Affinity/Bullet Neck Swapping

[fenderfunk14]

Hello fellow squier lovers. I have a question regarding neck swaps.

Will an Affinity neck fit onto a Bullet body? I assume that it will, but since the necks and bodies on these budget squires are squirrely I just wanted to be sure.

Thanks in advance

 

[fenderfreak]

They should, worst case you'll have to plug and drill new holes on the neck. But since they are both pretty new, it should work fine.

 

[fenderfunk14]

good to hear. can anyone else chime in?

 

[stradovarious]

necks are interchangeable on all Fender and Squier strats because the pocket dimensions are the same. BUT as fenderfreak, there's a good chance the screw holes won't be in the right place and you will have to plug and re-drill.

The holes will almost definitely not line up, done squier neck swaps, even Bullet neck to different Bullet body swaps many times now and they never once have lined up.

However, if we a re talking 2008-present specimens they are not "squirelly" and the pockets and heels are wonderful.

No need to dowel and re-drill, not in my experience.

Do what should be done anyway even with no neck swap at all:

Enlarge the 4 neck installation holes in the BODY. You do not want the threads grabbing or even contacting the body at all, ONLY the neck. This provides for far stronger and better neck/ body interface.

With larger body holes, screw can often "find" the off-center neck hole: if not, I have had them so far off that I simply drill a new hole in neck (CAREFUL not to use too big or too small bit, and CAREFUL to not drill through fingerboard!). Very easy to do, and screws everything up, obviously.

I often end up with 5 or even six holes in back of neck heel, obviously only 4 are used and unused ones are forever hidden. Why dowel? Only if hole was needed smack dab next to old hole. But in that case, like I said, I dril out the body holes wide enough so screw can "find" that hole, anyway.

Caution: I drill kinda big holes in body, but not so big that you are too close to edge or rear pocket- you want drill bit size I use, just PM me, and good luck.

Now biggest issue for last: Why oh why are you doing this, may I ask with all due respect? 2008-present Bullet necks blow the recent Affinity necks straight out of the water, and I feel the same about the bodies.

Yeah, Affinity bodies are alder. Ok, if that is why, then I would be applying an '08- present Bullet neck to the Affinity body, hands down.

Is it because you want maple board?

My rosewood Bullet necks play way nicer than any maple Affinity neck, and I actually PREFER Maple necks, all things considered. I like high gloss gym floor finish all maple necks like on a CV50's. But, I love the recent rosewood Bullet necks just about as much...

Affinity necks? Earlier ones, I hear good things about...recent ones? Why oh why the narrow nut? Why, Squier, why? Not better for students, if that was the thinking...

Sorry so opinionated. Opinions...they are everywhere, these days!

 

[nomadh]

If the affinity size neck is so thin how does its swap with the standard neck? I tried to swap an affinity neck with another brand 1 time. It wasn't even close. Never tried it with a different model squire though.

 

[mkgearhead]

If the affinity size neck is so thin how does its swap with the standard neck? I tried to swap an affinity neck with another brand 1 time. It wasn't even close. Never tried it with a different model squire though.

It's only thinner at the nut. The heel is the same.

 

[SunfireSSR]

When re-setting a new neck, what is the distance from the bottom of the12th Fret to the center of the saddle pockets in the bridge ? I have a 2002 20th Anniversary strat that I swapped the Affinity neck for the wider Standard Neck. The scale is 25.5" on both of these. With the Standard Neck bolted down using the original screw holes in the neck, the distance should be (I thought) 12.750. It's actually right at 13". To set the intonation right, (3) of the saddles are out of the pockets going toward the neck. Now my open notes vs. Fretted notes are bad. How can I fix this correctly ?

 

[hudsonnh]

If I'm following correctly, it might be that you should have used new screw holes in the neck in order to make sure you end up with a 25.5 inch scale.

Is the heel of the new neck up tight against the body side of the neck pocket?

 

[SunfireSSR]

There might be a .03" gap in the pocket with the screws in, but that would not make up for the 1/4" I'm off. With the neck in the pocket, it's still 13" to the center of the saddle pockets in the Bridge. I'm thinking I need to face the end off of the neck and re-drill the holes. 1st (E) string saddle is against the bridge mounting screw. Gave it a small gap.

 

[Skip D]

This thread was a really good read for me.. I will need to refret or replace the neck on my Indonesian Strat soon, SN prefix is: ICS14.. While surfing on e-bay I stumbled across a NEW neck from a bullet with a SN prefix of ICS13. $66.00,, should be a direct fit,,,, right????