As you can see, there are all sorts of options for shim material, and most are free cast-off items. Any of those things will work well without any detriment to sound.
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What material for neck shimming?
- Thread starter vindibona1
- Start date
Turnaround
Commercial User
Add a shim rather than grinding down the saddles. Reducing the saddle thickness will also reduce the breal angle of the string over the saddle, which will have the potential for far more change in sound than a shim in the neck pocket. A shim is also easily reversible, a ground-down saddle isn't.
As far as material goes, there is no consensus - not between bass manufacturers, not players, nor technicians. That suggests to me that there is little to choose between materials - what is acceptable to some is not preferred by others. Take your pick - there's no totally right nor totally wrong answer. I have used gauged plastic or wood veneer. I don't recall ever using a full pocket shim. On occasion I have re-routed the neck pocket with a tiny angle correction - though I consider that to really be over-the-top-obsessive, something I can be at times.
As far as material goes, there is no consensus - not between bass manufacturers, not players, nor technicians. That suggests to me that there is little to choose between materials - what is acceptable to some is not preferred by others. Take your pick - there's no totally right nor totally wrong answer. I have used gauged plastic or wood veneer. I don't recall ever using a full pocket shim. On occasion I have re-routed the neck pocket with a tiny angle correction - though I consider that to really be over-the-top-obsessive, something I can be at times.
I agree in principle. However the saddle's bottom does not sit flush/square on the bottom of the bridge. I've tried jiggling it a bit with a loose B string, and it went a *little* more flush with the bottom of the bridge, but the bottom of the saddle isn't completely engaged with the bridge.
How is that, the saddle is floating over the bridge when under string tension?
The following image should illustrate the main problems. As you can see, the saddle on the P bass is tilted forward and the intonation screw it pointed down, not allowing the saddle to sit flush. All I need is another 1/64" lower to improve the situation. I wonder if the string-thru is causing the problem? The break angle is really quite sharp. In contrast, my J Bass (2010 MIM with top loading), with a different saddle and top loading still has quite a bit of room to lower the B string, even though it's as low as it can go without buzzing. You can see on the J Bass the intonation screw while pointed down slightly is more parallel to the string, whereas the J bass intonations screw looks like it's doing the "downward dog".
The design of the USA P Bass saddle appears to allow more contact with the bridge... if only it would do so on all the strings. Did they consider the bend of a a 9.5 inch fingerboard radius? Of course if I want a 6/64" or 7/64" string height there would be no issue.
But my standard setup is 4/64" which all the other strings have without issue, as do my other basses (except my Sandberg with a similar low B string height issue).
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Turnaround
Commercial User
I would recommend that you do NOT string those flats through the body. You can see where the windings are separating and that is putting added stress on the core at those points. Any break angle of the strings over about 6 degrees at the nut or bridge gains nothing, there is no improved string to body vibration transfer. But there is added stress on the string. Makes me wonder if there isn't collusion between bass and string makers to increase string demise and thus increase sales.
If you go through the bridge you will probably find that the witness point at the bridge is improved and consequently the saddles can be raised a bit and maintain string height, and the intonation point will be not so far back on the bridge.
It's just my opinion, but I don't think there is any advantage to stringing through the body. I believe that Leo Fender realized that too and in 1957 changed his bass stringing to be through the bridge rather than through the body.
If you go through the bridge you will probably find that the witness point at the bridge is improved and consequently the saddles can be raised a bit and maintain string height, and the intonation point will be not so far back on the bridge.
It's just my opinion, but I don't think there is any advantage to stringing through the body. I believe that Leo Fender realized that too and in 1957 changed his bass stringing to be through the bridge rather than through the body.
- Apr 18, 2008
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The only problem with the Stew Mac shims, is the Fender American Professional II has a 5-bolt neck, with a contoured heel. So you'd need to do some careful reshaping, and re-drilling of the shim, which are easy to break if you aren't careful with the tools.
Yeah one is made for making holes in thin stuff and one is for crushing garlic. What’s your point.
I have used hole punches on micro plywood making models for a long time and it works perfectly. A shim is no different. Put tape on the shim for strength while you punch and shape it and peel it off before setting it.
Btw, if your shim splits, use any thin tape to reassemble it. An extra thousandth added isn’t going to make a difference.
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As you can see, the Stew Mac shim requires a lot of modification, to make it compatible with the 5-bolt American Professional II.
A leather punch is not going to be much better than a garlic press.
I see what you mean. It’s an Insurmountable problem. Rudimentary carving and Sandpaper may be involved.
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I think I'm going to try brass shims that I found on Amazon. On Stratocasters, years ago, I think I used cardboarrd or something, but I think the material is more critical on a bass (could be wrong). I have to believe that brass will have more resonance and I don't think I'll have to add much of an angle to the neck. I just need to get the pesky low B down out of the way so I can have the low E at optimal height without the B blocking my thumb from muting the E, as my thumb "bridges" from the B string across to the higher pitched strings, but fails to mute the E unless I raise the E... which is just stupid when I know I can get them all to be at 4/64", rather than 3 at 4/64", the G at 5/64" and the B at 7/64". If I had an extra saddle or two I'd just do that. But practicing today, frustrated with muting, I gotta do something.
