Creating a perfect neck pocket angle for a strat like bolt on neck

[fab672000]

Hi, I use a wilkinson vs100 tremolo and I don't like neck shims, but I need low action and an almost straight neck.
My neck pocket currently has a big positive angle ATM causing the bridge studs to be way too high)
I have all I need to re-route my neck pocket to a perfect angle:

Assuming the last fret is elevated at approx 12mm from the body top and the top of the trem where string sit at approx the same maximal height or lower (e.g. 10mm),

Do I need a small neck angle like 0.25deg to have the bridge as low as possible or should I start with a 0deg or even slightly negative angle?
Calculation aside, what's your experience with bolt-on neck angles for very low action?

Note: I know how to have 0.25deg on a 30cm long router jig plate as an example, I just need a shim under my router jig plate of approx 1.3mm at the bridge location as the formula tan(0.25deg)x30cm gives me 1.31mm. Can double this for 0.5deg etc...

PS: looks like my fingerboard height at neck join is a bit higher than normal so in fact I think I'll remove as less wood as possible and start with a 0deg neck pocket reset routing with my colt router and my stewmac ball-bearing bit.

Found this app handy:

Neck Angle Calculator

Neck Angle Calculator

www.tundraman.com

 

[BroccoliRob]

scientifically, the perfect neck angle is often achievd by going to a dispensary (I recommend 3Fifteen Primo) and taking one of their complimentary packs of matches and tearing off a 1/4" (one quarter inch) of one end and sticking that between the screw holes closest to the neck pickup, boom, done

 

[fab672000]

I know about all these shimming quick techniques but simply just don't like the result, also after years these shims tend to imprint on the wood -> not good either. I know it's fast but I'm looking for the best job possible (and I enjoy doing that )

 

[Spud]

Hi, I use a wilkinson vs100 tremolo and I don't like neck shims, but I need low action and an almost straight neck.
My neck pocket currently has a big positive angle ATM causing the bridge studs to be way too high)
I have all I need to re-route my neck pocket to a perfect angle:

Assuming the last fret is elevated at approx 12mm from the body top and the top of the trem where string sit at approx the same maximal height or lower (e.g. 10mm),

Do I need a small neck angle like 0.25deg to have the bridge as low as possible or should I start with a 0deg or even slightly negative angle?
Calculation aside, what's your experience with bolt-on neck angles for very low action?

Note: I know how to have 0.25deg on a 30cm long router jig plate as an example, I just need a shim under my router jig plate of approx 1.3mm at the bridge location as the formula tan(0.25deg)x30cm gives me 1.31mm. Can double this for 0.5deg etc...

PS: looks like my fingerboard height at neck join is a bit higher than normal so in fact I think I'll remove as less wood as possible and start with a 0deg neck pocket reset routing with my colt router and my stewmac ball-bearing bit.

Found this app handy:

Neck Angle Calculator

Neck Angle Calculator

www.tundraman.com

Once the wood is gone, it is impossible to get it back.

 

[bonesofwrath]

That's what I've heard....

But you can always bed it with epoxy. Or do the Erlewine restoration where you glue the toothpicks back together, route out a patch of wood, replace it with another, then repeat until you have an intact body. Ship of Theseus covers you as long as they were glued to original parts at some point, then it's a restoration.