25.5 Mustang Build problem-need help!

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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DrQuasar
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25.5 Mustang Build problem-need help!

Post by DrQuasar » Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:59 am

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Work in progress. The issue is the strings are sitting flat on the fingerboard. First, I cut the neck pocket to the same depth as the strat the neck came from and the strings sat flat (set screws maxed). I thought if I cut it a bit deeper the problem would be solved so I cut another millimeter or two from the neck pocket, but the problem remains. What did I do wrong? I'm nervous about cutting any deeper. This neck and bridge used to be on another, even crappier guitar body I made so I know they can work together.

I tried two StewMac shims (0.5° and 1°) and neither made any difference.

If the set screws in the saddles were a few millimeters longer, I think I'd be okay. Any idea how to figure out what screws would fit? I've no idea what make or model this bridge is.

If I made a riser for the bridge would that work? If so, how do I determine how thick the riser should be? Or should I switch to a tuneomatic-type bridge? I'd prefer not to do that since the point of this was to spend as little as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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hpr_hpr
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Re: 25.5 Mustang Build problem-need help!

Post by hpr_hpr » Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:36 am

OK, just checking first the neck pocket is now ~ 11/16 deep right . . . check along the long wall to make sure it's equal depth all along . . . it almost certainly is but ruling out obvious problems makes diagnosis easier . . .

I bet you cut the pocket based on the top of the guitar ... possibly after cutting the body shape and/or sanding the top ... if so the most OBVIOUS explanation is that the top slopes from the the bridge to the pocket so the neck has a 'built in' back angle (which is why the shims don't work, they are meant to fix the opposite problem). I have made a body like this . . . made the same mistake (cut the pocket after sanding), the slope is VERY subtle but it's there but it's only measurable when you do it VERY carefully and use outside reference points . . .

To check, use the shim backwards and raise the FRONT of the neck pocket . . . if this fixes the problem - and it almost certainly will - the front of the pocket is deeper than the back (referenced from the horizontal plane from the bridge).

If the above is the case you have options:
a. The hardest but neatest is to cut the pocket again - but NOT indexed to the front of the guitar. This would require building a jig as you don't have a nice fixed point to fix the template for the pocket on . . . you probably need to take off something less than a mm from the front of the pocket.

b. Keep using a 'backward' shim (leaves a bit of a gap at the front of the pocket)

c. As you suggested raise the bridge ... probably somewhere in the range of 1-3 mm ...
When thinking about any advice given always ask yourself "why would (s)he know more than I do".

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DrQuasar
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Re: 25.5 Mustang Build problem-need help!

Post by DrQuasar » Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:08 am

Thanks for the suggestions hpr. I will give the reverse shim a try this weekend probably. It sounds like that might work.

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DrQuasar
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Re: 25.5 Mustang Build problem-need help!

Post by DrQuasar » Wed Nov 28, 2018 12:50 pm

I finally got around to trying out the reverse shim idea. I made a few shims and started with the thickest shim and worked down to the thinnest. By the time I was done, it didn't need a shim at all and everything is now at the correct height! :w00t: I even lowered the saddles, so I have no idea why it worked this time. Action is good as well.

Now I need to pick a color and paint it. I'm just hoping it goes back together as smoothly after paint.

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