HOW CAN I INCREASE THE DEPTH OF A NECK POCKET?

[thebrig]

I purchased a nice P body but the depth of the neck pocket is too shallow, what would be the easiest and safest way to do so?

It needs to be increased by around 2mm.

Thanks in advance for any advice. 

[robertg43]

Sharp wood chisel if its only 2mm or try sanding 2 mm off the neck 

[paul_5]

Router but with a bearing to follow the existing shape.

If you have a router, that is.

[chris_b]

Router, not hammer and chisel. Professional repair man not DIY.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The first question I would ask is "why does the neck pocket depth need to be deepened?" Is because the action is too high and the bridge saddles don't go low enough? If so you don't need to got to the trouble of incresing the depth of the neck pocket, you only need to add a simple shim to alter the angle the neck sits in the pocket, which will give you the required adjustment at the bridge.

[thebrig]

46 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Router but with a bearing to follow the existing shape.

If you have a router, that is.

I have a router but I can only follow the existing shape so far because there is no edge on the lower bout side

[thebrig]

8 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The first question I would ask is "why does the neck pocket depth need to be deepened?" Is because the action is too high and the bridge saddles don't go low enough? If so you don't need to got to the trouble of incresing the depth of the neck pocket, you only need to add a simple shim to alter the angle the neck sits in the pocket, which will give you the required adjustment at the bridge.

The depth of the pocket is too shallow which means the neck is sitting too high, so the bridge saddles would need to be made higher, not lower, and adding a shim would make the neck higher still unfortunately 😉

[thebrig]

1 hour ago, robertg43 said:

Sharp wood chisel if its only 2mm or try sanding 2 mm off the neck 

I've thought about sanding the neck but being a Fender type neck, the underside is all one level, so it might look a bit odd if I only sand the heel and not the whole length of the neck, although I think it might be the easier option

[paul_5]

Ok, it’d probably be easier to use the existing bridge as a template for a thin metal plinth and sit the bridge on top of that?

[Beedster]

17 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Ok, it’d probably be easier to use the existing bridge as a template for a thin metal plinth and sit the bridge on top of that?

Absolutely, raise the bridge is the first option, or even simply shim the saddles with thin sheet metal as I’ve done before (or even buy a higher bridge), if that is for any reason problematic then consider other options. 

[Beedster]

Don’t sand the neck, that’s the last thing to do! 

[Jabba_the_gut]

I would either make a template to cut the pocket deeper using a router or I would use a shim.

Using a wedge shaped shim that tapers to virtually nothing would probably work. The thick end of the shim would be at the neck end of the neck pocket which would angle the neck into the body so the strings would be lower at the bridge. You can just try this by putting some strips of cardboard in the pocket at the neck end. I’d guess that something like two strips of a cereal packet would be about the thickness.

Otherwise, I’d make a template to route the pocket as there is no support for the router on the lower edge. 

Cheers

[fleabag]

I would aslo go the simplest route of shimming the bridge.  I dont see how putting a shim on the neck pocket would lower the neck.

[thebrig]

48 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Don’t sand the neck, that’s the last thing to do! 

I've sanded necks in the past to get the profile I like, this particular neck is nice but it is quite deep, so maybe a bit of sanding might do the job and give me the profile I'm used to 😊

[Jabba_the_gut]

4 minutes ago, fleabag said:

I would aslo go the simplest route of shimming the bridge.  I dont see how putting a shim on the neck pocket would lower the neck.

If the issue is the strings being too high at the bridge then you add a shim to the neck end of the pocket. If the strings are too low then add a shim to the body end of the pocket. The shim just changes the angle it meets the body and will either raise or lower the strings at the bridge. StewMac sell angled shins 

https://www.stewmac.com/tonewoods/electric-guitar-bodies-and-necks-and-wood/electric-guitar-necks/stewmac-neck-shims-for-guitar.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2020-09-gp&pref_currency=P&shipcalc=UK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxuf3u4XX6wIVUe3tCh3LSA52EAQYASABEgJnyPD_BwE

if you just don’t like the neck being high in the pocket, then it’s router time.....

[Beedster]

9 minutes ago, fleabag said:

I would aslo go the simplest route of shimming the bridge.  I dont see how putting a shim on the neck pocket would lower the neck.

I'm also completely at a loss as to how shimming the far end of the pocket could possible help this, it can solve some problems, but not this one unless I'm missing something?

[Beedster]

8 minutes ago, thebrig said:

I've sanded necks in the past to get the profile I like, this particular neck is nice but it is quite deep, so maybe a bit of sanding might do the job and give me the profile I'm used to 😊

So are you actually saying that the pocket is fine but the heel is too thick? If so, agreed, sanding at the heel is OK.

[Jabba_the_gut]

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/19686-guitar-shop-101-how-to-shim-a-bolt-on-neck

[Beedster]

4 minutes ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

If the issue is the strings being too high at the bridge then you add a shim to the neck end of the pocket. If the strings are too low then add a shim to the body end of the pocket. The shim just changes the angle it meets the body and will either raise or lower the strings at the bridge. StewMac sell angled shins 

https://www.stewmac.com/tonewoods/electric-guitar-bodies-and-necks-and-wood/electric-guitar-necks/stewmac-neck-shims-for-guitar.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2020-09-gp&pref_currency=P&shipcalc=UK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxuf3u4XX6wIVUe3tCh3LSA52EAQYASABEgJnyPD_BwE

if you just don’t like the neck being high in the pocket, then it’s router time.....

OK, I can see how it works, does it not make setting the correct relief potentially problematic? 

[fleabag]

I was under the impression the neck is sitting too high in the pocket, as this is what Brig said in an earlier post.

If it is merely the strings are too high, then yes, i agree a neck pocket shim is the answer,  but he never mentioned that

[3below]

The skilled heel removing method would be using a suitable hand plane.  Depending on your skill level some truing up / final levelling with sandpaper glued to a flat surface might be needed as well.   If you have access to one, you could use a planer - jointer.  If I attempted that I would make some sort of mdf sled to ensure the neck heel stayed flat on the planer table through the entire pass (and to ensure I kept my fingers!).  I would also be wary of the usual lump of steel anchoring the truss rod in the heel.  You would get a very tidy and true job however. 

If you do remove 2mm heel depth, remember to check the neck screw length, it would be unfortunate to have them appear through the fretboard or lift some frets

Edited September 7, 2020 by 3below

[KiOgon]

2 hours ago, chris_b said:

Router, not hammer and chisel. Professional repair man not DIY.

Au contraire mon ami, a craftsman would use hand tools, all this electrical gubbins is for amatuers 😃

Ducks for cover!

[songofthewind]

A penknife and a kitchen grater will suffice for mostly undetectable repairs. On a Fender.

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

OK, I can see how it works, does it not make setting the correct relief potentially problematic? 

No. Relief and the angle of the neck in relation to the body are two completely separate things and do not affect each other.

[thebrig]

To try and clarify what the problem is:

I have a body that has had a number of paint jobs over the years so its been sanded back a few times leaving the body slightly thinner than it originally was, this means that the neck pocket is now about 2mm shallower due to it being sanded back a lot of times.

The neck is brand new and built to Fender specs, so because the neck in this body is now shallower than it should be, it sits too high and it is noticeable just by looking at it.