Feb 11, 2012 1:30 PM
Is possible to fit a Stratocaster Neck in James Tyler 69 Variax?
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Hi,
I know this might look a bit odd but is possible to fit a Stratocaster Neck in James Tyler 69 Variax? The James Tyler 69 Variax neck is not bad but I feel a lot more confortable with maple C shape Strat Necks.
Thank you so much and please forgive me
I don't have a JTV-69 but reading through some of the threads in this forum you will find that a few users have successfully swapped to a different neck. Mark Cockerill is one such user, so I'd recommend that you search out relevant posts from him to start with. He purchased a replacement neck from Warmoth. Swapping the neck is a major modification and any risks are yours. Doing so will at least partially affect your warranty status.
Nick
Strat necks fit perfectly into the JTV69. I am one of the JTV69 users that has put a different neck on my guitar. I bought mine from Warmoth and I love it. It wasn't that difficult to install but I guess everyone's experience levels varies. If you have a bit of experience with this type of thing it's pretty easy. If not, you should be able to find someone around who can do it for you for a reasonable price.
Thanks a lot!
But still you have to drill one extra hole, right?
I'll let my Luthier to do this just to be perfect.
Anyway you've been most helpfull and know I am full confident to go ahead with this.
I'll try to post some photos when it's done.
Thanks
I can't speak for the JTV 69 (yet) but I prefer slim Ibanez necks and shark-tooth inlays and I was able to fit one on my Variax 300 with great results. It's hard to find a 22-fret, square heel Ibanez neck. Most have the AANJ (all access neck joint) with an angled cut, and all of the popular Ibanez RG necks have 24 frets. The solution is the Ibanez "EX Series" guitar necks from the early 90's (Korean made). If you watch, you can sometimes get the whole guitar used for close to $100 (usually a little beat-up) and that way you get all the hardware too. I had to plug and re-drill the holes, shim the neck-to-body angle a little, and remove the string locks from the nut. Action and intonation were easily adjusted. That was my first attempt at a neck transplant and it wasn't too bad.
I recently did a nationwide search at used.guitarcenter.com (no "www") and spotted an EX Series. I nabbed it so I can "Ibanez" my JTV 69 sometime, but I'm not in a hurry. The JTV neck is pretty nice as-is. I called the GC sales person and asked about the details of the neck and action ("Just a few dings".). It cost $109 and they charged $9 to ship it about 200 miles. GC "used items" have a 30-day satisfaction guaranty and you can return them to your local store for a refund. It doesn't get any better. The guitar arrived in a few days with a nice original hard shell case (surprise bonus). GC had rated the guitar "3 stars" which was about right because it had paint chips and scratchy pots, but the neck was a keeper.
I bought my Variax 300 for $250 the same way a couple of years ago. So that's my plug for Guitar Center's used equipment deal !
Hi,
I've done it...I've fitted a US Stratocaster neck with locking tuners on my JTV-69 and it's perfect...amazing in fact.
No more E string coming off the fretboard, no more super jumbo frets (or should I say a bumpy road).
The job was amazingly done by my Luthier. I'm glad I've decided for the JTV-69 witch allowed me to make this change.
Nothing to complain in this concern...was ok but not comfortable and now it's superb. Playabilty has increased 1-10.
I'll post some photos shortly if you like.
Still I have a complaint but it has nothing to do with this. It concerns with electronics, with alternate tunings. Here’s the thing:
When I am in standard everything works great…in dropD as well, but from dropDb and on it’s a mess…the sound comes as if you were playing a 12 string guitar…there are double sounds in each string and it doesn’t look right at all. This is happening since I’ve got it from shop and I’ve thought that this would be overcome with the next firmware upgrade (by the way I haven't checked yet if there is one).
Did anyone have similar experiences?
Thanks a lot
Are you using a VDI cable? Into an HD500?
No, just a jack cable into my pedalboard or to a PA or combo
Like I said I haven't plug it in monkey yet
Hi,
Fitting a new neck on the guitar would void the warranty. However, I am sure that the guitar could be modified to accomodate a strat neck. Just be aware that the guitar would not have a warranty after the modification.
http://line6.com/support/docs/DOC-4838
Thanks,
David
Line 6 Customer Support
I've already fitted my guitar with a new neck and I'm extremely happy with it. It's not that I hated the original neck, it would have been fine if I was just going to play the guitar occasionally or just use it for recording. But I decided early on that this was going to be my main guitar and I needed a neck that I really felt at home playing on.
That said I am OK with warranty void but I was wondering does that apply to the electronics too?
