The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

I tune down 2 steps and capo at the second fret which both reduces string tension and shortens the scale length.

This drops the action enough to make it comfortable to to play, especially on the 12 string.
The only PITA is that buggers up the position markers and you have to think a lot more about where you're going on the fret board.


I wish I could say that I had had such luck on the Vantage 12 string.

Installed the Bridge Doctor with little change but it seems to have at least stabilized it and provided a little volume boost as well.

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
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Do you make full contact wedges, or use strips placed laterally across the low end and disregard the gap?

I imagine shaving/sanding a thin rectangular wedge of the correct profile out of mahogany or some other appropriate wood to be a painstaking task.

Thank you

Stewmac offers shims cut at an angle, if that's what you're thinking of: https://www.stewmac.com/tonewoods/shop- ... or-guitar/

-Steve W.

I've never worried too much about the gap as long as I have good solid even contact at the front and back of the neck pocket.

Excellent ! Very helpful.

Interesting that SM only offers shims w/ angles up to 1°. Do you suppose this is because some other approach is necessary when more correction is called for, or just that the shims are stackable - mix and match as required ... ?

Not too many people do (including moi).

I have never had, nor installed, a "proper" full tapered shim in all the years I've been fixing up guitars.
But I do feel guilty every time I hear a luthier chastise me for not using one.

I'm sure they're correct about encouraging a sag over the resulting void caused by a strip shim, but frankly, in the real world I don't think it's a pressing concern unless you're dealing with a top end or vintage instrument.

I'll wager it's gonna take a lot more than a few thousands of an inch gap to warp a maple neck heel in my lifetime!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

I always found that odd as well, and StewMac isn't the only one that does this. All kinds of copycat suppliers on Amazon and eBay too.

If you watch a real Luthier use one they always custom plane it.

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

If you've ever closely inspected a neck pocket you'll find they are not micro-flat by any stretch. Complete wood to wood contact would require there were absolutely no imperfections in the surfaces and they were perfectly flat. I have serious doubts you'll find this on a 60s Japanese guitar.

There it is!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com