Hi everyone, how's it going? My MIM '70s Strat with the three bolt neck plate, I noticed slight gaps between the neck heel and pocket/slot of the body. These aren't the famous gaps with '70s strats where you can slide a pick or coin in the side of the neck, those are fine. I carefully removed the neck from the body to see what was the matter. I think it's something to do with the metal discs for the micro-tilt that's preventing the neck heel to be fully flush with the pocket but I just stopped right there and put the neck back in place and just tightened until snug. Looking on the bright side, at least the neck is bolted on tight and secure, everything else is fine. Is this a problem or just something petty? If so, forgive me for being a paranoid noob.

EDIT: Just wanted to add, I currently don't have the micro-tilt adjusted to tilt because the action is fine.

No mate you are not paranoid!

Everytime I buy a Strat or Tele I will not buy it unless it has a tight neck pocket.

Of course it is a number of factors that are added up to a + for purchase and this is one of them.

Cheers.

You talk about too much space each side of the pocket AND also under the pocket right ?

Each side ; nothing to do , but under , you can unscrew microtilt allen screw and see if it is better.
This will work if the microtilt allen screw push on the metal disc. But if you can change microtilt adjustment you have to do a new string action set up.
By removing the gap under the neck ,string action will go higher. You need to lower each saddle. If you can't lower action with saddle adjustments , you need to screw the microtilt allen and then have a gap.....

Pics to see what you mean please...

And again a word of caution to all...

Don't unscrew your neck from the body just to check something unless something is really wrong ( then take it to a tech )

These are wood screws set into self tapped ( by the screws ) holes. As wood screws they are meant to be screwed in once and left alone....
Each time a wood screw is backed out and reinstalled, the tapped threads in the wood get slightly enlarged, thus fit loosens up.....Why an old piece of furniture is often loose at it's legs or sections that are screwed together..

On a three bolt neck ( 70's style ) I would strongly recommend having the three screws replaced with wood inserts and stainless steel machine thread screws ( 10/24 thread )
The new book by Will Kelly " How to build electric guitars " has a section on this very issue..

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

If the guitar plays fine I wouldnt start messing with things. You'll likely make it not play fine, and in the end have to pay a tech to put it back to right.
3 bolt necks work just fine BTW, especially on the 70's reissues. I would not start putting in wood inserts unless this was really warranted. I have an original '79 myself and it has no issues whatsoever with it's 3 bolt neck, despite being disassembled more than once.
To reitterate, if the guitar plays fine now, leave it as is.

There is no problem to unscrew and screw many times ( neck and other ) wood screw if you know how .
Unscrew is easy .

To screw ;
With your finger ,start the screw counterclockwise ,( yes counterclockwise ) you'll feel where the thread start. Now turn it clockwise also with finger. .After you are sure the screw is on thread , use a screwdriver. Don't tight screw too much , but enough ......
Doing this way you never break the threads.

IMO you could have problem with any kind of screw ( metal, wood ) if the first time the thread was damaged. In the case of the wood , it is so easy to fix worn thread . Don't be afraid do remove your neck but take your time and think before if not sure. And don't forget to slack or remove strings before.

Vintage neck , with truss rod nut at body need to unscrew the neck from the body many many times with no problem if doing by qualified handyman / luthier.

It's not a whole lot of space, not even business card thickness space. There's one at top of heel close to where the top left screw hole would be and another at the bottom where the micro-tilt would be. I have the micro tilt allen screw loosened all the way out and it still doesn't raise the string action higher but I didn't need to lower the saddles, if I did it would start buzzing and the curvature of the neck is fine, it's straight enough just with that little bit of bow it needs. The metal discs (one in the pocket and the other in the neck for the micro-tilt) are popping out a little bit which I guess is creating a shim in it's own way. At that point, I just told myself there's nothing else I can do so I put the neck back on and restrung, the guitar overall plays good, I just wanted to get an opinion(s).

Nope...fervently disagree, there is no need to take apart a neck from a body unless there is a problem with the angle of the neck pocket itself which is slotted/routed parallel to the face of the body and the neck sits in the pocket on that plane.
Now if the neck is bowed from the 12th fret up that is a problem which shimming will temporarily solve but that again is a band aid.
minimal concave in the neck from nut to 17th fret ( truss rod does not affect past the 17th fret as that section is then under counter tension from the screws )

The issue with removing and replacing the screws is the amount of torque each time the screw reaches the end of its travel, at which point tightness is determined by feel, not a very reliable method of ensuring you have not overtorqued the tapped threads.
Wood, be it Maple,Mahogany, Poplar, Rosewood ( referring to hardwoods only ) will only resist to a certain degree. If the neck screws are either hardened steel or stainless, it is quite easy to strip out the wood threads from over-torquing, it is just a consequence of metal into wood, wood being the softer medium will always give long before the metal screw does.
( unless the screws are made of zinc which I would throw out and replace with either hardened steel or stainless ). but that is a serious problem with a not so nice remedy...

