Why I haven't bought a guitar in a while

This mainly has to do with price, lack of information and going custom since nobody builds exactly what I like - that I know of.

While true I can get dirt new cheap guitars easily, I'm at that point in my guitar playing life where to get what I want, I have to build it. And by that I mean part together a guitar.

The main issue I have is getting a good neck that doesn't break the bank. Yes, you can get cheap guitar necks all frickin' day as well, but the thing I run into often are two pieces of information NOT listed. The first is neck shape and the second is neck depth.

Shape is easy enough to understand. For electrics, it's C, D, U or V. Unfortunately, this bit of info which is rather important isn't stated on a ton of guitar neck listings.

Neck depth information is just 2 numbers, but again, rather important ones. The 1st fret depth measurement and the same for the 12th fret. An example of this would be 0.82" 1st fret neck depth and 0.96" 12th fret neck depth. Sometimes you'll see these measurements in millimeters.

On the vast majority of listings for guitar necks, you'll either get no info on shape or depth, just the shape info, or just the depth info.

What would the IDEAL guitar neck listing be?

That's an easy answer. Type (so you know what body type it will attach to), neck shape, 1st fret and 12th fret depth, fret type/shape (e.g. medium jumbo, narrow/tall, etc.)

Example: Fender USA/Mexico Stratocaster compatible neck, C shape, 0.82" 1st fret, 0.96" 12th fret, 6105 Medium Jumbo Narrow frets (which is .095" x .047" for those interested for nickel/silver or stainless steel).

Yes, I have considered custom ordering a neck...

...but I can't justify spending $300+ on such a thing. That's for just the neck with frets. No tuners and no nut.

Furthermore, this creates a bit of a rabbit hole. If I spend that kind of scratch on a neck, then of course I'd have to spend a mint on a decent guitar body, electronics, and... whoops now I spent over a grand.

Nope, not doing that.

I have another problem in that...

...I'd like to go Jazzmaster again. And WOW is it difficult finding a low-cost Jazzmaster body with both the upper and lower bout routs.

I'll explain.

Jazzmaster/Jaguar bodies can be bought, obviously. The problem is that most of them only have the lower bout rout, which is the body cavity under the pickups. A proper Jazzmaster also has another cavity over the pickups where a separate toggle switch and two thumb controls go.

If I'm going to go Jazzmaster again, I want the full two-circuit pickup system and not single circuit. For that, I need a body with both the upper and lower bout routs and there's no way around that. Finding one of those for a low price however... yeah, I haven't found one yet.

Oh, and there's another problem. A lot of sellers who have Jazzmaster bodies don't have the posts drilled for the bridge either nor have the screw holes drilled for the vibrato system at the rear.

"You're asking a lot...", you may say. No, I'm not. You can find Strat bodies all day long with all the holes predrilled, even for the pick guard. If I want a vintage-style Strat body with the 6 screw holes predrilled for the bridge, two predrilled holes for the tremolo claw in the back, thru-body hole predrilled for the ground wire and pick guard holes predrilled, yep, no problem. I could buy one of those right now. If you're in Strat/Tele town, you're all set. If you're in Jazz/Jag town, no you're not.

The search continues (or maybe not?)

I'd like to put together my own guitar using a neck that has the measurements I prefer, so right now I'm still on the hunt for all the right parts at the right price.

HOWEVER... if it ends up being that all the pieces put together blows over a grand in cost, then it's actually cheaper to buy a new Squier or Fender. It might be a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. Yes, an artist model. That's a darned good guitar. I don't like the Adjust-O-Matic bridge, but that can easily be swapped out.

Unless a miracle happens, I'll keep playing the Strats I have for the rest of '23 and then make my choice for what to get next in '24.

Published 2023 Nov 22