SG Neck swap!

[olddawg]

So... I've had this early 60s SG laying around in my pile for years. I think it was probably a Jr because it has dot inlays. The body was damaged, modified and re-cut and reshaped to the point of uselessness before I got it. I looked for years for an old LP JR DC slab body, but never found one for a reasonable price. Today I picked up a fully loaded Custom Shop 61 SG Standard reissue with a shattered and removed neck for $100. I plan to steam the neck off what's left of the old SG and glue the old neck on the new body. I know that there will be a lot of dry fitting involved. I have done a lot of guitar repairs in my time but never a neck swap like this. Any advice out there? There is enough mahogany left in the old body to use to patch any missing chunks, lol. Would I be better off cutting the old neck out of the old body and sanding off the excess rather than steaming it off? The old body will not be used except for scraps. Any advice appreciated. So far I have $140 invested in this mess. It will be a nice score if I can put it together.

[tedmich]

I'd remove old neck the old fashioned neck by heating/steaming and then working on fitting it to the new body, the cutout shape is almost guaranteed to be a different and need additions/subtractions....hmmmm maybe cutting it out and then shaping to fit would be better... 6 of one half dozen of another... but fresh wood and glue at the interface still appeals to me!

[soundguruman]

Well, the SG is undoubtedly one of the finest guitars ever built,
and therefore, restore it to original.
There is no way to improve it.

[olddawg]

I'd remove old neck the old fashioned neck by heating/steaming and then working on fitting it to the new body, the cutout shape is almost guaranteed to be a different and need additions/subtractions....hmmmm maybe cutting it out and then shaping to fit would be better... 6 of one half dozen of another... but fresh wood and glue at the interface still appeals to me!

Thanks for the response Ted. I will post a picture of the neck joint on each. The joint in the old guitar is solid. I worry about stressing the neck. If I cut it out I can block sand it until it fits the new pocket perfectly. If I steam it off, I will have to add some wood to the pocket and re- rout it.

[olddawg]

I think I will dry fit everything and use fishing line to line everything up.

[olddawg]

I think I will dry fit everything and use fishing line to line everything up.

[tedmich]

Magawd that SG is Hacked! It will be sooo pretty when redone!

I love white SGs even with the funky bridge!

[olddawg]

Yeah, but the neck is sweet. I will probably just match the polar white and put a gold Gibson water slide on the headstock. The old one has Badass on it and I have all of the old hardware. I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble of removing the tunematic bridge and remounting the stop posts. I do have an old 70s Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup that's going in the bridge position. I'm debating setting it up for 3 pickups.

[tedmich]

I've heard the 3 HB units can have a neat semi archtop sound as the rout is SUBSTANTIAL,

some like it others don't, neck joint is, of course, a problem area strength wise (there is no "there" there!)

[rjb]

It will be sooo pretty when redone!

Is that Rosetta Tharpe?

[tedmich]

Is that Rosetta Tharpe?

yes it is, I've been trying to find a high quality image of her with a 3 PU Les Paul SG, as there are color films but that one is pretty cool!