replacing a neck

[JeeLisa]

I recently got a Squire Affinity body, electronics and all, for $10 at a yard sale. I bought a Squire Bullet neck from ebay and it arrived yesterday. When I put the new neck on it and tried to string it, the strings laid flat against the frets. I thought most of these necks were interchangeable and that I could just put a neck on it and it would be playable. Does it need to be shimmed or something? I'll have to take it to the tech, I know, but if there's no way to make it work I'd rather not spend the time. I thought someone here might be able to comment on this, and I would sure appreciate any insight.

I'd like to have it set up for slide.

[Sloppy J.]

If the strings are flat againts the frets you probably need to loosen the truss rod up a bit. It's most likely in what's called a backbow at the moment.

Try that first.

[CypressGroove]

Uh, although it may turn out to be a truss rod issue, can I suggest you FIRST check the setting of the neck by placing a straightedge along the top of the centre of the neck and following it to youir saddle, where, on an electric, it should probably meet your bridge about 3/16" below the surface where the strings pass over the adjustable saddle. If you find your straightedge is passing way over your saddle, that sounds a lot like the neck is just set too far back.

The truss rod probably isn't going to help you UNTIL you've ckecked the neck set.

::edit:: The reason I suggest this is simply because you are talking about joining the neck of one model to the body of another. Now it looks like one has a trem bar and other don't. So I would guess the height form the body and ergo the angle of the neck where it joins the body are likely to be different. Definately worth checking out before you go fiddling with your truss.

[shiggity]

it may also have a neck tilt adjustment on it. If you look at the neck pocket see if there is a little set screw tilting the neck back, this would cause the strings to rest on the frets as well.

[JeeLisa]

Thanks, you guys. I change the strings on my guitars every few weeks and check all the screws to make sure they're tight, but I've never done any other kind of work on a guitar. So I won't be messing around with the truss rod.

I just hope I don't find out that this neck will not work on the body. Not that I spent much money on either, but I'm anxious to have it set up to play slide...with the strings higher off the fretboard than my other guitars.

Besides having the strings higher than normal off the board, is there any other thing about setting up an electric guitar for slide that I should know?

[TheColdestDream]

you could have the neck scalloped, some o the slide players i kno get their slide guitars scalloped, but only one of them scallops his normal guitar anyways, but for them it makes the vibrato's easier or sumthing, idk not my fortay(sp?) but itswhat those three guys do soo...