Fender '70s micro-neck adjustment: What's it for?

[Ostinato]

I've actually tried using it once and didn't like the results I got. Is it for a badly bowed neck?

[guy n. cognito]

It is for adjusting the alignment of the neck in relation to the body of the bass. Screwing the adjuster "in" brings the heel of the neck away from the bass, thereby reducing the angle of the neck in relation to the body and, more importantly, the strings. It won't do anything for a warped neck.

[Ostinato]

So...if the adjustment is taken out completely, then there is an angle between the neck and the body? I always thought it was for "problem necks". Interesting...

[lonote]

It serves the same purpose as a shim.

[danman]

Don't adjust this without loosening the screw or screws closest to the bridge.

Think of the tilt adjust as a ramp increase screw. If your bass is flat on the table, you can adjust the screw so that a marble placed in the middle of the fretboard will roll to or from the bridge. It is an interesting adjustment to make and in my opinion just makes one more dimension to the setup. I have an older G&L with the micro tilt and I am not a big fan.


danman

[Philbiker]

It serves the same purpose as a shim.

Exactly. An adjustable shim that doesn't require the neck to be removed and allows for very tiny adjustments. It's a great feature that all bolt-on necks should have. Peavey used to use them a lot.

[Ostinato]

I've noticed it does seem to affect the tone and sustain when it's engaged. Every time I've tried it I ended up going back and trying to straighten the neck with the truss rod. I think the neck/body joint is key in getting a good solid tone and was wondering what others have experienced.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by Ostinato

I've noticed it does seem to affect the tone and sustain when it's engaged. Every time I've tried it I ended up going back and trying to straighten the neck with the truss rod. I think the neck/body joint is key in getting a good solid tone and was wondering what others have experienced.

Strange! The truss rod adjustment and the microtilt adjustment do two totally different things.

I'm not sure just how much the body to neck joint really affects sustain. I've never seen it change after shimming a neck and the microtilt is hardly a really tight joint. Other people seem to see a change after shimming.