Bass Guitar Neck Joint ( Beatle Bass )

[Humphrey]

:P
Hi,

My bass is coming on well finish wise. When I get to fitting and lining up and gluing the neck into the "slot" what is the best way for doing this so its in far enough, level and lined up please ? Do I push the neck into the body until the fret board touches the edge of the neck pick up or what ?
Thanks

[dingobass]

Answer to your first question is yes, push it right up to the pup surround.
Clamp the neck in place
To get the neck straight, attach a length of string to the bottom E tuner, run it down through the bridge E string slot, across to the G and back up to the G tuner.

Grab your floating bridge piece and place it at the correct scale length point, 380mm from the centre of the 12th fret wire to the centre of the bridge.

wind the tuner until the string is taut and you will now be able to visually line up the neck side to side until there is an even gap either side of the line and the edge of the finger board.

Pop out the neck pup and mark either side of the neck heel with a pencil.

Loosen the string line, pull the neck out and apply the glue- liberally ( a good idea to mask around the body at the heel to stop glue oozing all over your finish) replace the pup, place the neck back in the heel slot, clamp lightly and repeat the line up method.

once it is back in alignment clamp firmly, have a cuppa and job done!