Bolt-On Neck SECRET | Neck Pocket Clearance Holes

[@guitarscience6926]

I love the engineering explanation of why this works. Before I started doing this, I had so much trouble with neck fits. Now, almost none. It really is the most important trick I've learned over the years.

[@guitar_md]

Thanks! And same. It's one of the very first things Steve K. showed me (my guitar tech mentor) over 17 years ago. I brought him a Vox Spitfire I'd taken the neck off of, and tried to put back on...and the strings were flat against the fingerboard. I didn't have any idea that it was because the screws weren't able to pull the neck fully into the pocket, because the holes in the body weren't cleared. Once he explained that, it became clear as day, and now all these years later, I've cleared the holes on hundreds of guitars, with perfect results every time. It's so overlooked too. What really did it for me was realizing that in woodworking, clearance holes are standard practice. So in that domain it isn't even a debate or a question, just a hard fact -- that's how it's done. My new thing is also inserts. Big fan, at least on my personal guitars. The only thing is it's easy to crack the finish as you can tighten the neck against the pocket so much without realizing it!

[@garethwynn01]

This was helpful when I put together my first parts guitar. Drilled body and neck clamped together with pilot holes and then widened the body holes to clearance. Perfect fit.

[@guitar_md]

Awesome! Perfect fits are the best. And the clearance holes make everything just work perfectly. What kind of guitar is it?

[@Andreas_Straub]

This is very often overseen and even the manufacturers do not do this correctly! Thanks for bringing this up again. Don't forget to re-tune your guitar and then just slightly loosen the neck screws until it "clicks" and the neck finds its nearest position to the body. Then fasten the screws again. This way you get the closest possible connection between the two guitar parts.

[@guitar_md]

Absolutely! Every vintage Fender guitar I've seen had the neck pocket holes cleared. Every single one. My take is they knew what they were doing back then. It takes more time though. I can't think of any other reason that they don't do it anymore other than saving time, which means saving money. I have seen *some* modern guitars with the neck pocket holes cleared. Very rare. But it does happen. Neck pockets being uneven and having paint and other gunk globbed inside is unfortunately common as well. Makes a tremendous difference to take care of these issues

[@Andreas_Straub]

@@guitar_md This also may be one of the reasons why often new guitars sound "dead". The missing tight contact between the neck and the body makes big difference!

[@guitar_md]

@@Andreas_Straub 100%. Another commenter somewhere here (or on another one of my videos) mentioned the term "mechanical impedance." Or my friend and mentor always has called it, "maximizing wood-to-wood contact." Not only that, but it has a tremendous impact on playability. The concepts of "pitch" and "roll" in airplane movement -- you don't want any "roll" in the neck pocket, and that often happens when you have gunk built up in there. If it's not perfectly flat, you're gonna have some degree of "pitch" and "roll" when the neck is mounted, and that can cause a guitar to feel weird and not play right, but it won't be obvious if you just go by action measurements. Seen it hundreds of times. The holes have to be clear but the pocket also has to be dead flat. These days I also use full pocket shims instead of partials. And untapered, only because they're easy to make. Tapered shims are not. You gotta use thicker ones to get the same adjustment in action but they work great and don't result in any humps anywhere on the neck. For sure, clearing the holes is a 100% necessity to maximize a bolt-on neck guitar's potential. I was lucky enough for my mentor to show me this 20 years ago. I've never seen anyone else do it or even talk about it. Definitely something that's majorly overlooked

[@lone-wolf-1]

Hey! Good vid about an overlooked topic! I was very surprised to notice no clearance of the body holes on my first bought bolt on guitar. Since then I correct that on every new guitar. The tone and sustain is getting better because it allows also the neck to sit tighter in the back of the pocket. After tuning I loosen the screws a quarter turn to allow the string tension to pull the neck firmly into the pocket. You can often hear a little squeak. When I retighten the screws, first those towards the neck then the two towards the body. I do it two times in the first year. Cheers

[@guitar_md]

Thank you! That is a good trick too! Countersinking the neck heel holes also helps for maximal contact. Eventually I'd like to upload a video for my method of installing new necks with no pre-drilled holes, and I do find that countersinking helps to alleviate the common issue of the screws pulling up the wood around the heel screw holes. The things we do for our instruments. It is a lot of fun getting them to play and sound the best they can. Thanks so much for the comment!

[@guitar_md]

Let me reply again to say thank you so much for your comment. Really appreciate it. I also appreciate that you understand what I was getting at in this video! I think with my demonstration of how a lack of clearance holes can affect neck angle, some people got confused. And again, valuable trick with letting the string tension pull the neck tighter into the pocket. Very interesting that you do it two times the first year. And I appreciate you mentioning the detail of tightening the screws closest to the body first. I've only done this occasionally but after considering what you said I think I'll make this routine practice for setups on bolt-on necks, in addition to clearing the holes. Thanks again!

