What is the correct neck/body weight to balance a bolt-on properly?

[humfree]

Got a great, fairly light weight hunk of ash that I want to purchase a neck for, however, I want it to be in good balance when complete - just not neck heavy. Is there a ratio that is reliable? S-type body style with strap buttons in the normal places.

Thanks!

[burningyen]

Yikes, a 10-lb Strat (without hardware?) sounds way too hefty to me. Strat bodies can be called lightweight if they're under 4 lbs, and the necks tend to be more than a pound lighter than the bodies. People tend to shoot for the 7.5 to 8 lbs total weight fully assembled range.

[cynic]

The only maple neck I have laying around is from a tele, and it's 1.2lbs without hardware.

[humfree]

The 5-5 ratio was an example that came to mind when I was struggling on how to word it.. I am aware necks are not 5lbs.

1.2lbs sounds a little light to me for a maple neck, but I have nothing to base it on, just a guess.

Like I said, it's a fairly light hunk of ash.. MAYBE 4lbs - could I go 2lbs max for a neck? 2-1 ratio? 3-1?

Thanks again

[burningyen]

I would just go as light as you can get.

[cynic]

I would just go as light as you can get.

+1. I've never heard it expressed as a ratio before, but given the strap attaches to the body anything less than 5-1 (in my guesstimation) could be a bit "dippy".

100% pure speculation on my part with absolutely no hard facts to back it up

Ash strats with maple necks have been around awhile and I've not played many that were neck heavy. Someone somewhere must have done the math and figured it's a formula that works out most times.

edited to add: A few other numbers....I found a strat neck for comparison as well. Both necks are unfinished with no hardware other than the truss rod. I also incorrectly stated 1.2lbs for the tele neck, it's actually 1lb 2ozs.

Strat - Vintage carve - 1lb 6ozs

Tele - Thin carve - 1lb 2ozs

Schaller locking tuners (chrome) - 8ozs

Both necks are all maple, the strat is two piece the tele one piece. I can't imagine the finish would add very much so I can't see either reaching 2lbs fully finished with hardware.

A fully loaded strat pickguard is around 12ozs, with strap buttons, neck plate and jack taking it very close to one pound. After all is said and done, it's a 5lb body and 2lb neck, so your guesses at ratio's don't seem as far off as I would have guessed. Whatever weight the finish adds to the body, the end result would be closer to 3-1 than 2-1, but if you're looking for unfinished neck weight to put on a lightweight body, I'd look for something within a few ounces of 1lb vice 2.

[JohnnyB]

How likely a guitar will neck-dive is a combination of weight distribution and the location of the strap button. For example, a Hamer double cutaway or Les Paul puts the strap button at about the 16th fret. The Strat puts it at the 12th. That's the reason for the Strat's extended upper horn--for better balance. A Strat will be more forgiving of a heavy neck than a guitar with a strap button at the 15th-16th fret. By contrast, a Les Paul relies on a heavy body to avoid neck dive.

[humfree]

Good stuff.. I built a Warmoth Mockingbird some years back and the combination of finding a good place to put the strap buttons and the 25 1/2" scale I chose, made it neck heavy. I have been overly conscious ever since. A buddy has fat neck Tele that has a slight dive to it, but I'm a little leery of going fat with maple on an ash body.

Good observations here and thanks 'cynic' for the numbers! It makes a lot of sense that a Strat horn is so far over the fretboard that most necks would work.

Thanks again!