Neck Height - What Would You Do?

[MrBump]

Just built myself a new guitar - non-BKP content, so I'm not showing it off around these here parts.

Thing is, it's a rear routed strat.  Because it hasn't got a scratchplate, the neck looks quite proud on the body (see picks).  It doesn't really affect playability, although the strings are a little on the high side for my taste - nothing I couldn't live with though.

Would anyone take a router to this and shave a couple of millimeters off?  I'm really tempted...

[Andrew W]

If you can lower the saddle height and the pickups by the same amount then I don't see why it wouldn't work. You wouldn't, I'd have thought, wanted to do anything that loused up the action so you'd need all the components to be able to drop lower by 2mm.

[darkbluemurder]

Just built myself a new guitar - non-BKP content, so I'm not showing it off around these here parts.

Thing is, it's a rear routed strat.  Because it hasn't got a scratchplate, the neck looks quite proud on the body (see picks).  It doesn't really affect playability, although the strings are a little on the high side for my taste - nothing I couldn't live with though.

Would anyone take a router to this and shave a couple of millimeters off?  I'm really tempted...

If you shave a couple of millimeters either off the neck pocket or the neck itself, the strings would run even higher over the fretboard. Or did I misunderstand something?

Cheers Stephan

[FELINEGUITARS]

I would definitely lower that and if I needed more bridge height/lower action to make it play right I would rout a lean-back into the neck pocket so the neck pitches back by a tiny angle - just enough to give the perfect bridge height.

[MrBump]

I would definitely lower that and if I needed more bridge height/lower action to make it play right I would rout a lean-back into the neck pocket so the neck pitches back by a tiny angle - just enough to give the perfect bridge height.

That's what I thought - there's only a millimeter or two in it, but it's enough to notice.

Now I need to be brave enough to take my router to the neck pocket!!!

 

[darthphineas]

It doesn't really affect playability, although the strings are a little on the high side for my taste - nothing I couldn't live with though.

that there would indicate to me to leave it alone. 

if the action is a bit high, and there is room to adjust at the saddles, start with that.

[FELINEGUITARS]

I would definitely lower that and if I needed more bridge height/lower action to make it play right I would rout a lean-back into the neck pocket so the neck pitches back by a tiny angle - just enough to give the perfect bridge height.

That's what I thought - there's only a millimeter or two in it, but it's enough to notice.

Now I need to be brave enough to take my router to the neck pocket!!!

 

Mark - we have a jig to do that task if yiou don't fancy it......

[MrBump]

I would definitely lower that and if I needed more bridge height/lower action to make it play right I would rout a lean-back into the neck pocket so the neck pitches back by a tiny angle - just enough to give the perfect bridge height.

That's what I thought - there's only a millimeter or two in it, but it's enough to notice.

Now I need to be brave enough to take my router to the neck pocket!!!

 

Mark - we have a jig to do that task if yiou don't fancy it......

Thanks, Jon - I've had a crack at it (made a jig from from hardboard) - it's looking OK...  Waiting on some parts before reassembly.