Need a Little Help With USACG Necks on Warmoth Bodies

[The Crusader]

mods feel free to move as necessary. I figured I'd put this here since it involves 2 name brands.......anyway............

as many of you may (or may not) know, I've built some basses for myself over the past couple of years. I tend to like USACG necks on Warmoth bodies because, usually, I got to see the body painted and everything before purchase and I just like the non-chunkiness of the USACG neck better.
However, I've noticed that I can't really get the string height down as far as I like and I'm usually bottoming out on the E string (and G) saddle on the bridge.
I measured the necks for comparison sake and it would appear that the Warmoth neck is slightly thicker at the heel. A touch over 1/32" more than the USACG, which, in the grand scheme of things shouldn't make that much of a difference, especially being that I need to pick up about 3/32 to 4/32 to get the string height where I want it to be.
On the Warmoth bodies that have the warmoth necks, with the exception of one bass, the bridges aren't bottoming out.

the neck pocket on all of them is 5/8", I double checked.

any ideas on how to fix this problem?

how much distance could I pick up with a shim in the neck pocket
?
any thoughts on cutting the saddles down to help accomodate?
thanks.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Filakovsky

mods feel free to move as necessary. I figured I'd put this here since it involves 2 name brands.......anyway............

as many of you may (or may not) know, I've built some basses for myself over the past couple of years. I tend to like USACG necks on Warmoth bodies because, usually, I got to see the body painted and everything before purchase and I just like the non-chunkiness of the USACG neck better.
However, I've noticed that I can't really get the string height down as far as I like and I'm usually bottoming out on the E string (and G) saddle on the bridge.
I measured the necks for comparison sake and it would appear that the Warmoth neck is slightly thicker at the heel. A touch over 1/32" more than the USACG, which, in the grand scheme of things shouldn't make that much of a difference, especially being that I need to pick up about 3/32 to 4/32 to get the string height where I want it to be.
On the Warmoth bodies that have the warmoth necks, with the exception of one bass, the bridges aren't bottoming out.

the neck pocket on all of them is 5/8", I double checked.

any ideas on how to fix this problem?

how much distance could I pick up with a shim in the neck pocket
?
any thoughts on cutting the saddles down to help accomodate?
thanks.

Get a sheet of hardwood veneer, cut it to fit the bottom of the neck pocket and I'd bet you'd pick up the distance you need. You may have to use 2 sheets. Before you sink any money into veneer, try some plastic cut to size, like from the top of a coffee can and see if it works.

[The Crusader]

Originally Posted by 62bass

Get a sheet of hardwood veneer, cut it to fit the bottom of the neck pocket and I'd bet you'd pick up the distance you need. You may have to use 2 sheets. Before you sink any money into veneer, try some plastic cut to size, like from the top of a coffee can and see if it works.

that sounds pretty good to help the angle.

[202dy]

62bass is suggesting a full pocket shim. That is the way to go.

How much can you pick up with a regular bottom of the neck type shim? The rule is: 2 X thickness of the shim=effect or rise at the bridge. So if you cut a shim out of thick stock that is .030" you can expect to pick up .060" or roughly a sixteenth of an inch at the bridge. 2X.030"=.060"

Regards

[The Crusader]

if the shim is too much, would that cause buzzing on the higher, say 15th and up, frets?

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by Filakovsky

if the shim is too much, would that cause buzzing on the higher, say 15th and up, frets?

probably...

but also make sure you have a bit of relief in your neck...

the first bass I ever had, I put together myself...I had to shim the neck pocket...I used business card to increase the back angle of the neck...

it worked perfectly.

[The Crusader]

it's got the right amount of relief

[joelb79]

Yeah, shimming the neck pocket is the way to go. Im having a similar problem with my MIA neck on MIJ Body. I have bottomed out my bridge to get the action right, but the MIJ beck needed about .6" at the bridge to get close to not buzzing out at the 20th.

This seems like the way to go.

[Greenman]

A piece of 50 grit sandpaper works great.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by Greenman

A piece of 50 grit sandpaper works great.

i've read a suggestion of cutting a rectangle from an aluminum can...WATCH THOSE SHARP EDGES!...