Re-angling (flattening) a neck pocket

jaymenon

I wonder what you might consider the best option for this strat of mine please...

Summary

Warmoth Strat Body

Someone installed a non-recessed Floyd Rose tremolo

So they back-angled the floor of the neck pocket so the strings rise high towards the FR bridge

I reverted to a six screw conventional tremolo

So I've used a 1° reverse StewMac Shim (plus a piece of card to get the action right). So totally 1.3° to 1.4° worth of shim angle.

Is it a realistic option to remove more material from the floor of the neck pocket to bring it back to 0° ? We'll need to change the angle by perhaps 1.4 °

Pic below (You can still just about make out the Warmoth turtle)

https://i.imgur.com/xtxIaFY.jpg

Angled neck pocket schematic

https://i.imgur.com/T4ychdp.jpg

My Shim

https://i.imgur.com/8f7UkLR.jpg

Rear view

https://i.imgur.com/oKDtka1.jpg

Saddles still riding high (but manageable)

https://i.imgur.com/ivhnBtB.jpg

TTony

It's easy enough to restore the base of the pocket to flat - but wouldn't you then need to fit another flat shim in there to replace the wood that's been removed, ie to raise the neck back up to the correct height?

SteveRobinson

Probably not. With the shim fitted the saddles are too high so flattening the pocket should make it right. If it does end up too deep a small shim at the rear of the pocket will fix it.

jaymenon

Thanks @TTony ;

Well the saddles are riding a little high - and there's room to lower them.

I'm thinking - the StewMac 1° shim tapers from 1.52mm to 0.25mm. Plus my Business Card Shim is 0.47mm thick

That's a total taper from 2mm to 0.25mm.

So if we remove the shim and excise from the base:
- nothing from the headstock end
     (that portion of the heel drops by 2mm)
- 1.75mm from the bridge end
    (that portion of the heel drops by 2mm)

...then it should be exactly 2mm lower than it is now?

Or is this level of (theoretical) mathematical accuracy not achievable with wood work?

jaymenon

Thanks @SteveRobinson ;

Or perhaps excise
Nothing from the headstock end
1.75mm from the bridge end
?

SteveRobinson

Yes that should be achievable