First Project First Problems

[maumad]

Although I've been playing guitar for a few years.

Although I've modified the electronic of all the guitars I owned.

Just now I've started a guitar project, I believe as almost first timers I started with a cheap guitar body and try to fit there some nice parts.

To an alder body of a Wesley (strat style), I've add a mapple mexican fender neck.

I´ve corrected the body neck cavity to align the screw holes.

After I mount it I realised that the action was too high.

My questions are :

1 - What should be the measure from the scratchplate to the top of the fretboard on a regular strat?

2 - What should be the angle between the body and the fretboard?

Bests

[Hunter]

Just lower the saddles and deepen the grooves of the nut and that should lower the action, no?

[al heeley]

A Mex Strat neck pocket should be 5/8" deep (just under 16mm) to accomodate the neck, not sure about the correct height from scratchplate to fretboard.

Neck angle should be zero on a strat. Check Hunter's advice about action before looking at the neck and pocket thickness

[maumad]

Just lower the saddles and deepen the grooves of the nut and that should lower the action, no?

Thank you for your fast answer Hunter.

No, I've already lowered the saddles as low as possible and the nut have the rigth deep.

From what I see I believe I have 4 options:

1º - Put something between the neck and the body, not my first option, I think will compromise the transmition of the sound.

2º - Give some reverse angle to the neck by adding some angle in the neck cavity.

3º - Cutting the bottom of the saddles.

4º - Try to find another body, or make one myself.

Bests

[maumad]

A Mex Strat neck pocket should be 5/8" deep (just under 16mm) to accomodate the neck, not sure about the correct height from scratchplate to fretboard.

Neck angle should be zero on a strat. Check Hunter's advice about action before looking at the neck and pocket thickness

Thanks by the tip Al.

I've measured the neck pocket and got about 18mm, and it seems that have a little angle to the front.

[unclej]

A Mex Strat neck pocket should be 5/8" deep (just under 16mm) to accomodate the neck, not sure about the correct height from scratchplate to fretboard.

Neck angle should be zero on a strat. Check Hunter's advice about action before looking at the neck and pocket thickness

Thanks by the tip Al.

I've measured the neck pocket and got about 18mm, and it seems that have a little angle to the front.

why don't you try a shim or two in the neck pocket at the heel end before you do anything drastic. you don't say how high the action is but shims could be the answer. i use thin strips of aluminum cut from a coke can. it cuts easily with scissors and the shims don't compress when the screws are tightened.

good luck

[Nitefly SA]

I shim with what BC Rich and other manufacturers shim with, heavy grit sand paper, a little piece of 50 or sixty in the pocket and you're good to go.

[Digideus]

Yeah, I agree with the last 2 posts. Youll probably find the neck tilt is wrong. If youve played with guitars, youll probably know that some guitars have a bit of material, tape or something in the neck pocket. That is there to push the neck pocket up so the headstock drops, reducing the height of the strings across the neck.

Putting a shim under the neck in the neck pocket will most probably correct it. youll need to experiment a little with it to get the right angle, but dont overdo it. Youll be surprised how little material you need to correct the neck tilt.

Does anyone know of a tutorial about this?

[marksound]

I've thrown this out there several times, but here it is again. A guitar pick at the base of the pocket works perfectly for me. Picks come in many different thicknesses, allowing you to adjust without a lot of trouble, and I'm sure the different materials available can change the sound (if you have EJ-like hearing).

It's worth a shot.

[WezV]

You can always use the ideas above to decide how much angle you need to add to the enck pocket. Once you have worked it out you can make a permanent wooden shim to glue in if you are so concerened about total wood contact

[maumad]

You're completly right, that was what I consider my first option.

Just didn't know the word shimming.

Made a search around the net and found some usefull tips.

Even in the site of 'ender that I quote :

"Shimming is a procedure used to adjust the pitch of the neck in relation to the body. A shim

is placed in the neck pocket, underneath the butt end of the neck. On many American

series guitars, a Micro-Tilt adjustment is offered. It replaces the need for a shim by using a

hex screw against a plate installed in the butt end of the neck. The need to adjust the pitch

(raising the butt end of the neck in the pocket, thereby pitching the neck back) of the neck

occurs in situations where the string height is high and the action adjustment is as low as

the adjustment will allow.

To properly shim a neck, the neck must be removed from the neck pocket of the body. A

shim approximately 1/4" (6.4 mm) wide by 1 3/4" (44.5 mm) long by .010" (0.25 mm) thick

will allow you to raise the action approximately 1/32" (0.8 mm). For guitars with the Micro-

Tilt adjustment, loosen the two neck screws on both sides of the adjustment access hole on

the neckplate by at least four full turns. Tightening the hex adjustment screw with an 1/8"

hex wrench approximately 1/4 turn will allow you to raise the action approximately 1/32".

Re-tighten the neck screws when the adjustment is complete. The pitch of the neck on your

guitar has been preset at the factory and in most cases will not need to be adjusted."

Mite be of interest to someone else.

Probably will follow WezV tip and make a wooden shim once I found the rigth angle, still making some tests with a foild business card.

thaks