Is there a reason for the CNC hole to be in the neck pocket?

[Ongo Gablogian]

It's there because like under the pick guard it is hidden. There really isn't enough mass missing to affect the coupling between the two pieces to affect any kind of sustain. As long as the rest of the picket is smooth and flat then you would have been just fine with it.
Not saying your preferences are wrong or bad in any way. Just that structurally, there is nothing wrong with the way it's built.

But why not do the MIMs the same way as the MIAs? They don't seem to need them on the MIAs. It just feels like a weird choice of location to me. Even if it has no quantifiable effect on the guitar I've always felt it makes the MIMs feel cheaper.

 

[Ongo Gablogian]

I used to work on Cnc mills and lathes years ago. There’s no reason to do that. Not for fixturing or location purposes. Unless they mill the neck pocket first then use it to mount to a fixture to kill the rest of the body. It would be interesting to see a video of their manufacturing process.

It just seems weird that they would use such a different process for the MIMs than the MIAs. That's why I was curious if someone had some insight. If it is a cost-cutting technique I would love to know how.

 

[workerunit]

Just fill that hole up with some brass round stock, instant tone.

Remember, you heard it from me first.

 

[vid1900]

Couldn't they do that with a label?

People would just switch labels, or peel them off.

You can't miss the holes in MIM bodies, so it makes it much harder to pull a scam.

 

[Skinny Nitro]

A bit of myth busting.
American Standard/Series bodies were milled with the same holes from roughly 1998 to 2010. This is an American Series in Sienna Burst from 2003

 

[Ronkirn]

It's as meaningless as packin' "skeeter" repellant on a trek through a Loozanna Swamp....

r

 

[AxemanVR]

`
I wanna be the guy who tests the guitars at the end of the production line... if it pays six figures...


`

 

[PCollen]

A bit of myth busting.
American Standard/Series bodies were milled with the same holes from roughly 1998 to 2010. This is an American Series in Sienna Burst from 2003

View attachment 512852

The horizontal grain of the front of the body appears to align with the grain seen at the bottom of the jack hole...nice.

 

[Wound_Up]

It's just a way for Fender to identify the MIM bodies.

Fender has the same CNC machines in Mexico as in California.

Some people like to joke that they are "hold down holes" for the CNCing, but the machines use a vacuum hold down system.

I posted Fenders response to that myth in the last thread about this.

There is no joke about hold down holes. That's straight from Fender. You're extremely confused. How do you know they use a vacuum system? Do you or have you worked at Fender making bodies? I'd suspect a current Fender employee would know how their machines work.


Hi JC,

Thanks for contacting us. While the CNC guide points do help to differentiate between USA and Ensenada made bodies, I can assure you, this is not done for the benefit of second hand buyers or for any identification purposes at all. They are simply there to hold the bodies in place so the CNC machine can accurately drill and route the necessary holes and routes for pickups. bridges, etc with a degree of accuracy and consistency.

I think sometimes people read far too much into what goes on under the hood, and like to make more out of things than what they actually are. Those holes fit a pin that holds the body in place, that's all there is to it.

Hope this helps.

Brett


Its not done for identification purposes AT ALL. They're pin holes to hold the bodies down on the CNC machines.

There is no joke. There's just fact. The other myth is so buyers can, tell whether they're buying a MIM or USA guitar if they're buying a used guitar. And that's not true, either. They aren't and were never intended as identification markers.


Any one of us can email Fender and ask if we need to, instead of just guessing at what they do there.

 

[henderman]

the hole may position the body/blank on the cnc while the vacuum holds the body down.

even though vacs works amazing on cnc's, the blank still has to be in the correct place.

everything in cnc and manufacturer land uses jigs to position things so any animal can toss blanks at it and get parts after pushing a button later.

i would know, i am an animal with a cnc that is a manufacturer.

 

[Guitarmageddon]

I'm sure this will be polarizing. Many will complain that worrying about this kinda thing is stupid. But, it's always bothered me.

On many MIMs there is a large CNC guide hole(I assume that's what it is) in the neck pocket. They don't do this on American-made guitars. For whatever it's worth, it seems like the neck pocket would be a location where the maximum mating surface would be ideal. It bothers me so much I actually plugged the hole on my #1. I've just always wondered what the thought process was behind this location. Is there any reason why this location actually makes sense? I'm sure many will say it totally doesn't matter, but, it just always seemed off to me.

They put it there for no reason - only in the hopes of stirring up conversation on internet forums.

 

[vid1900]

How do you know they use a vacuum system?

I took the factory tour, and have a background in CNC manufacturing.

The fender rep literally said that there was a joke going around that the holes were used to hold down the bodies, and they laugh about it all the time.

He said the Charvel bodies were made on the same machines in Mexico, and obviously there are no "hold down holes" on those guitars.

 

[vid1900]

Here you can see the body being routed out

Note that you can see the vacuum lines holding the body to the fixture.

Note that any clamps above would be in the way of the routing spindle.

 

[Thrup'ny Bit]

Is there a reason for the CNC hole to be in the neck pocket?


Yes.

 

[LostStrat]

I believe he is talking about this.

I have a silverburst strat body that has a cnc hole in neck pocket..it goes all the way through..can someone explain or have any idea if it is mim mia or squire body?

 

[Baelzebub]

Took a while to realize....
That isn't two strats resting on a tub of maggots....
Seven inch tablet syndrome...
Jeeeeeeeez...

Don't feel too bad. Looked the same on my 17" laptop screen..except I thought it was rice, not maggots.

 

[rocknrollrich]

There is no way fender cares one bit about how a used guitar is identified.

 

[sale83]

Yeah, that's what makes USA Fenders play and feel much better than cheap ugly MIM's.
And no matter what you do, once it's cut like that, it never gets back to be like USA made Fender.NEVER.
I burned all my MIM's when I saw that.
Such a shame...50 guitars destroyed.

 

[Believer7713]

Yeah, that's what makes USA Fenders play and feel much better than cheap ugly MIM's.
And no matter what you do, once it's cut like that, it never gets back to be like USA made Fender.NEVER.
I burned all my MIM's when I saw that.
Such a shame...50 guitars destroyed.

No worse than the Gibson debacle!

 

[Baelzebub]

The horizontal grain of the front of the body appears to align with the grain seen at the bottom of the jack hole...nice.

Same with the neck pocket....