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Post subject: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 1:03 am
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Hi, I have a 2008 Am Std Stratocaster with a rosewood fretboard. It was set up professionally by a tech here in Australia when I first got it. He told me then he used the micro tilt feature in this setup. The guitar has been like this then for 8 years... I came across a number of posts in forums claiming that micro tilt, like a neck shim is bad and will over time create a fretboard hump in the area of the fretboard above the micro tilt mechanism. I'm now really worried... Is this true or is it just another Internet forum myth? I've not noticed any issue with my fretboard but I'm really not that technical with guitars. Has anyone experienced this? Why would Fender put a feature on a guitar that would potentially harm it?


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 1:14 am
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Wrong , micro tilt work very good and do not damage or make hump on fretboard. I have a few "old "Strats with micro tilt and I never read something like that that.

Please give us link where you read that.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 1:23 am
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Thanks for responding. Here is one article I read, it's from Premier Guitar. See down the bottom of the page, there's a section on micro tilt warping the fretboard they state "a great way to force the end of the neck to warp or bow"

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/1 ... eck?page=4

It's this kind of stuff that has me worried.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 1:31 am
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The writer said "... in my opinion..."
I did not say he see that on a guitar. Don't worry about that.
__________________________________
Some electric guitars have a “micro-tilt” assembly in the neck pocket (Fig. 12). By inserting a hex wrench through a hole in the neck plate, you can push an Allen screw against a metal disc embedded in the neck heel and adjust the neck angle without using a shim. This invention, in my opinion, is a great way to force the end of the neck to warp or bow. If your guitar has micro-tilt hardware, I’d remove the Allen adjustment screw from the body and simply bolt the neck flat against the pocket. If the neck angle is too low, use a full-pocket shim to correct the problem.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:05 am
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If Stratele's had good results with micro-tilt, fair enough, but I've never liked or used it. If the bearing surface in the neck was full width instead of a smallish disc, I'd be happier, but tightening the 2 'body-end' screws against what is a virtually a fulcrum point isn't, in my opinion, great engineering. I'm not keen on shims either, but at least a wood shim maintains the wood-to-wood contact.

However, the secret is probably not to tighten the neck screws too much. I've found cranking them until your wrist clicks really isn't necessary!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:24 am
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Peter S wrote:

However, the secret is probably not to tighten the neck screws too much. I've found cranking them until your wrist clicks really isn't necessary!

Cheers - Peter.


To tighten any kind of wood screws it is more in the head ( experience ) than in the arms.
Most of the time people without experience using too much strength and make some damage.

You know that we don't need to use micro tilt or shims if we can do set up just with saddles / bridge .


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:35 am
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It would be great to hear from Fender re: Micro Tilt... have they ever heard of any fretboard humps forming over long term use?


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:56 am
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Wayne@Bris wrote:
It would be great to hear from Fender re: Micro Tilt... have they ever heard of any fretboard humps forming over long term use?


No need Fender, listen Strats user or guitat tech/ luthier.

If this is the case we heard about on forums, and l have never read any issue with micro tilt.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 3:06 am
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IMHO&E(xperience), the problem is almost theoretical.
Vintage Fenders could come from the factory with a partial shim, reaching only to the body side screws in the neck pocket - still those have no major hump issues.

But, if you're worried about the hump, set the Micro-Tilt™ flat, and use a full size shim if necessary. That'll satisfy the "full contact = full sustain" thinking, too. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 3:11 am
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I have a 21 years old Strat with micro tilt and I guess it was not the first year with MT.

If MT had any problem. we had heard about them.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 7:50 am
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If you think about it for a while, even just a short little while, you'll come to realize the whole notion that a micro-tilt adjustment could cause a fretboard hump is utterly preposterous.

First of all, the neck is HOW thick at that spot? And a bolt pushing up against the neck using a washer to spread the force is going to deform the fretboard through an inch of solid hard rock maple that has a steel reinforcing rod running down the centre? As Al Borland was fond of saying, I don't think so, Tim.

Second of all, maple is wood. It's not stretchy. It crushes. If the bolt was going to deform the maple it would do so at the point of contact and crush the wood at the bottom of the neck down inside the pocket. Anyone who's ever swung a hammer on a framing crew knows with absolute certainty that leaving "mule tracks" on one side of the board with the hammer does not cause any deformation on the surface of the other side of the board. And in that example you'd typically be talking about spruce, not hard rock maple, which is waaaaay stronger.

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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 7:56 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
If you think about it for a while, even just a short little while, you'll come to realize the whole notion that a micro-tilt adjustment could cause a fretboard hump is utterly preposterous.

First of all, the neck is HOW thick at that spot? And a bolt pushing up against the neck using a washer to spread the force is going to deform the fretboard through an inch of solid hard rock maple that has a steel reinforcing rod running down the centre? As Al Borland was fond of saying, I don't think so, Tim.

Second of all, maple is wood. It's not stretchy. It crushes. If the bolt was going to deform the maple it would do so at the point of contact and crush the wood at the bottom of the neck down inside the pocket. Anyone who's ever swung a hammer on a framing crew knows with absolute certainty that leaving "mule tracks" on one side of the board with the hammer does not cause any deformation on the surface of the other side of the board. And in that example you'd typically be talking about spruce, not hard rock maple, which is waaaaay stronger.



+1000


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 10:30 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Second of all, maple is wood. It's not stretchy. It crushes.
Well, Fender has been claiming otherwise for decades... :mrgreen:

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But on the MT™ as a hump maker issue, I agree; not likely to happen.


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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 12:20 pm
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That's actually an example of how inflexible the wood is even over a long span.

What I meant by stretchy was that it's not stretchy like a ballon where you can poke your finger on one side and push the material through the plane of its previous location. If you push hard enough on one side, either the whole thing will move together as a unit or you will crush the wood at the location of the force.

Like when you're pounding nails and you leave mule tracks.

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Post subject: Re: Micro Tilt and Fretboard Hump
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 5:57 pm
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I have a 1980 G&L F100 that has the Micro-Tilt feature/construction/whatever, and have had no negative effect on the fretboard in any way. I've owned it since 1989.

I previously owned three other G&Ls--(two 1983 Nighthawks and a 198_ SC-2), all with the Micro-Tilt feature, and none of those three had issues either.

I figure if four different guitars, all with different histories (I bought all of them used them used), all well over thirty years old, didn't develop a problem...there probably isn't a problem to be developed.

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