[@lone-wolf-1]

@@guitar_md Glad to hear that!👍🏼 I appreciate your kind words. I do the countersinking of the holes too, sometimes with coarse grit paper rolled to a cone or with a bigger drill bit by hand. Otherwise the pulled/pushed fibers by the screws get stuck in between the neck and body and do not allow a 100% contact. The clearance on the body holes helps also for adjustment of neck allignement. I like to have some more space for the high e, the low E can be near the edge. I do the neck pull in pocket by string tension trick some 6-8 months later again to allow to set even thighter, because wood is maybe shrinking a bit on new guitars. Then you can also see the contact spots in the pocket, because they are slightly shiny. I file those few spots a tiny amount flatter , to have a more uniform surface of contact of the heel in the back of the pocket. After the second or third time I let it set like this, hopefully forever. Sorry, but just noticed I wrote a mistake above (and already edit my post) : For *loosening* a quarter turn I start with the screws towards the body, then those towards the neck. For *tightenig*, reversed order: first neck then body. It‘s to pull first the neck parallel on to the body, so the heel sits at his proper 90* angle in the back . Then the final fixation by the screws near body. This is the reason for a particullar order. Maybe not a great one, but my logic says me to do so. I like to fiddle around on my guitars, even small little things will add up later. Cheers

[@guitar_md]

@@lone-wolf-1 Awesome points. Absolutely true about making neck alignment easier as well. The screws threading into the body can make adjusting that just about impossible. All those small things add up to make a huge difference in the end. It's truly a lot of fun optimizing these things!

[@keithbond9423]

I'm in the middle of my first guitar build from scratch. Thank you for this great video. I would have never known. No one else that I have seen teaches it. But makes perfect sense.

[@Outdoorshuntingshooting]

I New about bridging from many poor wood to wood contacts when building structures, never thought to apply it to guitars. It's absolutely correct to do this.

[@guitar_md]

Bridging! I can't believe I forgot that term. And yep -- I might make an updated version of this video and explain my history with it. I was 15 and just started working on guitars. My friend's dad does guitar work and I brought it over to him -- my dad's old Vox Spitfire. I had taken the neck off but when I went to put it back on, it wouldn't sit right. I couldn't get it to seat properly and the strings were flat against the frets. He immediately told me about clearing the neck pocket holes. Every vintage Fender I've seen had cleared neck pocket holes as well. Bridging, as you mentioned it, is especially damaging in an instrument where even a few thousandths' can cause issues, and it often throws things off by much more than that. Thanks for the comment and support!

[@The3Dsmash]

After watching this, it all makes sense. Not having good clearance holes in other wood projects I've done has caused the problems you described. Now I get it. I'll be using this exact method for my bolt on guitar neck project. Thanks so much for sharing this small but tremendously valuable tip!

[@guitar_md]

Absolutely! It was so eye opening to me 20 years ago when my friend and mentor Steve K. showed me this. It was one of the first guitar tech 'trade secrets' I learned. I remember I brought my Vox Spitfire to him (my dad's guitar), and the strings were flat against the frets. I'd taken the neck off, and put it back on, but didn't understand clearance holes. I socked down the screws as tightly as I could, and figured it should go back to where it was....but I was dead wrong. He cleared the holes, put the neck back on, and the action was perfect. That was a huge lesson. It's also worth nothing that *all* vintage Fenders I've seen *all* had clearance holes in the neck pocket. Every single one. You use this method and you'll be very far ahead of most people doing guitar work. It isn't a well known thing, gets overlooked all the time. But it's absolutely critical. So glad this helped you, and thanks for letting me know!

[@jeffrowlette]

I have ALWAYS done this. I'm a machinist, I understand how things work 👍 Drill them out!!!!!!!!

[@guzelzamanlar6915]

Its give me a idea to rescue my old guitar. Thank you for sharing.🤔😊

[@donclemento4452]

I've been doing this for over 30 years. This along with waxing the screws and "Tapping" the neck before installation allows for perfect alignment

[@broforcefreedom4936]

These keep getting better and better !

[@guitar_md]

Thank you!

[@gachagece2431]

Thanks so much - I was just gonna bring in to the local shop, but you saved me!

[@FoulOwl2112]

I named my shorty screwdrivers Ike and Teenie Turner.

[@Fostext]

I collectively call mine Stubbs. But since one is red and one is green, they’re individually called Mario and Luigi

[@XHuntinatorX]

That is actually a killer tip! I never really thought about how a screw should hold two pieces of wood together but now I understand. Thanx!

[@MrZootalores]

good video & good ideas from posters too! I've put a neck on a 75 CBS strat back in the 70's with nothing more than suggestions from Guitar player magazine: "clamp the neck to the body. put the high & lower E on for alignment reference". get a drill,some bits,a 12 pack,twist a few up,use your wits.yes, you may have to use rifler files to detail the fit of the body pocket

[@KibatsuMusic]

Incredible video dude. Presented like a engineer and it made so much sense. Thanks!

[@pegamen5891]

I've been using a matchbook cover since 1965, on any bolt-on neck with great results.No problems or loss of tone! Good video bud.👍🎸

[@djsangre]

The unscrew trick worked for me: my Telecaster sustain increased by more than one second and the guitar sounds fuller now.

