You will likely need a small neck angle to ensure the strings arrive at the right height for the bridge - failure to do this will mean you are stuck with really high action. It is not too difficult unless you are also planning a cap.

I can guide you through the tricky bits.

When you have finished your drawing post it here or send it to me and I will sort out a build plan for you.

My block is 970x110x42

This is a first draft and I will re-draw when I have the actual components. I have used your fingerboard so that sets the length dimensions.

the controls are roughly where they are on a standard Strat, only the volume pot will be standard. Haven't decided about the output jack yet.

Very open to anyone's recommendations re pups (the contruction may make this warmer than a std Strat plus I use classic tones a lot with not a lot of drive), trem and light weight tuners.

Oh dear...! 42mm is too thin for a thru neck with a trem (unless you find one with a very small block)

Remember the 'neck angle' is actually cut into the body so it will inevitably come out thinner than your 42mm.

Most trem blocks are about 42mm long so it will stick out the back of the body...

Adding a cap to the front will not help as you are adding material to the wrong side (thus negating the 'Neck Angle')

One solution: To make the body thicker you can add material to the back of the body before you glue the body wings on.

My advice: Stick with a strat style fixed bridge - then you just have a slightly thinner body than normal (who's gonna complain about that 🙂

Let me know what you decide and I'll write up the order of events ...

Most of the jobs are the same but there are 2 major differences:

• Making the Neck Angle
• Gluing the Body Wings

Thinks... Hey but Mark... as I intend to spray said Stratomonster a Stratty colour I can attach a similar block underneath at the body end to the optimum thickness wot wot wot?

So you did Mark - I couldn't see through the tears of disappointment ?

This is the way we shall progress... thanks again for your patience.

Mark... I assume 70mm will be more than adequate at the body end?

I have a piece of mahogany I can glue on to give me that depth.

Were you going to instruct me on the order of events to make the neck angle?

Hey Herb -

If I buy laminates for thru necks they normally come 60-65mm - that is plenty.

We are making a thru neck bass right now so I took some video to try and explain the neck angle method -

You could do a side drawing to work it out - could be the subject of another video.

I'll see what I can do this week for ya - hold tight!

I'm still thinking about this.

I think Fender Strats have no neck angle... Mine doesn't seem to.

Help me understand why I ought to engineer a small angle if I'm using standard fendery parts. Perhaps the height of the fretboard alone isn't sufficient? 

Cheers

Perhaps the height of the fretboard alone isn't sufficient?

Yes Herb - you have answered your own question! ? 

On a Strat (or any other bolt on neck) the neck sticks out enough so that the strings arrive at the right height. No angle necessary.

On a thru neck you will need the angle.

Incidentally - this is why you rarely see a Tune-o-matic bridge on a thru neck. TOM are much higher and require a bigger angle - so you need to start with a deeper blank making it more expensive (and more waste).

My calculations indicate a drop of about 4mm from the end of the fingerboard to the (Wilkinson trem) bridge. About 2 to 2.5 deg. Does that sound about right?

Intend about 9 deg headstock angle too?

Sounds perfect Herb - I took some video of the process during the last course - Will try to edit/upload something ASAP.