Question on neck pockets - specifically on the EX...

[HatchA]

Would one of the myriad of EX builders/owners on here mind measuring the width of the neck at the widest point - or pocket, if possible?

I've discovered a neck on Aliexpress with a blatant Ken Lawrence rip-off headstock, and I'm wondering if - at 56mm wide at the heel - it'd require much finagling to fit into an EX kit body.

Many thanks in advance,

Steve.

[wazkelly]

Just measured mine and took a couple of shots....



Pretty damn close to 56mm.....if a tight fit a small amount of sanding should do the trick.

Cheers, Waz

[Simon Barden]

Note that the pocket on the EX is the full width of the neck, as some set necks have a narrower heel. Also the neck is 22 frets long, so just double check that the Alibaba one has the same (it should it it's a good Ken Lawrence copy).

[HatchA]

Many thanks, Waz! I think that's close enough to warrant taking a chance

Note that the pocket on the EX is the full width of the neck, as some set necks have a narrower heel. Also the neck is 22 frets long, so just double check that the Alibaba one has the same (it should it it's a good Ken Lawrence copy).

Thanks, Simon. I'll try attach a couple of screenshots (I don't want to step on any toes by pasting unwelcome links), but from what I can gather from the info & options offered, there are 22 and 24 fret options in both 24.75", and 25.5" scales. There's also room for a little modification and customisation, too.

Neither have a tenon, like the EX kit necks, but that shouldn't be an issue (I plan on ordering an Iceman neck instead of the stock EX one anyway). The heel flares out at about the 15th fret, which seems in line with both the EX and IC necks (from what I can tell by the pictures on the PBG site). For the price, it's worth a punt

I wonder if it might be possible for PBG to look into offering this headstock as a custom option...?

[Simon Barden]

The 22 fret 24.75" neck would in theory be the one to go for. The intonation would be way out with the 25.5" 24 fret neck.

But neither neck is suitable for an EX kit. Those necks are bolt-on necks, not glue in ones. The heel depth is too thin and the 22nd (or 24th) fret is achieved by an overhang. The 22 fret neck is meant for a Gibson style (SG or LP) or similar body, whilst the 24 fret neck is for something like an Ibanez bolt-on like an RG or S series that already has a 24 fret neck.

You could probably modify the 22 fret neck to work on an EX kit, but you'd have to glue on more wood to the bottom and rear of the heel to make it both thick enough and also to fill in underneath the overhang.

It would be a lot of work and certainly nothing that I'd be that happy doing myself. It won't look pretty, so you'd really have to go for a solid colour finish to hide the joins.

It would be easier to ask Adam if the factory could do a custom EX neck with a blank paddle headstock so that you could do a similar headstock design yourself. Doing your own headstock outline would be a lot easier than trying to modify the heel to make an Aliexpress one fit.

[HatchA]

It would be easier to ask Adam if the factory could do a custom EX neck with a blank paddle headstock so that you could do a similar headstock design yourself. Doing your own headstock outline would be a lot easier than trying to modify the heel to make an Aliexpress one fit.

Very true indeed!

Thanks, man. I completely overlooked the difference in depth :/

[Simon Barden]

It took me a while to work it all out. It was the fretboard overhang that finally gave it away.