Shim needed for Wilkinson VS100?

[swarfrat]

Came back around to messing with this guitar again and realized that the action is still extremely high, and the saddles as as low as they can go, the VS100 is as low as it can go and still float (ie one frog hair above the body). 
Neck is straight. I was looking at full pocket neck shims and trying to figure out what I need.  Stew-Mac says the 1 degree shim is typical for Floyd's but I haven't heard of folks needing to shim wilky's. 

A quick scratching shows that heel to bridge = 7.07" and sin(0.5) * 7.07 = 0.062" + the thickness of the shim at the neck end...

Taking into account the various thicknesses, I get a bridge height change of:
0.25 degree  +0.061"
0.50 degree  +0.090"
1.00 degree  +0.183"

I suspect the 0.5 degree might be adequate but I think i have plenty of adjustment range and might just slap a 1 degree shim on there. But ... are you guys having to shim your VS100's?

 

[AirCap]

Shimming is not a big deal. Us repair guys do it all the time. Just do what needs to be done.

 

[Cagey]

To answer your question directly, I've never  had to shim for a VS100. You may have some angle to your neck pocket that you're not aware of.

Considering you have to eat up the extra string height you already have, maybe go with a little more than what the math tells you. Also, I understand Stewie is getting rich off these shims, but they're too nice to pass up so it might be worth it to buy both of the smaller ones. The middle one should be adequate, but if it's not, you can add the smallest to get that little extra bit.

 

[swarfrat]

Yeah, they are nice - and I want to avoid a partially supported incompressible shim in the pocket. I can even stomach the SM premium. But the $10 shipping is a bit much. Been eyeballing what all else I don't need that I can justify it to myself. You'd think that there'd be a list of items I've always wanted to buy from S-M but haven't....  and I'm like uhhhh my acoustic could use some end pins that aren't chewed up.  And uh well no that's about it.

 

[Cagey]

Their shipping can bite. I belong to their "StewMAX" club, which is sorta their version of Amazon Prime. There's a list of "benefits" like discounts, special offers, etc. that sound good on paper but are mostly worthless. What makes it worthwhile is you get free shipping for a year, and for me that's a helluva bargain. $39 once a year, probably saves me a couple hundred bucks. Even better is I don't wait until I have a list of supplies to order things so I can spread out the shipping cost. If I need polishing paper, I just order it.

It's probably because of that "club" that everyone else's shipping charges are so high. No such thing as free lunch :laughing7:

 

[arealken]

Those Stew Mac shims are absolutely the  dogs danglies. Worth every cent. I'm a rank amateur assembler ( shouldn't say that, I've been assembling Warmoths for going on  ten years now, so must have picked up something, but if it gets beyond the basics I still need a pro), but they have helped a great deal.

 

[swarfrat]

Hah never heard that one, I assume it's a euphemism for the more common expression but it's actually funnier. Alliteration I guess.

I ordered a 0.5 and a 1 and some nice ebony bridge pins for my barijumbo. They were kinda chewed up (actually one was literally chewed by my son when he was about 1yo. Changing strings and a bridge pin goes flying. Look all over for it so he doesn't get it, never could find it. Then I notice him chewing something. DOH!)

Also bought a TBX tone control. Once it all gets here I'll tear it back apart and see if we can get this sucker playing like it looks.