found out the hard way the first time I took off the neck and tried to bolt it back together. First time I had an uneven gap around the perimeter. At that time I used a c-clamp to hold the neck and clamped the neck into the pocket. I was then able to screw the neck back on snugly. Unfortunately, I also put a dent in the frets and the neck plate. Luckily I tried doing this on a vintage Squier so it wasn't a huge loss (altho it forced me into an opportunity to learn fret dressing). Later on I had to learn how to replace frets, LOL! Remember, go easy when dressing those frets. Easy off, hard on. Not easy to put material back on if ye take too much off. ;)

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

You live, you learn they say! Rock on my friend and thanks for commenting!!!

I use a piece of fiber or rubber support between body and neck. I feel it more sustain. This video you show mean the screws are too tight make decrease a sustain. Thanks.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Hi there, the main point of the video is that the body holes should not be threaded, they need to have a clearance. This is assuring a proper neck to body tightening.

Thank you for this simple yet effective suggestion. A Columbus' egg indeed! 😎

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

Many people ignore this!!!!

Video molto interessante Alberto! Iscritto!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Grazie Max, ho dato un occhio al tuo canale, messo like, commentato e iscritto! Rimaniamo collegati! E fammi sapere cosa ne pensi della mia "The Loner"! Ciao!!!

I should try these...

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

There are no drawbacks of you do it properly with the right tools. You also need some basic skills of course.

Very good! I had done this few years ago on all of my guitars! It has positive results! I loose a bit all screws (1/4 turn) under full tension of the strings, for tight set in the pocket. Then I do string-alignement by angling the neck as needed. Tighten first the screws towards headstock, then those towards body.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

There is not any risk in doing it, just benefits. You just need a minimum knowledge about what you are doing!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

I always do this to my Strats!!!

Complimenti per il video, anche se a tratti inquietante per me, sarebbe stato bello fare un paragone audio tra il prima e dopo questo lavoro. Magari poteva essere utile per capire di quanto cambia il suono

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

La prossima volta lo farò!!!

Fender uses #8 x 1-3/4" screws for the neck. Based on the comments below, am I correct in thinking that instead of drilling I can use the same size screw, but make sure it is a partially threaded screw? Then restring as Alberto demonstrates. Do I understand correctly, or do I use a partially threaded screw of a different size? (If so, what size?) THANK YOU for this video Alberto!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment! If you use partially threaded screws you are fine. In that case the screw is acting as it should, gripping into the neck while leaving a virtually friction free contact in the body. Make sure the non-threared part is the right length, i.e. the thickness of the body!

@runningwithscissors0911

3 жыл бұрын

@@LostPlectrum Got it! Thank you Alberto!!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome!

@lone-wolf-1

2 жыл бұрын

I would not use different screws. The threads are not identical, so you end up with messed up threads in the neck. You could file off threads on the upper part of the screw, but it’s waaay easier to just enlarge the holes on the body🤷🏻‍♂️ Also important: the same screw always in the same hole. I take them out with the plate and let them there, if necessary mark on the plate “neck” and “body”, or “up/down”.

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

Wise advice!

Candy red is the best red

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I agree. Most people prefer Fiesta....but c'mon CAR is gorgeous!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly this!

That's awesome - and a great tip as sustain does get lost with a loos neck joint. Thanks for sharing this my friend - excellent tip!!!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you mate!

@williamcarson1669

3 жыл бұрын

Match sticks shoved down the hole followed by a dollop of superglue tightens everything up You got to screw down fast. If you dont have a cordless you can get nasty blisters.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Hi William, sorry is this comment related to this video? I don't understand! Thanks

@williamcarson1669

3 жыл бұрын

If the screws are spinning in the neck plate the match sticks provide extra wood the screws suck the joint tight. I believe it was StewMac I learned this from. It works. Am I still missing the point?

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Well, the point 8s that the screws should turn freely in the body wood, because there should be a clearance hole there. The trick you are mentioning can be useful if you strip a thread in the neck,.I have another video showing that!

Very hard to believe that making the screw holes wider will give you more sustain, But I suppose I could try in on my 62 & 63 strat

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

For sure it would improve the neck to body joint. But on '62 and '63 strats you are not supposed to do anything since they are already perfect, isn't it? They may have half threaded neck screws as well, this would make the video pointless.

@11calman

3 жыл бұрын

@@LostPlectrum Thanks for the prompt reply mate

@TheGhostGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Even if your 63 & 63 Strats are not half threaded, first try replacing those screws with correct half threaded screws. Its a possibility that the existing body holes may not need mods if ye use half threaded screws. BUT, if you do need to widen those holes and ye have not any practice doing this mod, _please_ practice doing this on another cheap Strat (like a Squier or something), before risking making a mistake on an expensive vintage one! Another thing I recommend is to use a c clamp to hold a piece of wood against the pocket surface to prevent splintering of the wood when the bit breaks thru to the other side. Also use a piece of leather on the back side to protect the finish from damage under the c-clamp head. Ye do not need to clamp too tightly tho, just enough to keep the wood piece from moving when the drill bit reaches it..

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Wise suggestions Lance!

@lone-wolf-1

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheGhostGuitars Different screws have not identical threads. You mess up the previous threads in the neck wood! Also: always same screw in the same hole!😊

Mi sembra di conoscerla quella chitarra... 😍

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Fra poco la sentirai suonare!