LIne 6's warranty policy is a bit stringent. I don't see how changing necks or pick ups would effect electronics but in their eyes pretty much anything voids the warranty.
In fact they used to require bringing guitar to a service center in the state it was purchased in. I travel a LOT for work. One day I was in North Carolina in a hotel a block from GC.
I bought a Variax 600 spur of the moment to use as a beater guitar. A pezo died almost imedeately and I had to pay for the repair at a center in santo domingo where I live. Later on I would get intermittent cutting out and brought to service center in texas, again would have been a charge for repair but the tech was cool. He had it for months and could not fix it, so he didn't charge me. He then said he would never work on variax again. . . . . .lol.
well if that's the case we should warn those guys that are thinking of putting those fancy fretboard stickers on. it would be a shame if they did that and then had an issue with their modelling electronics.
Good one -- think I'll wait until my year is up to try those stickers. Wait -- would that be a year after I ordered it (Oct 2010) or a year after I received it (May 2011)?? ![]()
Dave
Hi,
Technically, the warranty is void. However should an issue arise we would follow due diligence in determining if replacing the neck could have caused the failure and would decide if a warranty repair is justified. You should still let us know if any issue occurs with your instrument but I cannot issue a statement that would guaranty any warranty repair on an instrument that has been modified in such a way.
Thanks,
David
Line 6 Customer Support
Line6david wrote:
Hi,
Fitting a new neck on the guitar would void the warranty. However, I am sure that the guitar could be modified to accomodate a strat neck. Just be aware that the guitar would not have a warranty after the modification.
http://line6.com/support/docs/DOC-4838
Thanks,
David
Line 6 Customer Support
In that case one would be wise to slap the original neck back on before taking the guitar in for warranty service... and not post any pics of the guitar with the swapped neck on this site which might be held against them later.
Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think the guys in this forum who swapped their JTV necks did any irreversible/permanent modifications to the guitar itself... I believe the only mods necessary would be drilling holes in the new neck and an action adjustment, once the original neck is put back on I don't know how anyone would ever know it had been swapped.
Good point, and it's true the only modification is to the new neck. I appreciate Line6David's reply though that they would discuss and be fair.
I was just at a guitar show where the repair shop said they would put a new neck on a JTV69 for about 150.00.. this is a reputable place ... big shop in New Jersey.... thats just the labor.... I would supply the neck...
Question... is it possible to change the scale of the neck on the JTV69? I was on the Warmoth site and was looking at a 24 3/4" ... which is different then the 25 1/2" neck that comes with the 69....
If I change the neck to 24 3/4" will that screw up any thing... as far as how the guitar models work... or tunings...
I don't think it would... All we are doing is changing scale and then tuning it for standard tuning... after that the electronics picks up the signal and does the magic....
Any opinions?
Bump. I would also like to know if a scale conversion neck (24.75") would bolt up to the JTV-69. Thanks.
And for that matter what about a 22 fret neck fitted onto a JTV89??
Impossible??
It may bold on, but changing the scale length could require moving the bridge? Piickup placement may also be an issue?
Ya this was my thought process, I was just kind of blind hoping that there was some huge gap missing from my guitar knowledge that would make this magically possible, I was considering getting an 89 and I probably still would if I was going to do a full transplant. But it occurred to me that the blood red in the 89 would look great with my Padouk neck from Warmoth. I really would like a second JTV, I'm just trying to figure out what it's going to be. Is the neck pocket on the 89 the same as the 69?
As mentioned earlier, I was one of the first to put a Warmoth neck on my 69 and haven't looked back since. It really was very simple despite piloting an extra hole.
However, the Warmoth guitar that I took the neck from has remained unused but I have ordered a new Strat replacement neck for that which should arrive in a couple of weeks. It's too good a guitar to own and not play.
So, I took the 69 neck off of the Warmoth body (never did look right) and polished up the entire body in preparation for the arrival of it's new neck when I had a few thoughts. Does any of my other guitars have a neck that I could transplant to my Warmoth body and save on a new neck. Well, I picked up my Variax 700 and aligned the 69 neck (now it's in my hand away from the guitar) with the 700 and the scale length is identical. I measured up all the crucial areas and you know what, that marvellous neck on the 700 looks like it will fit my Warmoth body exactly which in turn should fit the 69 body. The neck on the 700 is superior to the 69 and plays very very well, I gigged with it for years and never had an issue with the neck.
My JTV is in the gig van all packed up for this weekend's gig so I could not make direct measurement comparisons but the indications are good that it might work.
Has anyone put a 700 neck on a JTV69 and found it to work?
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