Fretboard/bridge Height

[MescaBug]

Hello,

I have a question about my neck-thru project Fretboard/Bridge height.

I will be using a Hipshot Hardtail fixed bridge, which is 10.16mm from the base to the saddle (lowest position).

First, my goal is to glue the neck without an angle. All my guitars have straight necks, I don't feel comfortable with angled neck.

If the fretboard sits directly on the neck (6-7mm fretboard), there is a 4mm difference between the fretboard and the bridge. Is that enough to clear the pickup mounting ring (6mm), the pickup itself, and still get a good action without fret buzz?

If the neck has a step that puts the fretboard a little higher (somewhere between 7-9mm), what should I do then? It's impossible I can compensate that much difference with the bridge saddles?

The Hipshot bridge is based on a Strat style bridge. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Strat neck is bolted straight. So I should be OK. The guys at Hipshot also told me I don't need an angle, but I need opinions from people who may have run through this situation. It's easy to talk about something you never tried.

Let me know, and please don't forget it's my first build.

Thanks!

David

Edited March 13, 2007 by MescaBug

[Mattia]

Draw it out in full. Perry's got a pinned 'neck angle' topic in the tutorials section that's really quite excellent, and applies to a zero degree neck angle as much as it does to a 2-4 degree angle.

[WezV]

Once you have drawn it out you from the side you will see what you need to do - it is most likely that the front face of the body will need to be a few mm lower than the surface of the neck-thru that the fretboard is glued to.

Strats do not have an in built neck angle but most of them are assembled with shims in the neck pocket to give them a slight neck angle. This obviously cant be done on a neck through so accurate planning beforehand is very important

Oh ... dont forget to take the height of the frets AND the fretboard into account!