I like your comparison of Handyman and Luthier. The former I would not allow to touch a guitar and the latter...Seriously when is the last time that anyone actually hired a Luthier ( in the strictest sense of the word ) to work on their Strats.....Those Guys/Gals are quite expensive and unless it is a major repair wouldn't contemplate working on our guitars for a simple adjustment simply because it is not cost effective for them....( and they are quite busy )
I mean I'm not going to take one of my Strat's to Matt D'ambrosio to have him adjust it.
I'm sure he wouldn't refuse but (1) he would not charge me his rate (2) I would be wasting his time which is not why he is a Real Luthier. Or the reason why Stephen Stills brought his crushed D'Angelico to Matt to repair. Go to < http://www.clarescoimages.com/dambrosio ... istory.php > for a peek..

Not getting on a digressing soap box but the word Luthier is thrown around this Forum to describe just about anybody that can pick up a left handed Phillips head driver....
Would I like to be called a Luthier... Mayyybeeee... in about 15 to 20 years time after I have crafted mandolins, violins, violas, acoustic guitars, solid set neck guitars... etc..etc..Then perhaps but I will not be the one to say so, only the results and customers responses will dictate that possibility...
I do however consider myself a woodworking crafstman as well as having the resume to back up that claim...So if I do post an opinion which is more advice than not, it is because I do know about working with wood as I have been in the custom end of the renovation/remodeling and building of both custom homes and historical houses for well over 25 years.

Instruments... I ruined a couple when I was young and overly eager, including a black beauty 2 pick up 59 Les Paul Custom... So it is just advice to other's so that they may choose not to do as I did and thus regret the results....

OK..Now I feel Better....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Sorry if I come off as some dumb noob asking questions and expecting answers without providing pictures of this problem (I'm one of the few 21st century americans that have yet to own a digital camera), I should of thought of that and I apologize.

However, today I got in touch with the guy who I bought this from and he told me that he bought it brand new. He adjusted the bridge to be flush to the body (a setting which I prefer myself) but he had issues with raising the string height and still couldn't even achieve the action he wanted with the saddles raised all the way up. So he removed the neck and found that the neck pocket had been painted on the inside as well and it was very thick so sanded it off and got the action he was looking for. So I hope that gives a clearer picture. I guess at the time when I bought it, I didn't notice it since I had no knowledge how guitars worked.

IMO Fender never paint neck pocket. Or MIM guitars are different ?

The use of the microtilt screw is is to raise or lower the string action with changing neck angle IF you can have enough adjustments on saddles . It seems this was the case .

Otherwise what's the use of, micro tilt adjustments ?

The previous owner did not need to touch the neck pocket by sanding paint.

You are right, you do not want a neck pocket painted, but this happens on the less expensive lines of yesteryear...
I have noticed that currently the affordable lines like the standard MIM's and reissue MIM's and also the higher line Squier's have the quality control of the pockets being flat and smooth , if only with one thin protective coat of clear or color..
As far as adjusting the height up or down of the saddles, there is an unintended consequence when the saddles are lowered to their lowest settings. Those little saddle height adjustment allen key screws stick way up and catch and rip your palm.. Thus why Strats and Tele's used to come with the cover or ashtray and only some do today...

So often time tilting the neck 1 or 2 degree's allows the saddles to braised to a point where the saddle screws are now below the surface of each saddle and don't catch your hand.....
But tilting the neck brings other issues....

I think everyone who buys either a Tele or a Strat should also buy Paul Balmer's book " The Fender Stratocaster " and/or "The Fender Telecaster Handbook " Both are thorough in their how to adjust and upgrade both Fender guitars...

Some people preferred raising their saddle/string to a higher than average height thus the micro tilt facilitated this but it also was part and parcel with a Three Bolt neck instead of four and that combined with the CBS era's emphasis on cost cutting and sales only focus was a recipe for some poorly assembled Strats.
The newer versions of the Micro tilt with 4 screws are much improved but it is a precise adjustment mechanism, that unless you know exactly what you are doing, guesswork can really misalign the entire guitar or just damage it to warrant repairs....

I don't have the micro tilt on any of my Strats and on the Telepartster Build I, I will very likely delete the feature ( but can always be installed later, I will just leave the plate and adjustment parts hidden in the Tele Deluxe Neck...)

GD87 I think what happened is the previous owner sending the neck pocket down did not take into consideration that the angle of the neck pocket surface is critical to the neck and body to string/bridge angle adjustments,,,

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

" I think everyone who buys either a Tele or a Strat should also buy Paul Balmer's book " The Fender Stratocaster " and/or "The Fender Telecaster Handbook " Both are thorough in their how to adjust and upgrade both Fender guitars... "
- 53magnatone


Right , +1 . And the book from Dan Erlewine , "how to make electric guitar sound great"

+2 That one is also a necessity....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Ah I see, so that explains why the neck heel can't get all the way flush with the pocket? Is this serious that I have it looked at by a pro or just leave it be since it plays fine?

I would have it looked at, the entire neck heel should fit flush in the pocket, like a glove in hand.
it's an easy fix if need so I wouldn't stress too much, wood is always repairable...

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "