Workshop: Quick Electric Neck Pocket

I've talked to a few folks who've been worried about making neck pockets for their own electrics and so I wanted to share my own "quick neck pocket" cutting tip. When I'm matching non-standard necks to random bodies, I simply align the neck the way I want on the body and then trace its outline in pencil.

After that, I fit a thin cut-off wheel to my Dremel (actually my Foredom, but it's the same tool, basically) and then cut just inside the outline by using the wheel to cut a thin trench. I try to keep it to about the depth I want, but mostly I only care if the depth is right where the joint meets the outside part of the body as that will show if I cut it too deep.

I then use a Forstner bit and my drill press to remove as much material as I can at a common depth. I suppose you could do this with a hand drill if you were adventurous and careful, though. The "lines" I cut with the Dremel-style tool make a good border/marker for where to stop.

After that, a sharp, smaller chisel lets me remove any other remaining material I need to and also lets me adjust the edges of the initial Dremel cuts to tailor them to the neck precisely.

This seems like a lot of steps compared to setting up a router jig (a chore), but after you do the first one in this fashion, it only takes about 5-8 minutes from tracing to completed cut. You have "points" in your pocket, but -- ya know -- so do '50s Fender lap steels in their control cavities.