RC-1 help- neck and pickup not fitting

[Moony]

Hi all,

I just posted this same question on my build diary but thought this might be a better place for it. I have the RC-1 kit. I bought it years ago and after a long hiatus am getting around to actually finishing it off. I did a dry fit to check the scale length and with the neck pushed all the way into the slot (as pictured) i get measurements of about 313mm both ways, which I believe is spot on.







However, the surround for the pickup does not allow for the neck to be pushed all the way in, which then throws out the measurements.





Is it a simple matter of cutting the pickup surround to fit the neck, or am I missing something really obvious? Aside from the scale issue, I think it'd make for a much stronger joint if the neck was able to be seated all the way into the slot.

Cheers

Greg

[Andyxlh]

Have you checked the photos of complete RC 1 kits on the forum? Perhaps you can see how they look.
I think you might have answered your own question, joint strength and scale length must trump aesthetic I'd say.

[Andyxlh]

You could chisel a little out of the pickup hole and move the whole lot back a little to save the surround then you won't see the fix.

[cork sniffer]

the surround for the pickup does not allow for the neck to be pushed all the way in, which then throws out the measurements.

I had the same problem with a different kit.
Easy fix.



Done

[Moony]

I have seen other builds of the same kit, and they all appear to have the pickup surround intact, so either the way I'm measuring things is wrong, or I'm missing something. I doubt my kit would be any different to any others as they all come off the same CNC.

Whether cutting a chunk out of the surround, or making the cavity larger, neither are huge issues. It would've been nice if I'd picked up on it before i did the paint job though..

[cork sniffer]

I have seen other builds of the same kit, and they all appear to have the pickup surround intact, so either the way I'm measuring things is wrong, or I'm missing something. I doubt my kit would be any different to any others as they all come off the same CNC.

Whether cutting a chunk out of the surround, or making the cavity larger, neither are huge issues. It would've been nice if I'd picked up on it before i did the paint job though..

I'd be 99% sure the the length of neck and depth of pocket are correct therefore the scale length will also be correct.
To cut the pickup surround IMHO would look very bad when job finished.
To slot the pickup cavity slightly as shown in my previous reply isn't a huge issue, I took my time and cut away at it with a Dremel. If you don't have one they are cheap and always come in handy for lots of unrelated jobs about the place.

[Moony]

I'd be 99% sure the the length of neck and depth of pocket are correct therefore the scale length will also be correct.
To cut the pickup surround IMHO would look very bad when job finished.
To slot the pickup cavity slightly as shown in my previous reply isn't a huge issue, I took my time and cut away at it with a Dremel. If you don't have one they are cheap and always come in handy for lots of unrelated jobs about the place.

Yeah i agree. I'm pretty comfortable with woodworking and have a good range of tools, so whether, I dremel, rout or chisel, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially with an easy timber like basswood. Chances are at some point down the line I'll put better pickups in it, which may require some extra routing anyway.

I might just hold off on doing anything until I can get some confirmation from one of the pitbull guys that I'm doing things right.

[Moony]

Not sure who built this (beautiful job whoever you are), but I just found this on the facebook page. I'm obviously not the first to run into the issue with the kit. The workaround here is the same as my initial thought.

[Andyxlh]

Yes, but I'd go with moving the pickup back and saving the surround. Use some masking tape to protect your finish.
At least now you know!

[Simon Barden]

Also note in that picture that the top E saddle has been intonated and is a couple of mm back from the front, so the cut-out in the ring probably wasn't really needed. It's a close call. Tricky. If the kits came with Nashville style bridges instead of ABR types, the extra adjustment available would make everything far easier.

The necks aren't meant to be pushed all the way in, so you need to decide exactly where it should go. (It would be nice if they were, but the kits aren't CNC made, so the precision to do it accurately and repeatedly just isn't there and the ends of the tenons are often at an angle). I'd double check your measurements, and get the ruler parallel with the neck, as it's a bit slanted in some of the photos which will add apparent length.