22 Fret Neck on Body Made for 24?

[Alurkz]

Is it possible to put a 22 fret neck on a guitar that was originally made for 24? I'm looking for a neck, as some of you might know if you've read my other threads, and I found something I'm interested in but it has 22 frets and body it's going on is made for 24 I believe. Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

[Musician78]

The scale length would be different and you wouldn't be able to intonate properly. This would not work because of the fact that the 24 fret is shorter (the added 2 frets are not due to fretboard overhang). Therefore the nut would be closer to the bridge, but the fret spacing would still be set up for 25.5 inch scale.

EDIT!! I meant to say that the 22 fret neck is shorter but because of the neck route the nut would be further away. *there's a reason they call it dope*.

[Alurkz]

The scale length would be different and you wouldn't be able to intonate properly. This would not work because of the fact that the 24 fret is shorter (the added 2 frets are not due to fretboard overhang). Therefore the nut would be closer to the bridge, but the fret spacing would still be set up for 25.5 inch scale.

So you're saying that using a 22 fret neck would not work even if it was re-intonated with the body?

[Musician78]

You would have to refret it to make each fret slightly closer to the next all the way up the neck. Obvioulsy this is not tremendously practical.

[Alurkz]

You would have to refret it to make each fret slightly closer to the next all the way up the neck. Obvioulsy this is not tremendously practical.

What if the scale length of the 22 is the same as the 24? Well anyways I think I'm just gonna keep searching for a 24 to keep things simple.

[Musician78]

Well I just did the measurements/math. The measurements are approximate because I used an old carpenter's tape measure without needing to be precise... I have a KVX10 and a KV3. KVX10 has 24 fret neck, KV3 has 22. The KVX10 has a distance of 18.875 inches between the nut to where the neck joins to the end of the inside pocket where the neck joints to the body. On the KV3, the distance is 18.5. The KVX10 has the distance of 6.875" between the neck joining the body and the bridge where as the KV3 has the distance of 7.25". The sum of both (18.875" + 6.876" AND 18.5" + 7.25") is 25.27". Armed with this information it is safe to say that if I was to put the 22 fret neck on the KVX10, the scale length would change to 26.13". Likewise if I was to take the 24 fret neck and put it on the KV3, the scale length would change to 25.38". So in all actuallity to put the 22 fretter on the guitar that currently has the 24 fretter, I would have to move the frets slightly farther away from each other.

[Trussrod]

I put 21 fret MIM Strat neck on a DK2 body and the intonation at the 12th fret was correct but above this point notes were out by a half step starting around the 15th fret. IIRC the length between the nut and 12th fret were the same for this 21 fret neck and the 24 fret DK2 neck.

[Alurkz]

I was planning on putting a DK1 neck on a Kelly body and found a DK1 for a good deal but it has 22 frets. I know there are ones with 24, so I'll just keep lookin'

[jdr94]

this subject has come up alot of times. if you do a forum search you should find alot of good info. whats your budget? theres alot of dkmg/dxmg necks on ebay in the $140 range. also what kelly body is it? js,performer,ke,etc.?

[Alurkz]

this subject has come up alot of times. if you do a forum search you should find alot of good info. whats your budget? theres alot of dkmg/dxmg necks on ebay in the $140 range. also what kelly body is it? js,performer,ke,etc.?

Yeah I know I see those on eBay but I'm looking for something nicer, because I want it to look and play really nice. I'm not sure what body it is, my guitar teacher's giving it to me and he doesn't know either but it has two knobs and a Floyd route so it's not a KE or JS. I'll do a forum search to learn more, because it'd really be great if the 22 fret DK1 neck would work.

[Sunbane]

Lots of disinformation going on in this thread.

To start off; no, you can't put the 22 fret neck on the body made for a 24 fretter. The scale lengths are not different between them, but the length of the neck is, and that will screw up the instrument.

Now, to dispel some delusions:

THERE IS NOT AN INHERENT DIFFERENCE IN SCALE LENGTH BETWEEN A 22 FRET AND A 24 FRET INSTRUMENT.
If two guitars, one having 22 frets and another having 24 frets, are listed as having a 25.5" scale length, that means that there is 25.5 inches between the nut and the bridge on BOTH. They will both have the frets in the exact same spaces, except that the 24 fretter has two extra frets. This is possible because the NECK OF THE 24-FRETTER IS LONGER.

To put a 22 fret neck on a body made for a 24 fret neck (OF THE SAME SCALE LENGTH), you need to put the neck at the correct place; about half an inch (or so) further away from the bridge, so the frets line up at the same places they'd be on the 24 fret neck. This means you'd have to drill new screw holes in the neck, and end up with a HUGE gap in the neck pocket.

To put a 24 fret neck on a body made for a 22 fret neck (OF THE SAME SCALE LENGTH), you'd need to do the reverse; you put the neck closer to the bridge so the frets will be in their correct positions. This means you'd have to route the neck pocket deeper into the body and drill new screw holes in the body for the neck screws.

[Musician78]

This is essentially what I said....?

[jdr94]

Yeah I know I see those on eBay but I'm looking for something nicer, because I want it to look and play really nice. I'm not sure what body it is, my guitar teacher's giving it to me and he doesn't know either but it has two knobs and a Floyd route so it's not a KE or JS. I'll do a forum search to learn more, because it'd really be great if the 22 fret DK1 neck would work.

well the model should be stamped in the neck pocket. two knobs stock or is it possible someone added a hole for tone control?
if i'm not mistaken(and i'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong) the only bolt on kellys are either a js/ke/performer/professional. with that said. performer and professionals came with one knob and the PRO came with two knobs, but neck thru. so is it possible you're mistaking the two holes for two knobs when its actually one knob and one toggle?


edit- oh and how do you mean nicer neck? thinner? i mean, the dk necks are nice cosmetically(bound,sharkies) yet a lil thick, but the old professional necks were thin, but alot came with offset dots,standard dots, sharkies, but i dont think there are many that are bound.
the only way youre gonna get that 22 fret neck on there is to have a huge gap from the neck pickup to the frets or do alot of rerouting so in other words it will not work.

[Musician78]

Actually to put 22 fret on the guitar that should have 24 frets will require additional routing. This would then cut into the neck pickup cavity. At least that would be the case bewtween my KVX10 and my KV3.

[jdr94]

um. no in order for the 22 fret neck to work it must sit where the 22nd fret would end which is out from the route. you cant just shorten the scale cause the length from nut to 12 fret and 12th fret to saddle will not be even.

now you may be right(musician78) if you're putting a 25.5 scale 22 fret neck onto a 24.75 scale body, but that i'm not sure of. too lazy to do the math right now.
are you sure you're not thinking of putting a 24 fret neck on a 22 fret body?

sunbane said it best ^^^^