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oooogie

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Dec 17, 2017
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41
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Tempe AZ
Cutlass/Hunter Hayes neck swap ???

I have a Cutlass with a satin finish maple neck rosewood board and although I love the gun oil/wax finish, I'm okay with this finish for now. But here's the thing. I also have a Hunter Hayes model with the roasted maple neck and I don't care for the neck on HH model. It's gun oil/wax finish but I just can't get used to it. Love the features of the HH and I'm thinking of swapping the necks.
I'd like to check the specs on the Cutlass and make sure they are the same as the HH before I tear into it.
Talk me out of it. Thanks.
 
Last edited:

mikeller

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Jan 11, 2007
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I believe the first two years (2016 / 2017) they were satin finished, then moved to the roasted neck starting in 2018.
 

jones4tone

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Jun 24, 2016
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988
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Texas
One thing to be aware of: your HH serial number is on the headstock. No issue unless you want to later sell one or the other, of course. When I first got my Hayes, I thought about a swap, but I’ve adjusted to that neck, now.
 

Lusitania

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Aug 2, 2020
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Monte Sereno
Throw pictures of the result
I think it will be interesting and fun to see what came out of your idea. Although difficulties really shouldn't arise there
 

tbonesullivan

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Aug 24, 2012
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New Jersey
Hmm... Never met an oiled neck from EBMM that I didn't love. They can take some time to "break in" but after that they should be like butter.
 

Astrofreq

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Sep 5, 2006
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4,122
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Santa Fe, NM
Just sand that other neck.

Or, get some Scotch Brite pads and go over that neck a bunch of times. Super easy.
 

mikeller

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Jan 11, 2007
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Central Ohio
The thing is - that satin finished neck on the first couple years of the new Cutlass is so thin I really don't notice it being there. At least on mine.
 

oooogie

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Dec 17, 2017
Messages
41
Location
Tempe AZ
It's the satin neck with the rosewood board that feels the best to me. But I like the features on the HH with the maple board. I can either live with the satin finish or I can refinish it(I did a sterling neck a while back and it came out great)Right now, I'm looking at fitting the Cutlass with a piezo bridge setup. That's the feature that I like most about the HH. So if I can achieve that the neck swap will not be needed. Thanks for all the input guys.
 

oooogie

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Dec 17, 2017
Messages
41
Location
Tempe AZ
Well I decided that the piezo mod was going to be way too involved so I swapped the necks and I love the HH with the rosewood board. I'll be refinishing the neck in the next few days and will post some pics when I complete the job. Here's a pic of the two after the swap but I didn't have any strings to string the Cutlass with and I used the strings that were on the HH when I pulled it apart. So a trip to the music store tomorrow and I'll restring them both and take a pic. View attachment 36913
 

tbonesullivan

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Aug 24, 2012
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New Jersey
Wait, is it the Satin finish neck you don't get along with, or the Oiled neck? The HH neck is oiled, so what are you going to refinish it with?
 
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