Product Overview
Every Telecaster-style build eventually comes down to one part: the neck. This replacement electric guitar neck is cut from Canadian roasted maple and built to Telecaster-compatible geometry — a 9.5" fingerboard radius, 21 medium-jumbo frets and 8 mm peg holes — which puts it on familiar ground for players who like a rounder board and a vintage-leaning feel. One neck, two very different jobs. On the bench it replaces a warped, twisted or broken neck on a customer's instrument without a long wait for a custom carve. In a build it lets you finish a partscaster around geometry you already know suits the player. Changing the neck is also the simplest way to change how a guitar sounds and feels, which is why so many upgrades start here. A classic spec, not a compromise. The 9.5" radius and 21-fret layout place this among the classic electric guitar neck shapes: comfortable for chords, familiar for bends, and easy to set up at moderate action.
Canadian Roasted Maple
- Where it starts. Each neck begins as hand-selected, A-grade Canadian maple, cut in our own workshop and graded before anything else happens to it.
- What roasting does. The wood is heated to a high temperature to drive out its deep moisture, a process also called carbonisation. What comes out is a maple guitar neck that reacts far less to swings in humidity and temperature than raw timber would.
- Why it matters if the guitar travels. Players moving between regions, touring through different climates, or living somewhere genuinely damp get the most from this. The neck is less likely to need a fresh rod tweak every time the season turns.
- Neck and board move together. Because the fretboard is roasted maple from the same stock as the neck, the two pieces expand and contract in step instead of pulling against each other.
- A fitted set of guitar neck parts. The neck arrives with the bone nut fitted and slotted, dot inlays set into the board, and the rosewood skunk stripe already in place down the back.
- Tone: forward and articulate. Roasted maple leans modern. There is a prominent, attacking fundamental when you dig in, clear granular feedback through the fingertips, and a full, tough low end that holds together under a heavy right hand.
- Tone you can predict. Because the attack arrives quickly and the note stays firm, it suits players who want the guitar to answer immediately rather than bloom and blur.
- The way it looks. Roasting darkens the wood to a warm caramel brown and keeps the grain visible under the satin finish, so the natural colour reads like aged maple rather than pale new timber.
Fretwork, Step by Step
- Leveling. The frets are pressed into the board at the precise increments set by the scale, then checked against one another so that every crown sits on the same plane. A level set of frets is what allows low action later without buzzing.
- Crowning. The top of each fret is hand-polished and bevelled into its final rounded shape, so the string meets a clean crown instead of a flattened top. This is the step that decides how a bend releases and how clean the note speaks.
- Fret end bevelling. Each fret end is rounded and brought flush with the edge of the fingerboard. Nothing protrudes to catch the side of your hand as you move up the neck, which is the difference between a neck that feels finished and one that feels raw.
- Bench check before packing. Every neck is inspected against these points before it leaves the workshop, and anything that does not meet the standard is pulled rather than shipped. That inspection is why the fretwork is the part of this neck we talk about first.
Electric Guitar Neck Dimensions
| Specification | Value |
|---|
| Frets | 21 medium-jumbo, rust-proof nickel silver |
| Neck wood | Canadian roasted maple |
| Fretboard | Canadian roasted maple |
| Fingerboard radius | 9.5" / 240 mm |
| Scale length | 25.5" / 648 mm |
| Guitar neck width at nut | 1.69" / 43 mm |
| Heel width | 2.2" / 56 mm |
| Heel depth | 1.0" / 26 mm |
| Peg hole diameter | 8 mm |
| Thickness at 1st fret | 0.82" / 21 mm |
| Thickness at 12th fret | 0.87" / 22 mm |
| Truss rod | Dual action |
| Skunk stripe | Rosewood |
| Finish | Satin, natural colour |
Fit and Compatibility
A Telecaster-compatible neck is compatible by style, not by guarantee. Before ordering, put calipers on the neck you are replacing and compare the electric guitar neck dimensions in both directions — the table above gives inches and millimetres for exactly this reason. Five measurements decide whether the job goes smoothly: guitar neck width at the nut, heel width, heel depth, scale and peg hole diameter.
Scale is the one you cannot fix later. Electric guitar neck length sets where the bridge has to sit. This neck is built to 25.5", so it belongs on a body whose bridge is already positioned for that scale. Fit it to a body routed for something shorter or longer and the instrument will not intonate, however carefully you set it up afterwards.
