How to Shim the Neck on a Fender Guitar
When adjusting the action on a Fender guitar, you may notice that, although you've lowered it as much as is possible by adjusting the bridge, it's still too high for comfortable playing. In such cases, you may need to raise the neck up from the body by placing a shim in the neck pocket. This will bring the neck closer to the strings, adjusting the action and improving ease of play.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Remove the strings from the guitar by turning each of the tuners counterclockwise.
-
2
Flip the guitar over onto a work area and make sure there is a cloth or soft surface underneath to prevent damage. Remove the four neck screws and neck plate and set them safely aside. Pull the body upward to separate it from the neck. Turn both the neck and the body right-side up to perform the shim operation.
-
-
3
Prepare the shim. You can use a variety of materials, such as an old credit card or scrap wood. Make sure the shim you choose is the correct size. If you want to get your strings 1/8-inch closer to the fretboard, use a material that is 1/8-inch thick.
-
4
Place the shim in the neck pocket. Use a spot of wood glue or tape to hold the shim in place while working, as you may need to flip the guitar to access the neck screws and neck plate.
-
5
Replace the four neck screws and neck plate. To prevent any neck tilt during the shim placement, tighten all four screws about 90 percent of the way before returning to tighten them all the way. Restring the guitar and check the action to make sure it is acceptable. Remove the neck and insert a thicker shim if the action is too high. If the strings are now too low, simply raise the action at the bridge to compensate.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit James Woodson/Photodisc/Getty Images
