Accuracy Of Neck Pocket Fit For Tele

[rogerzilla]

How precisely does the neck have to fit the pocket (or how good is it in a "factory" guitar and how much impact does it have on tone, sustain etc)?

The neck I have is a nice tight fit sideways in the pocket - it goes in without being forced but I can pick up the guitar by the neck, held by friction alone. However, there's a small gap between the heel and the body of around 1mm, because the radius of the pocket route seems to be slightly larger than that of the neck, so it stops just short of the end of the pocket (I know on some cheaper factory guitars the radiused corners of the pocket are drastically over-routed so this can't happen). Is it worth having a go at the corners with glasspaper to make the neck fit flush against the end of the pocket, or doesn't it matter?

[aidlook]

there's not really a reason not to to it, unless maybe the neck is already finished and the difference is small, but 1mm is quite a lot.

[rogerzilla]

Both neck and body are finished, but I'm just working on the pocket, not the neck. I'll keep going then.

[ihocky2]

By cleaning up the corners you may create other issues. If the neck fits nice and snug now, by allowing it to move back that extra millimeter, it will eliminate that tight fit. The neck and the pocket are both cut at a taper. If you allow the neck to push back in further, you will allow some side movement. It may be a lot, it may be negligable. Proceed as you see fit, but you may end up having to add veneer to the pocket to tighten the fit.