The heel. Check that the pocket is wide and deep enough for the heel figures listed above, and that the neck sits flat on the floor of the pocket with no rocking. A thin shim to correct pocket angle is normal on some bodies; a heel that will not sit down at all is the wrong heel.
The peg holes. This neck is drilled to the smaller 8 mm size, which suits tuner sets built with 8 mm bushings and collars. Measure the bushing on the tuners you plan to fit before you commit — reaming a hole out is a one-way operation.
Screw holes. Compare the mounting pattern with the holes in your old neck. If they do not line up, plug and re-drill the heel rather than driving a screw into fresh maple in the wrong place.
Neck Profile and Hand Feel
This maple guitar neck carries a modern C carve — the shape most players picture when they are not thinking about neck shapes at all. It fills the palm evenly without a hard shoulder, so barre chords sit comfortably and the thumb has somewhere to rest.
Thickness in the middle of the range. The neck is slim at the first fret and barely thicker at the twelfth, with the exact figures in the table above. It is not a vintage baseball bat and it is not a wizard carve; if you have been looking for a thin neck electric guitar because your hands are on the smaller side, this lands close to that feel while still leaving enough wood to resist string tension.
The 9.5" radius. Rounder than a modern 12" board and flatter than a vintage 7.25". Chords and open-position work feel natural, and bends stay clean at moderate action without choking out.
21 medium-jumbo frets. Medium-jumbo wire leaves more crown to work with over the years, so there is material to dress and re-crown when the time comes. It also makes bends feel a little easier under the fingers than narrow vintage wire.
A back that does not drag. The satin finish is the part players notice in a warm room: the hand moves and the neck does not grab at it.
Edges and ends. The fingerboard edges are smoothed, so there is no ridge where the board meets the back of the neck, and the fret ends are already bevelled before the neck leaves the workshop.
Set against other electric guitar neck shapes, the modern C is the safe middle — it does not push you toward one style of playing.
Dual-Action Truss Rod
- Corrects bow in both directions. A dual-action rod pulls against back-bow and pushes against up-bow, so one rod handles a neck that has gone either concave or convex. A single-action rod can only pull one way.
- Useful after a long shipment. Wood that has crossed a few climate zones often arrives with a slight bow. A quarter turn at a time, with a day to settle in between, is usually all it takes.
- A thin neck electric guitar depends on it. Less wood in the carve means less natural resistance to string tension, so the rod is what keeps relief in the right place when you change string gauges or tunings.
- Set relief first, then action. Adjust the rod for the relief you want, then set string height at the bridge saddles. Working the other way round means doing the job twice.
- It does not change electric guitar neck length. The rod corrects curvature only. Scale and intonation stay where the bridge puts them, and no amount of rod adjustment will rescue a body built for a different scale.
- Small moves, then wait. A quarter turn is plenty at a time; let the neck settle before turning again. Over-tightening is the usual reason a rod starts to feel stiff.
- What it will not fix. A high fret or a worn nut is a fretwork or setup issue, not a rod issue. Diagnose before reaching for the wrench.
What to Expect on Arrival
A neck is a piece of wood that has just crossed a shipping network, so treat the first hour with it as an inspection rather than a setup. Minor fret dressing or leveling may be necessary to compensate for environmental shifts during shipping, or to meet specific low-action requirements. That is normal for a wooden neck that has travelled, and it is not a defect — the frets leave the workshop leveled, crowned and bevelled, and the wood then does what wood does.
Give it a day or two. Let the neck sit in your workshop at normal room conditions before you judge anything. A neck that feels slightly different on the day it arrives often settles once it has acclimatised.
What most benches find. If you run moderate action, you will usually string it up, set relief and play. If you want the board to feel like a precision setup with very low action, plan on a light fret dress as part of the job rather than as a surprise.
Check in this order. Sight down the board for relief, run a finger along both fret edges for anything sharp, and look for a high fret with a short straight edge before you install. Finding it on the bench is much cheaper than finding it after the guitar has gone back to the customer.
Installation and First Setup
- Measure before you drill. Compare the electric guitar neck dimensions with the pocket one more time, dry-fit the neck, and confirm the heel sits flat with the screw holes where you expect them.
