MIMF

Hey Everyone!
I am making a les Paul guitar based on the Gibson Les Paul Custom. I do not have access to any of these and can not find the dimensions online. I was wondering if any one had any dimensions they could give me for the neck. (Like the nut width, 22 fret width, total length, scale length, and how far it is set into the body.)
If that is possible it would be wonderful, if not, I will work something out.

Thanks!

I've built a couple of LP's based on the StewMac 1959 plans, which shows 1.688 nut width, 1.720 width and 0.896 depth at the first fret, 2.062 width and 0.982 depth at the 12th fret. The neck measures 2.145 at the body joint (14th fret) and 2.253 at the 22nd. The plans give cross sections at one and 12, I copied that and made templates for shaping the back of the neck.

Scale length is 24.562 uncompensated. Tenon is 1.500 wide, 1.450 tall, and extends almost 4 inches into the body (it is actually under the neck pickup cavity). Neck angle is 3.4 degrees (85.6 at the heel). The plans do not give a fretboard radius (I think most Lesters are 12 inch) but I made mine 16 because I like flatter fretboards. I also used medium frets and put them over the top of the binding rather than doing the little plastic nubs like Gibson does.

I also built a guitar for a friend who has an old Goldtop and he wanted me to copy the neck profile. I used one of those little plastic molding duplicators (got mine from Grizzly) and made templates for shaping the neck - his old guitar had a deeper neck than the plans quoted above. For that reason I would say that if you truly want to copy a particular model you should get a hold of one and measure it.

I'll add that since Gibson necks are notoriously weak at the truss rod route I made a scarf joined head stock and did the smallest route possible for a double acting style truss rod. Hope this all helps - I do have pictures and a couple of build threads if it would be helpful.

Thank you so much for the in-put, it will certainly be useful in building a neck! I might try making a neck out of maple to see if it will make it stronger than typical gibson necks, but I am still in the design stage. Anyway, thanks for you help!

Jack Diab wrote:Thank you so much for the in-put, it will certainly be useful in building a neck! I might try making a neck out of maple to see if it will make it stronger than typical gibson necks, but I am still in the design stage. Anyway, thanks for you help!

The necks on most Lesters are mahogany which, in my opinion, looks "correct" with a mahogany body. A scarfed headstock and smaller truss rod route should make it much stronger. Its just that I've fixed quite a few Gibson style necks that have been broken right at the nut