Just had a Neck Shim instsalled - what a difference

[Strat God]

If your guitar has uncomfortably high action up above the 12th fret -
go get a neck shim installed at your local luthier.

I just had one put in my latest acquisition - a olympic white MIM strat with factory Floyd Rose bridge. It's a NEW GUITAR!!!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am with this little tweak - my guy uses a piece of wood in the shape of a shoe-heel insert (only smaller of course) and it re-alignes the angle of the neck so it follows the strings and the action is the same height roughly from the nut to the bridge pickup. The playability above the 12th fret is amazing -it's the most startling mod you can do for playability that I've come across.

Anyone else done this or care to comment?

[Roland Polintan]

Yes I have something worth a pound, I have a strat american series and it has a micro adjustment screw. I took a look at it and I duplicated the thing with my home telecaster. I you're interested I could email you a step by step on how to's. in summary I bought a T-Nut from a local screw shop and ask the guy to get the equivalent screw to go with T-Nut an allen-set screw. this screw wnen place at the right spot (neck plate) body of the guitar and when turned will will push against the heel of the neck and tilt or change the pitch of the neck. Easy? yes and very inexpensive. all you need is drill a 1/4 " hole on the body and plate, place your T-nut, put a small metal plate on the inside of the neck heel (so allen screw will not dig -in the wood substance of the neck) a coin will do and presto it works and you don't to make trips to the luthier anymore. Whenever you want neck pitch change a turn of you allen wrench will do 1/4 turn will raise the neck 1/32, after loosening the lower neck plate screws.

[Boris Bubbanov]

I have managed to avoid shims, even if I have to upgrade the neck.
I am lucky enough down here in this Southern humidity, I don't have to chase the relief around during the changes of season, and consequently once the playability is established with the neck pocket fit as good as it can be, I'm more liable to tune up guitars by swapping necks, saddle assemblies or string guage recipes or by installing a new nut.
I really dislike the idea of a neck pocket shim. With a nitro neck I can recontour the heel and respray the area. Some guitars play and sound great despite a lousy neck pocket fit, but no guitar is better off sound wise with more sonic brakes applied within the guitar structure, than it would be without those brakes in place. Just think how great those anecdotal great guitars with bad neck pocket fit would be if their neck pockets had been fitted really well.
As always YMMV

[StratDen]

Pretty interesting idea here... Ever wonder why micro-tilt necks aren't more common?

[thaus]

Yes, the micro-tilt neck can be awesome but I think the purists will argue that wood on wood helps with tone! Shims are considered part of a set-up with most Fender guitars. Even the little fender set-up manual that you get with one of their guitars a specs for shimming..........I only have 1 strat that has a shim. I have heard that sandpaper works great since it grabs the wood.

[StratDen]

Yeah the sandpaper solution seems well regarded. The Micro-tilt's advantage is the angle adjust which I think is preferable when say using a softer/pliable fill such as paper...

Of course the Neck-though camp laughs at us discussing this.

[guitar1580]

I read that a piece of metal screen works as a shim, gripping like the sandpaper would.
As far as the 3 bolt micro tilt, I ditched the factory one on my 75 hardtail, as most players did back then, and re-drilled for a 4 bolt neck mount. Much better. I also agree that a tight wood on wood fit is sonically best. Also, the micro tilt allowed the neck to shift side to side a little. Anyone remember having to sometimes tweak the neck sideways before tuning?......................JP