Neck angle..

[BloodRose]

Ive been trying to give some love to my Squier strat. This is the guitar that I bought after not having a guitar for over a decade and got me "back to playing" though its really the guitar I learned on as I never really learned anything before.. Its also the guitar I learned to mod on. Its been in storage a long while and I got it out awhile back and realized the action needs alot of help since my other guitars are set up pretty nice.
Anyhow, I did some work lowering the saddles and have them down to at least half or below and the action still is pretty high. I really believe that its a neck angle issue as all the strings rise from the nut back.. How does one gauge proper angle? In looking at it, Im pretty certain that if I put something in the pocket to shim it, it will make a huge improvement.

Is there a science to it? Or do you guys just just give it a visual, stick a matchbook, credit card or what have you in there to where it appears to be at proper levels?

Thanks

 

[Demanic]

Re: Neck angle..

A little goes a long way. Try a paper match in the pocket on the side closest to the bridge and see how it goes.

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[VinceT]

Re: Neck angle..

I use business cards as shims, keep adding one until it sits right. I've never needed more than 1, though.


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[BloodRose]

Re: Neck angle..

will do.. thanks! For something like a biz card, how long do you make it? I understand side to side across the back of the pocket, but how about inward? Im imagining very little correct? As you want it to tilt and not raise up..

With the paper match, I assume you are trimming the flammable part off to keep it even?

 

[orpheo]

Re: Neck angle..

I begin by measuring first. How high can the saddles go? How high does the neck +fretboard+fret rise above the top of the guitar? If the latter is bigger than the former, I know i need a shim.

when it comes to shimming itself: I try to make a veneer out of a piece of the neck material and then I sand that into a wedge so the neck is supported as much as possible.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Neck angle..

Yes, trim the head.

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[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Neck angle..

Ive been trying to give some love to my Squier strat. This is the guitar that I bought after not having a guitar for over a decade and got me "back to playing" though its really the guitar I learned on as I never really learned anything before.. Its also the guitar I learned to mod on. Its been in storage a long while and I got it out awhile back and realized the action needs alot of help since my other guitars are set up pretty nice.
Anyhow, I did some work lowering the saddles and have them down to at least half or below and the action still is pretty high. I really believe that its a neck angle issue as all the strings rise from the nut back.. How does one gauge proper angle? In looking at it, Im pretty certain that if I put something in the pocket to shim it, it will make a huge improvement.

Is there a science to it? Or do you guys just just give it a visual, stick a matchbook, credit card or what have you in there to where it appears to be at proper levels?

Thanks

How's your neck relief? Tightening the truss rod a bit might help. I'd also check the neck joint to see if the bolts were tight enough..it will bring the action down marginally. Is your nut too high? You could check nut height by pressing down at the third fret and looking to see if there's an abnormally large gap between your strings & the first fret..if so file down the nut...

 

[VinceT]

Re: Neck angle..

On the biz card, I found ripping them in half was about right. And, use the cheaper ones from Staples, because they're thinner!


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[BloodRose]

Re: Neck angle..

Ill try to take some formal measurements to see If I cant handle it in the best manor possible. Tho I dont have much in the way of accurate measurement tools other than a ruler.
Phantasma, I dont think the nut is too high. (Cant say for sure, but I did have the nut replaced with a bone nut by the dealer under warranty as the stock plastic one crumbled.. l couldnt say whether or not they did a great job.. Always looked to me like the slots are alil wide open, but ..
Ill recheck the relief and all, but I believe it was ok. Perhaps the neck is bowing some.. I dont recall the action being that high. Its been sitting a long time.. When I last went to play it a few months ago, I thought, the action is high on this, So the next month, I took tools and lower the saddle heights. But still really is high

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Neck angle..

Cool...Not saying you don't need to shim the neck (sounds like you might) just that there's other stuff I'd check first.

 

[Chad]

Re: Neck angle..

Pretty simple, really. If everything is setup properly and you still don't have enough saddle adjustment range, then add a shim. Like others, I use cheap business card stock paper. I just measured a sample and that's about .012" thick. I place it on the body end of the neck pocket and cut the card so that it matches the shape of the pocket in front of the neck bolt screws.

Using a wood veneer is nice, but not necessary. There is a fairly extensive study over on TalkBass regarding ski jumps/kinks forming on a neck......and my take from the study is that there isn't a significant correlation between traditional shims and kinks forming.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Neck angle..

Agreed; I only shim when there's some other setup consideration at play where action still isn't correct with all other settings at the "minimum;" last thing I do after truss, saddles, etc. (but I've done it on most of my Fenders.)

On some guitars though, shimming will permit an increase in break angle of the strings over the bridge, if you want that.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Neck angle..

Update... tore her down last night. Cleaned and oiled the fret board, took off the neck and for starters there was some bits of wood in the pocket. big splinters if you will.. So, Im sure that didnt help.. anyhow cleaned it out.. cut a biz card into about a third. shaped one end to go flush against the pocket wall, and cut a crescent moon shape out of the other edge for clearance for the screws.. (If I ever do this again Ill just leave it flat and poke holes for the screws.. )

Anyhow, got it back together and readjusted pickup height. Action is between 2/16 and 3/16 of an inch from 12th fret to the end.. She plays like butter. AND this is the accoustically LOUDEST electric guitar Ive ever heard! Aside from some of the hightest notes, I can hear it to play accoustically pretty easily and Im 80 % deaf.. My wife even grumbles that it wakes her up cuz its so loud. Pretty amazing for a cheap chinese guitar..

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Neck angle..

Yay!!!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Neck angle..

This thing continues to impress me.. Only guitar Ive ever played enough to get wear on frets.. seriously.. aside from the neck adjust, Ive been "done" with it for a long time. As in pretty satisfied with it and not wanting to sink any more money in it. BUT... Ive got a renewed zeal for it and my have to get diff neck and mid singles for it. The Lace Sensors are kinda bland.. But gonna be awhile of course as Im strapped with my daughter right now.. The c5 in the bridge stays tho! sounds good tapped too!!