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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:12 am
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stratele52 wrote:
I use brass thin sheet available at any train / airplane hobby shop
.005 " ,010"...... many thickness available

I tried metal sheets, but for me it's a lot easier to sand wood than grind metal. Not of course a biggie on a partial shim, but a pain in the br-ass on full sized shims.


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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:31 am
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Shims (metal, wood, thin cardboard, whatever) are not about contact of body and neck, but are sometimes needed to adjust the tilt of the neck, raising the heel from the body slightly, which you can't do by sanding some paint from the body or neck. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:21 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Shims (metal, wood, thin cardboard, whatever) are not about contact of body and neck, but are sometimes needed to adjust the tilt of the neck, raising the heel from the body slightly, which you can't do by sanding some paint from the body or neck. :wink:


I think everyone was aware of that. The reason shims were brought up is because another poster stated if when he has the neck off to check for paint and happens to notice any shims already there, the shim material can effect tone just like paint can. I am not so sure how valid that is. I could see if the paint was really thick there but generally it is only a few mils if that in a small spot of a little overspray which I would think would be negligible other then aesthetics.. As far as shim material I am curious of anyone did an actual test and can confirm the material used to shim the neck can effect the tone in any noticeable way if the neck is installed properly.

Of course if I noticed any really heavy "run" under the neck or very thick overspray I would take it down but it is rare they ever let it go that bad on any modern strats at the factory. (and by "modern" I mean pretty much anything after the 70s).

From way back in the day the best and most informed players I knew (even some guys from Mannys in NYC) would tell me an inexpensive "trick" if I do not have any shim material if needed to adjust a neck was to use matchbook covers. I would think from experience they would have noticed if this was hurting the tone in any way...but again I do not like to knock things until I try it so my point was next time I notice a guitar with a paper shim would be willing to swap that for veneer just to see if I can actually hear any difference.

In short, I don't think anyone was implying to just put shims in the neck pocket for tone improvement, but that if it happens to need shimming to adjust the neck, the material used can play a part in the overall tone.

But here nor there the original post is regarding a 2003 AM STD which we all know has micro tilt so ...it is extremely doubtful anyone would use a shim and practically impossible that the factory would have because the workers would have certainly noticed the nut in the neck pocket right where a shim would go on a non micro tilt if needed. :mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:34 pm
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Actually, here is a pic of a neck pocket from one of my AM STD's..a 2002 which would be identical to a 2003.

Image

This was a severely damaged body (broke into 3 pieces) that was originally poly surf green and I re-painted it nitro red. You can notice how little paint was in the neck pocket. The bit of red on top was sanded down as that was overspray from me. The thick white spoltch on the right side is primer overspray which was also sanded down. This is the way they all look so I don't see how there would be enough paint there in the pocket from the factory to hurt tone. Also notice the micro tilt nut..no reason anyone would use a shim as that is what micro tilt is there to do if needed.

Here is even an example of the neck pocket of the most inexpensive strats they make... Starcaster. I got 5 of them at auction for 30 dollars which is the only reason I have it. Notice even on those there is not enough paint to really effect anything... (the small amount of paint in the pocket area is about as thick as if is was put there with a magic marker)... hence I am really wondering if any of this really matters...

Image


Just for the sake of it.... how the red 2002 AM STD repaired body was looking close to completion... (sorry the photo is so grainy, was taken back when I had a really crappy phone)

Image

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:40 pm
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ebaysux wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
Shims (metal, wood, thin cardboard, whatever) are not about contact of body and neck, but are sometimes needed to adjust the tilt of the neck, raising the heel from the body slightly, which you can't do by sanding some paint from the body or neck. :wink:


I think everyone was aware of that...


Apparently not, hence my response to the poster above me that didn't know that. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:49 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
ebaysux wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
Shims (metal, wood, thin cardboard, whatever) are not about contact of body and neck, but are sometimes needed to adjust the tilt of the neck, raising the heel from the body slightly, which you can't do by sanding some paint from the body or neck. :wink:


I think everyone was aware of that...


Apparently not, hence my response to the poster above me that didn't know that. :wink:


You didn't quote and were not specific :mrgreen: . I only noticed the poster above you talking about the different materials he has used to make shims. I did not get the impression he was using shims for anything other then neck adjustment or that he was unaware of their purpose. Of course I could be wrong but thought you were commenting on our discussion where it was certianly never implied shims are used for anything other then neck adjustment.

Granted now I have a brainstorm. I am going to market "magical mojo sustain brass tone shims" and claim you just shove them between the neck and pocket and any Strat will sound like Stevie Rays..... oh if only I could be that unethical :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:01 pm
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:lol:

No, just a response to the poster above.

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:20 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
:lol:

No, just a response to the poster above.


Did he say he was making all these various shims in a quest for the holy grail of tone? It looks to me like all he was discussing was which material was tougher to cut. :mrgreen: But kidding aside if only all it took was finding the proper shim I would just buy cheap Squiers and shim them all with the magical mojo tone shims. :lol: And to think of all the money we waste on buying USA Strats and on the specific woods and pickups and electronics and tuners and nuts and bridges and workmanship when all along all we needed to do was find the right shim material and scrape away a few mils of overspray in the neck pocket.. :lol: How Fender did not pick up on this low budget secret after making the most popular solid body electric guitars for over 60 years we might never know :roll:

#sarcasm

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Post subject: Re: Help me identify an 2003 AM STD Strat and the pickups pl
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 2:41 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Apparently not, hence my response to the poster above me that didn't know that.

Shimmilou, you got me all wrong - that post was about the difficulty of making a full sized shim, grinding a metal sheet vs sanding a piece of veneer to a tapered wegde shape.


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