I gotta say (about setups)...

[NTBluesGuitar]

...this place rocks.

So, after hangin' out here for about a year, I learned about all kinds of groovy tips and tricks; which is why I signed up in the first place. In the process, I also happened to pick up the skill of hand-wired amp fixing/building, but that's another story.

Back to the topic at hand.

Last night I did a PROPA' setup on my one and only Strat. Wow, the feel is just lovely, and I can't wait to plug in to really see how it improved (it was late and the ladies were asleep). I just followed the instructions according to Fender's support documents, and it was pretty painless and successful.

The only thing left (besides a new string nut - mine's kinda hacked up from the previous owner), is to try the ol' neck shim, since my saddle screws are REALLY protruding out the top. Like 3/16" or more.

To make a long story longer, I just finished searching around here for shimming approaches. I know I need to shim; thanks to the knowledge shared by TFF'ers at large, but I was at a loss on how or what to shim with.

Found that a lot of y'all like to use picks, and I just so happen to have a pack full of Dunlop Black Golds in thicknesses from .5mm to 1.14mm, so I can't wait to play around with my final shimming.

How exciting! Almost like getting a new guitar...almost.

[Guitar_Mc]

piece of paper or busines card.

[NTBluesGuitar]

I didn't think about business cards, I have a ton of those. Thanks!

Fezz, those have to be some of the grooviest picks I've seen.

[57Historic]

I like to use pieces of the screen sandpaper that you use for sanding drywall. It really bites into the neck and body pocket.

[MMP]

I use birch veneer from the hobby shop. One piece costs about $5 and I've cut shims for about 15 guitars from my current scrap.

[Mesotech]

I've used business cards, 100 grit sandpaper, picks, wood wedges (more like slivers by the time I got them to the proper thickness), plastic file folder tabs, micro-tilt screws, and other assorted items. The business cards tend to work best for me, simply because of abundance of availability and ease of manipulation of the material. It's also kind of cool to imagine that some years later someone else might find my name on a business card in the neck pocket of a guitar.

I practiced my first neck shim on a Squire P-bass. When I removed the neck, Fender had already used a piece of sandpaper. I simply added another layer. From that point onwards, I was hooked - I had to shim everything I thought could use a shim. I shimmed my guitars, my friends guitars, other's guitars - I couldn't stop myself (and they could stop thanking me for making their instrument play even better).

I think I'm over it now, at least for the moment.... (breathing hard and wiping the sweat from my brow)

[photoweborama]

I learned the pick thing from Fezz. I do it that way, but now I score them with a knife so they don't move around in there. Not that it happens a lot, but I had one that was doing that. So I figure it can't hurt.

Of course I only use regular old picks I don't mind scoring all up.

[NTBluesGuitar]

Great info...thanks!

I ended up shimming three different times using extra picks each time. I ended up with a .60mm and got it dialed in nicely. I can't believe the difference in feel now.

Sounds pretty consistent from string to string now, and my Strat now has all the classis Strat sounds from all pickup combinations. I'm lovin' it.

There should be a setup sticky somewhere!

[Jack Gilvey]

How would the pick be positioned?

[jholcomb]

scrap screen from a screen door

[fenderden]

....From that point onwards, I was hooked - I had to shim everything I thought could use a shim. I shimmed my guitars, my friends guitars, other's guitars - I couldn't stop myself (and they could stop thanking me for making their instrument play even better).

I think I'm over it now, at least for the moment.... (breathing hard and wiping the sweat from my brow)

I had to pick myself up off the floor after reading that part! LOL!

[fenderden]

....From that point onwards, I was hooked - I had to shim everything I thought could use a shim. I shimmed my guitars, my friends guitars, other's guitars - I couldn't stop myself.............
I think I'm over it now, at least for the moment.... (breathing hard and wiping the sweat from my brow)

I had to pick myself up off the floor after reading that part! LOL!