Shimming a neck - DIY suggestions??

  • Thread starter Thread starter napalmdeath
  • Start date Start date
gtrwun said:
The problem with using guitar picks etc. (yes I’ve done it too) is that over time it can actually cause your fingerboard to warp. Saw it in a video anyhow.
i sucked it up and bought a 3 pack of the Stewmac shims. Worked like a charm for me.
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I have original San Dimas Charvels that still have company business cards for shims. That's going onto 4 decades with no problems.

Most of these came with traditional trems and were later changed to Floyds which sets higher. You could shim the whole neck up, but it's easy to just give it a slight shim and tighten down. Again, we're talking business card thickness. I think some people image framing shims or something like that.
 
You can also buy tapered cedar shims at any home improvement store or lumber yard. They are used to shim window and door frames into square when installed into their rough-in openings. They can be rasped and sanded down as needed. If you have a table saw, you can carefully shim the stock at a slight angle to the fence and rip your own wooden shims.
 
Use what EVH used--a guitar pic..Think it was a Fender medium.
 
I avoid paper like business cards or cardboard because it compresses over time. I buy wood laminate from a local hardware store or laminating film (the plastic stuff that you used to use on school reports because all teachers love the fancy folders.)

They're thin so it lets you have a lot of control over how much you're raising the end of the neck.
 
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