There should have a sound test after

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

You are right I recorded the before and after and will load in a different video as soon as I can! Thanks for your comment, I'll drop you a message when ready.

The middle spring in the tremolo is doing nothing 😉

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

It's under tension so it's applying a force to the tremolo. F = kx, therefore the force is proportional to the elastic constant of the spring (that is a fixed value), and the displacement from the neutral position. For sure the 2 outer springs are applying a slightly higher force than the middle one!

@apassionfortangling3671

3 жыл бұрын

I bet you can remove it with your fingers. The outer 2 springs are under more tension. I appreciate your videos, but that is a bit of a pet hate, it's like having a different length spring?

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Yes the outer springs are under more tension but still you cannot pull out the middle one with the fingers. The spring claw is screwed into the body quite a lot therefore the springs are under a considerable tension, all of the three. This strat has 0.011s on it, tuned in E flat and I like the trem decked so that it doesn't decrease in pitch when I am doing a 2 full steps bends, therefore the springs are working hard here. However I must say I prefer to load 5 springs in parallel, but here I was lacking 2 in my spare bin :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!

.. if the goal is to creat the tightest fit/contact of the guitar body & neck material then can I fill up any gaps between the two screwed-together parts with super glue/furniture adhesives? .. anyone? 😬😬

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

Well, not in a Strat lol!

You all can just use a half-threaded screws so you dont need to enlarge the screw holes of the body.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Very wise comment, you are perfectly right, the big question is why Fender doesn't do it? If I am not wrong they were using half threaded screws in the fifties is sixties!

@vicenteortiz8521

3 жыл бұрын

@@LostPlectrum Nice to hear that Im right but sad to say that I dont have a guitar. I just know it because I worked in metal working industry. Hopefully people will see this tip so they dont have to risk their expensive guitars.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

@@vicenteortiz8521 I wish you the best for the future, hopefully with a guitar!

@Kenzabukuro

3 жыл бұрын

@@LostPlectrum Fender used them sometimes, but it depended on suppliers and price. It was not consistent.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Ken, you are right! They should have always used them!!!

I dunno how I ended up here, but I'd love to hear what the difference is

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Who knows how you landed here, but you did! I am preparing a video with the sound difference or shall I say the sound decay over time, that is definitely there. I am working on it, just don't know when I will be able to upload it. Just subscribe and hit the bell if you want to get the notification! Thank you very much for commenting!

Masking tape is your friend. Why risk that beautiful finish with an oops.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

You are perfectly right, I even say that in the video. Masking tape, always! Thanks for remember it to me!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely!!!

.. mmm this is doable; I can try this on my tone/sustain dead Tagima Ibanez

@LostPlectrum

2 ай бұрын

Did you try that?

DO NOT DRILL ANY HOLES IN YOUR GUITAR. 💯 WRONG

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate your comment, I have done this on several bolt-on guitars, they didn't split apart yet (kidding)! Seriously, half of the Fenders I have owned (20plus and still counting) had this flaw, the other half were right since the beginning, with a proper clearance hole in the body.

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

You are 💯 wrong, sir.

@rhettevans4592

2 жыл бұрын

Unless you have tried it, it kinda makes you 100% ignorant doesn't it?. I've done it to my tele and my strat and the difference is incredible

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

Some people are scared to do some mods to guitars, especially when this involves drilling holes! However in this case it is perfectly right!!!

@BossHossStudios

2 жыл бұрын

@@LostPlectrum well all my shit is custom shop. I’m not modding anything. But if you got a squire then get after it

Nope! Just the sound made in cringe!

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

Well, some bolt on guitars are correctly built with proper clearance holes in the body, some are not. The very basic bolting technique requires to have a clearance hole of you want the neck to be strongly pulled against the body!

Sorry, sounds like a terrible idea.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

I know, I know, this is controversial. However that's REALLY the ABC of bolt technique, if you want to tightly clamp together two pieces of any kind of material, one of the two MUST have a clearance hole. That's common and needed in any construction work. Out of my 20+ fenders I have found some "right" (screws were passing freely through the body), some were "faulty". It's interesting also to note that somewhere in the 50s or 60s, now I can't recall exactly, fender used partially threaded screws that were only threaded in the neck section, while being thread free on the body part.

@LostPlectrum

3 жыл бұрын

This same exact procedure is even described in Callaham's website!

@johnarthey3162

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely not, it's a very basic concept and almost half of the Strats are properly drilled from the factory, so this holes enlargement is not needed.

@lone-wolf-1

2 жыл бұрын

@@johnarthey3162 Right! If the body holes already have clearance, then drilling is not needed. 😊 But if not, then it’s a must enlarging the body holes, for proper tightening.

@MsRavens13

2 жыл бұрын

Ive been making guitars for over 50 years and yes its a Bad idea. And pointless. More sustain is a product of many factors not just one.

This is by far the dumbest video i've seen in years, guys please don't do this to your instruments if you don't want to damage them

@LostPlectrum

2 жыл бұрын

No damage sit, pure basic of connecting two slab of wood together with some screws! I am sorry but you are wrong, there's no risk to damage anything. Moreover, many Strats come with a proper clearance hole from the factory.