String height problem

[AirCap]

There are several solutions for this problem (it's too late to complain about the .720 thing), and the cheapest and easiest way to make it playable.... is a shim. I know OP doesn't want that, but the simple fact is that it will work, and yield a fine playing axe.

 

[rolloman]

I think so, and debated about as much as tonewood. Another option is, I can think of numerous ways to lightly route the neck pocket with a slight angle to accommodate his desire for no shim.

 

[Cagey]

I've done that a couple times, prior to the availability of the hardwood shims mentioned earlier up-thread. It's certainly doable, albeit somewhat risky if you're not confident with a router and jig-building, but you end up with the desired "bareback" connection between the neck heel and pocket.

Personally, I feel those full-pocket shims are a good solution. They're inexpensive, low-risk, effective, and reversible.

 

[KOABUILD]

It has a deeper cut on the neck pocket so the neck sits deeper and I guess flatter. But, I wouldn’t think you can’t use a regular hardtail bridge with it. Now it looks like it has to be shimmed up which I don’t want to do.

I have also used a razor blade to slighly ramp a neck pocket by scraping it to spec.....but dont F*** up....lol :laughing7:

Hey I just wanted to chime in here and say for the record on my last Tele Deluxe build I opted for the 720 Mod and I had intentionally pre-ordered the .175 thicker Hipshot hardtail bridge and I had no problems dialing it in, so I question the Neck Pocket or Neck itself: for instance you said a luthier set this up for you, no offense but did he make any changes to either the Neck or Pocket; I only mention this as once you alter one the other is off and it all goes to whack after that... setting the bridge of course is where that all becomes apparent.

regardless please post your findings as I am interested for future reference, but it seems that not only a shim but a ramped up shim maybe in order, (thicker on one side than the other) as it would be easiest to raise the neck angle to compensate for that offset by raising the Neck heel in the pocket area closest to the body, as that will create a slight downward drop of the headstock end of the neck and this will bring your strings to line up consistently down the neck.

I would say there may have been an error along the way in altering the pocket or Neck Heel itself with all things considered, whether or not it happened prior to shipment or after I cant say but again I always use the .175 Hipshot bridge with the thicker baseplate and even with the 720 Mod I was able to dial it in no problems at all.....

I always thought the 720 Mod was a great way to bring the action down closer to the body of the guitar which means less of a trapeze act for the pinky/hand placement when picking, or to look nicer in eliminating the lip over hang of the extended fret board, but;  I also found I like the traditional neck pocket better; probably because I started playing on Fenders and got used to the extra height of the setup when using the traditional pocket depth route.

If I had to shim I would use the shims Cagey is recommending from Stew Mac, or make your own wooden ones for the purpose, ramped up in the pocket toward the body to raise the heel of the neck slightly. Good Luck!  :icon_thumright:

 

[rolloman]

Cagey.  Just curious. Did you tilt the body in relation to the router, or set an angled platform/jig on the body top? Kinda a dumb question, I guess. Lol I guess a better way to word it was the jig attached or free from the body?

 

[Cagey]

I used an angled platform. Basically just a neck routing template mounted on the body. Used a protractor to set the angle, and had to fab a block to hold the far end of the template up lest it dip under the weight of the router and cut deeper than I wanted. Chucked a pattern-following mortise bit into the router, and drove it around the pocket.

 

[rolloman]

Thanks for the info. It may come in handy someday, if I mistakenly ever order the 720 Mod. Lol Just kidding. I think the 720 Mod actually is the way to go if you want a guitar without a pickgaurd. I might consider using a jig clamped to the neck and a stationary disc sander to modify the neck mounting surface. Of course would need to be done before neck finishing. Just depends on which one you wanted to bastardize. Really, I vote for the hardwood shims solution unless the look around the joint without a pickguard is really that important to the O.P. and he wants a parallel neck to body that bad.

 

[Cagey]

That, or you may get the urge/request to install a bridge or vibrato that sits unusually high. In my case, the first time I did it I had a Strat body that was haunted somehow. Everything measured right, but the string height was way off. Another time was the unusually tall bridge thing. Since then, I've only had a couple/few instances where I'd have needed to do it again, but used the shims to resolve the issue.

 

[rolloman]

Right on.....and you build some awesome guitars.

 

[Cagey]

Thanks!

 

[Lespaul_matt]

If anyone was wondering, this turned out not too bad at all.

So my "guitar tech" was judging everything from the guitar sitting there without being properly strung to pitch or anything.

He said because of the gibson scale neck once it was strung up it really angled nicely, we do use a shim but, only so small you cant really tell... I don't want to use any shim but, thats the way it is. Much happier than that massive piece he had in there for a while.

We both learnt from it, I guess..

 

[rolloman]

Great. Glad ya got it setup. I bet it sounds really nice too.