skipclone 1 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Microtilt-never heard of it until five minutes ago. https://www.google.com/search?q=strat+micro+tilt+adjustment&oq=what+is+microtilt&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0i13j0i390l4.6687j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_VlK6YMPfM4PLmAXhurfwCQ23 Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertbluesman Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Yep I have seen that before. Never used it myself...... Quote dbm If it sounds good, it is good !! http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=143231&content=music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Yeah, while it seems like a useful adjustment parameter, my problem with it, at least in theory, is that when you tighten the screw & lift the end of the neck, it's no longer solidly in contact with the entire neck pocket. I think a lot of what makes bolt-ons what they are is in the neck to body connection, which is diminished, or at least altered, by shimming or micro-tilting the end of the neck. But, that said, I have no personal experience with it in actual practice, so please prove me wrong. Quote Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 +1 Scott, I have seen them and have had the neck off on one of my Strats and could see no real need to adjust the screw. The tech backed the screw out so the neck makes good contact and it sits flush. Perhaps Kuru can fill us in... Quote Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Perhaps Kuru can fill us in... Thanks Larryz and Scott! I'm still amazed by Hurricane Hugo's post, that is a crazy guitar and the player uses it very well. The original Fender Micro-Tilt came out when CBS was trying to cut costs on building guitars at Fender. The 3 bolt neck mount with the Micro-Tilt screw adjustment in line with the single mounting screw closest to the bridge on the neck plate is not famous for sounding good or holding the neck in alignment. I worked with a few customers trying to get their necks stable and their tone as it should be and failed for the most part. Eventually the angle of the neck would shift, it was not a good design. I blame the elimination of an important screw. All that said, the later CBS cost cutter guitars had other features that could have contributed to the overall demise of tone. The pickups were wound differently, the bridge hardware and tuners both changed and the nut material changed. It would take research to figure out what is draining the mojo. Not worth my bother since I don't like those guitars anyway. I've set up quite a few guitars that have 4 bolt neck plates with a "micro-tilt" or variation on the theme and those seemed to be fine as long as the neck profile and the neck pocket were accurately milled. Currently I have 2 Peavey Fury basses with that feature and it's solid as a rock. Both are tilted up a bit. I haven't noticed a change in tone or sustain of the basses at all after I set them up the way I like them to play. I would say it could change the tone, everything we change changes something. It could be in improvement, it could be a disaster, it could be a subtle change not worth worrying about or a step sideways. I don't have anything conclusive that covers all the variables. If you like your guitar, play it!!!! If something about it bothers you, consider finding a guitar you love and getting rid of the pest guitar. Chasing tone when you don't have it can really be a rabbit hole! Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Thanks for the comments Kuru... Quote Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 That's good commentary, thanks Kuru. I'm leaning toward 'not worth worrying about'. Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Kuru's right, the Micro Tilt feature on the 3-bolt CBS era Fenders added further suckiness to an already sucky design change. And I'm pretty much in agreement with Scott. My second guitar- and first halfway-decent guitar- was a Peavey T-15 with a short 23.5" scale. It had a four bolt design, and a micro-tilt type feature. It seemed to work fine, and- at the time, green as I was- I didn't notice any detriment to the tone or sustain. It did help make it easier to zero-in on set-up. Dan Erlewine was of the opinion that leaving a gap in between the bolt-on neck and the neck-pocket cavity on the body allowed moisture to get in and cause havoc with the neck itself, including distorting the fretboard! I believe that he was addressing the use of makeshift shims in the neck-pocket, but the same would apply to micro-tilt style arrangements, to be sure. If you really need to shim a bolt-on neck for angle, there are premade angled wooden shims available from Stewart-MacDonald that eliminate most or all of such a gap. They're very thin, available in several very precise angles, and I believe they're made of maple... Quote Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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