Feeler gauges are a foolproof way to do it, and they let you apply factory standard settings with enough precision to be useful, you're perfectly correct we're talking 1/1000 of an inch here so you'll never be able to achieve absolute perfection with these methods, they are an approximation.Hink wrote:I dont have time now but will later to listen to the clip but one thing concerns me, you said that the shims are ugly. Remember your trig? If you have to use shims large enough to be ugly I think you have a serious issue. The clearance required on the neck is a matter of thousandths of an inch (keep in mind 1/32 of an inch .031"), susiwong says he uses feeler gauges for this while myself I prefer to use magnifying goggles with a machist scale, my ears and feel but either way a shim should not have to be so big it's ugly
Personally I also use the quick "press 1st/15th fret & check in the middle" method most of the time, as well as a metal ruler sometimes, but this takes a bit of practice and experience, so I recommend the feeler gauges for starting out.
Ymmv,
susiwong
Btw, ime shimming typically takes a single strip of standard veneer, ca 5 mm wide, at the end of the neck pocket, I rarelly had to use two layers.
And I never noticed any serious lack of sustain or tone either ...