Martian, I acknowledge your expertise but the only time I have ever had this issue was when fitting a Strat neck to an after market body. None of my Strats have been shimmed and I've never engaged the micro tilt. Have I just been lucky?

And I solved the neck angle issue on the aftermarket body by simply backing off the neck screws a quarter turn or so. No issues since and the neck certainly isn't loose in any way.

I took the screw out and the metal piece that it screwed into is still in there, should I remove that metal piece also? Any tips on removing that piece? Thanks again for advice you guys are awsome. I feel better with a little guidance before doing something.

Johnny

What you have to remember about Fender guitars is that they are the home tinkerers dream.
You can easily set em up, swap parts, change necks, refinish, rewire them. You buy a guitar that can easily evolve with you over decades. Ok for some things you have to get creative with wood, bone or metal. But essentialy their a guitar to be made personal.
Whilst I, like you don't adhere to Martians prefrence for shiming the neck. He's not wrong. There is a change in the way a guitar feels with a angled back neck, even if it is slight.

What I don't like about the microtilt is that it encourages people who may not really know what their doing to go messing around with some pretty critical dimensions of the guitar. Y'know as well as neck angle you have to be very very accurate with neck relief to maintain a low action with a tilted neck. It's also worth checking that the neck bow's evenly. Never mind the state of the fretwork (though it's never bad on new strats with the microtilt) you need it to be following parallel to the neck perfectly. Or as near as damnit.
In other words, it's too easy to operate.
Great for someone in the know, as I'm certain Martian is. A little bit too dangerous for those just getting into it.

I know neck swaps are done...but of course I'm not encouraging it for all the reasons you would think a stuffy ol office worker like me would.(try tracking THAT serial number.....)

To each their own, but to the best of my knowledge ( i worked on the guitar line 81-86 or was it 87? hmm) the quote above isnt a correct statement....and i can do away with the ~best of my knowledge~ disclaimer on the guitars that i set up.....not the norm at all (sorry, Martian) .

Though i've done my share of shimming....it was as needed. If your bridge height is low and your action still high....a wee shim isnt gonna hurt anything. The Micro-tilt is the same theory of course....but ya don't have to pop the neck (all about convenience).
I've also set-up plenty of guitars with Micro-tilt....and left it alone.

Perhaps consider also:manufacturing methods in the 50's,60's etc and what methods are used now.
Tolerances are tighter now.....because they CAN be. So theoretically, there should be less need for shims now, then ever before.
Aint broke, don't fix it FTW!

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rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years

Again, if it works for you, more power to you.

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You dig?

It will not interfere with anything. Don't bother, just leave it alone.

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You dig?

Actually, I was referring to Fenders much older than the '80s. Specifically, Pre-CBS ones right up to the introduction of the micro tilt (1970) in those models as applicable. And surely, I agree that modern technology, especially CNC machines, etc. will indeed affect the absolute necessity of shimming; I should have segregated this fact. Notwithstanding, I still feel the majority would benefit from a shim if they do not have the micro tilt option for an engaged micro tilt is in fact, a substitute for a shim as is prevalent in many of Fender's higher end models, CNC advancements not withstanding. As always, YMMV.

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You dig?

Hi Martian, :O)
By the way, I would be remiss if I didnt thank you and others for getting in here and sharing your knowledge and expertise on a regular basis with those seeking help and advice (you others know who you are too).


The benefit you are mentioning seems to be (in my mind, anyway) a "tweak" in how to get the best possible setup for the setups you prefer (again, based on your obvious expertise). I certainly can't argue with that considering it's a prime reason that the micro-tilt is there. "To know is to Tweak"? I like it.
cheers!!

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rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years

Niki, bang on. I am a terrible tinkerer but I know my limits. I don't mess with neck tilts (or frets or nuts). Pretty much everything else gets the Johnny treatment though. I am very fussy about some things - tone, 'feel', tuning stability - but fine tolerance I aint. One of the reasons I like Strats is because they fight you

I do have a fail safe when I inadvertently stray into unchartered waters such as the example in my post above when I saw the neck tilt as I tightened the neck screws: a luthier friend who does the posh stuff for me (eg frets and nuts) and who I always ask 'have I made a complete arse of this' as I show him my latest 'tweak'.

That sounds like most of my learning curve. Making a mistake isn't always a bad thing. Especialy if you can say to someone trusted, 'I made this mistake, HELP'.