- Check the heel contact. The heel should meet the floor of the pocket along its whole length. Side gaps are cosmetic; a heel that rocks is not.
- Lay out the guitar neck parts you are reusing. Tuners, bushings, screws, neck plate and string trees all go back on, so check none of them are worn or the wrong size before assembly.
- Fit the tuners to the peg holes. Press bushings in squarely, then mount the machines and check they turn freely without binding.
- String up to pitch with the gauge you actually intend to use — relief and action both depend on string tension.
- Check relief with a straight edge or feeler gauge and bring the rod to where you want it before touching string height.
- Set action at the bridge saddles, then check intonation at the 12th fret on each string and move the saddles as needed.
- Play it in. Run scales and chords across the whole board, listen for buzzes, and recheck relief after the first week — a new neck often settles once it has been under tension.
Ordering and Delivery
- Single necks are fine. One neck is enough to place an order, which suits a repair shop replacing the neck on a single instrument.
- Where it ships from. Depending on stock, orders leave from our warehouse in Texas or from our production site in Guangdong, China. Ask which applies to your order if the timing matters.
- Carriers. Parcels go out by UPS or USPS, and we confirm the service with your tracking details once the order is on its way.
- Timing. Delivery generally runs about 2 to 15 days depending on destination and dispatch point, so confirm the current estimate with us when you order.
- Trade buyers. Shops and workshops that stock or build in volume should ask about trade terms before placing a repeat order.
- Custom specifications. Custom necks are produced as runs rather than one-offs, so send your specification and we will quote it as a production order.
- Packing. If a larger shipment needs particular protection or labelling, tell us before dispatch and we will plan it with you.
Technical Support & Model Matching
Not sure whether a part will work with what you already have? Tell us what you are building or repairing, or send a few photos and measurements, and our team will help you confirm the match before you order. If something looks off after delivery, get in touch with pictures and details and we will help you find the cause and put it right. We can also walk you through fitting and first setup, step by step. Behind that is more than ten years of working experience, 100% quality control, and customer service that answers around the clock.
FAQ
Will this neck fit my Telecaster-style body?
It is built to Telecaster-compatible geometry, so it drops into the same style of neck pocket — but compatible is not universal. Check three things against your body first: the pocket width and depth against the heel figures in the table, guitar neck width at the nut against the string spread you want, and the peg hole size against your tuners. When those line up, this electric guitar neck fits the way a replacement should; when they do not, no amount of setup will correct it.
What does roasting actually do to a maple guitar neck?
It drives the deep moisture out of the wood and leaves it more dimensionally stable. In practice a roasted maple guitar neck moves less when humidity swings, which matters if the instrument tours or lives in a damp climate, and it is far less likely to need a rod adjustment every season. Roasting also darkens the timber and gives the tone a quicker, more attacking response.
How do I check whether the frets need any work?
Set the relief first, because a back-bowed neck will buzz no matter how good the frets are. Then run a short straight edge along each string path, three frets at a time, and look for a rock. Run a finger along both edges of the board for anything sharp, and check the highest few frets with a fret rocker if you have one. If relief is correct and only one spot complains, a light dress at that spot is the fix.
Which tuners suit the 8 mm peg holes?
Any set built with 8 mm bushings or collars. Vintage-style machines typically use that smaller size, while many modern sealed sets use 10 mm, so measure the bushing on the tuners you plan to fit rather than assuming. The guitar neck parts that decide this are the holes and their bushings — and if your tuners are the larger size, ask us about the 10 mm version of this neck before you order.
How do I know it will intonate on my body?
Intonation is decided by where the bridge sits, not by the neck. This one is built to a 25.5" scale, so it needs a body whose bridge is already positioned for that electric guitar neck length. Measure from the nut to the saddles on your body before buying; if it comes out at 25.5" you are fine, and if the body was routed for a different scale this is the wrong neck for it.
How does the modern C profile compare with other electric guitar neck shapes?
It sits in the middle. A soft V pushes your thumb into one spot, and a very flat, wide modern carve asks for a different hand position altogether. The modern C fills the palm evenly and works for chords and single-note lines alike. Paired with the 9.5" radius, it is a safe first replacement neck if you are unsure which carve you want: someone used to a thin neck electric guitar will find it familiar, and someone coming from a chunkier vintage carve will not be shocked by it.
