Rookie EX-1L neck question

[Cannibalchris]

Hey everbody
I'm new to the site, guitars and building them, i have build a ST-1 cause iv always wanted to learn guitar, but now I'm more hooked on the building then actually learning guitar haha.
just a question with the Ex-1 neck. I'm not sure if the neck is to high. iv half put in the tap in threads to the body where the strings go in ( not sure on what its called exactly) and it looks like if i knock them the whole way down the string will touch the frets. so is it meant to adjust up that high or is the neck to high?
probable a stupid question but i want to check 100% before i glue the neck in

Thanks heaps chris

[WeirdBits]

Don't go by the tailpiece/stop tail used in your pics, you need to check using the bridge. Is the finish completed, as in you're ready to attach the hardware (other than gluing in the neck)? If so, then push in the bushings for the bridge (don't forget the bridge ground wire) and test the action/height with the neck clamped in place.

If you are not at the point of fitting the bridge/bushings then you can get a rough idea by sitting the ends of the bridge on a couple of washers/20c pieces over the post holes (that will approximate minimum bridge height). With the neck clamped in place run a steel rule or piece of string/fishing-line from a string slot in the nut to the matching bridge saddle slot. If the string/ruler is just touching the last fret, or close to it, then the neck angle and action should be about correct.

[Cannibalchris]

Thanks heaps, did what you said with the 20c pieces cause the finish isn't completed yet and the strings was just sitting up from the last fret by not even 0.5mm

[Simon Barden]

Hi and welcome. I've got an unbuilt EX-1 kit and the neck sits around the same height yours does. On a real Explorer, the fretboard does sit lower to the body, but the neck is also at more of an angle to compensate for this and so give enough height to fit the bridge in.

From the sounds of it, your bridge is going to be at a nice low height when it's all finished - you don't want it sticking right up in the air (unfortunately how a lot of Gibsons now come from the factory). Your stop tailpiece will probably end up being screwed down as low as it can go to get a good break angle for the strings over the bridge, which is ideal.

[wazkelly]

Hi Chris, just a heads up for when it comes to gluing the neck......on my EX-1 was so nervous about scale length that I forgot to check if there was enough room left for the neck PUP mounting ring hence why the PUP's are top loaded. Below are a couple of shots that show what I am talking about (the Mars Bar was only in the shot to act as universal colour reference pointer)

[Cannibalchris]

Thanks heaps guys, you have all been extremely helpful. After checking and triple checking everything I got it all glued up. Didn't know my first glue in neck was going to be so daunting haha