[@ProfessorJones7]

Useful information, nicely explained. I was surprised you didn't speak about neck alignment, wich you also have to check before tightening the screws.

[@guitar_md]

I do plan on doing a redo of this video. Clearing the neck pocket holes is essential for properly aligning a neck, as if they're threading into the body, you can't shift the neck in the pocket. It's also a very common misconception that the screws should thread into the body in order for them to hold the neck in place. The proper way to keep a neck in alignment permanently is to shim the sides of the neck pocket as necessary. Clearing the holes is mandatory for a proper joint, and all bolt-on neck guitars should have cleared neck pocket holes, period -- this will also allow for alignment of the neck, and once that's achieved, appropriately thicknessed shims should be placed as needed in order to keep the neck in that proper alignment. I prefer wood veneer and simple magic tape for holding the shim in place. Usually it just needs to be shimmed on one side of the pocket wall once alignment has been achieved. Ideally I'd like to do an extended video going over bolt-on neck guitars. Really, to cover everything would require a feature length video that would cover clearing the holes, shimming the neck in multiple ways, alignment, and the occasional necessity for routing the neck pocket either deeper, flatter, or both. The one constant is the neck pocket holes being cleared. There is definitely a lot of confusion surrounding it and a lot of people don't understand that clearance holes are the *only correct way* to make a proper bolt-on neck joint. Everything else can be corrected with shims and, again, if necessary, routing the neck pocket. I'm actually redoing my bolt-on neck installation video at the moment, and I'm including a section on clearing the neck pocket holes, and also using routing templates to re-rout the neck pocket if necessary. I frequently have to decide how much information to cover in a single video. Brainstorming more as I write this out!

[@miaouew]

This is for real. Learned this when I was building parts superstrats as a kid.

[@scottherzog9359]

Excellent, Thank thou so much... Quality instruction.

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much for commenting and letting me know. Made my day!

[@ozoneswiftak]

Great step to look at when doing a set up.

[@guitar_md]

One of the ones that makes the biggest difference for me. Thanks so much!

[@Georgedepinedo]

Great advice, compadre !!!. Thanks a lot !!

[@guitar_md]

Absolutely. Thanks for the support!

[@ericthompson3383]

Thank you I have always had trouble switching parts between guitars and this helped a ton with an old strat that was in the corner!

[@guitar_md]

You're welcome! The first time I ever learned about this was from my friend and mentor...it was a Vox Spitfire that I had taken the neck off of, and when I went to put it back on -- not good! Strings flat against the fretboard. The reason was the holes weren't cleared. He showed me that trick, then the neck went back on perfectly, and it even sounded better than it did before. That was about 18 years ago. Always shocked I never hear anyone else mention this, so I'm so happy someone like you has found it here on KZbin and are applying it to your builds. So happy to hear this!

[@ericthompson3383]

@@guitar_md It helped a ton. I have been playing and fixing my guitar for 30+ years and I have never heard about this. Once you see how it pulls the neck and body together its a nobrainer!

[@guitar_md]

@@ericthompson3383 So glad to hear about this! It really does make a huge difference. I took it for granted because the local guitar tech legend (and one of my best friends) taught this to me a very long time ago. I had no idea it wasn't standard practice until later. Even today we talk about it all the time. Some guitars come with the holes cleared but most don't. And when you go to put the neck back on and the action is all screwed up, it can be a real head scratcher! Another commenter made a good point about countersinking the neck heel holes as well. I've started doing this too. And a drop of CA glue to harden the countersink. This keeps the holes from flaring out from the screw tension. It's also great for general setups. It's a critical difference that has made my setups stand out from everyone else's. Though it should be standard practice. As you said, standard in woodworking. Again -- so glad to hear you've appreciated this info as much as I have!

[@jagerking7020]

Many manufacturers drill the neck and body at the same time with the same size bit and then run the screws in as a shortcut/cost cutting measure. I have encountered this sort of thing on Chenders to MIJ and MIA Fenders. It's not a big deal to enlarge the holes and right away you can hear how tight the neck gets with some nice creaking.

[@guitar_md]

Agreed. Not a big deal -- and makes a huge improvement. I always tell people too that every vintage Fender I've seen had clearance holes in the neck pocket. Another benefit is allowing proper alignment of the neck. When the screws are threaded into the body, you can't shift the neck sideways in the pocket. Which is often required to get optimal alignment. I maintain that position with a shim on the side of the neck pocket.. One of the easiest and most overlooked improvements for a bolt on neck guitar, for sure.

[@TriodesPs111]

ive bin using this trick for years and it works great. i would also add a word of cation, on some instruments, the strings can be pulling the neck to one side or another and the neck bolts threads gripping tightly in both the neck heel, and the body neck pocket could be whats keeping the neck straight despite the sideways pull. i had a fender bass that had a neck that pulled to the treble side a little and when i widened the holes in the body to get a tighter fit, the neck would slowly move over time in the treble direction even more due to the neck pocket having finish in it making it a slippery joint since the neck also has slippery finish. it turned out to be a difficult issue to fix. having the threads bite into both body and neck does seem to help with instruments that have a sideways leaning neck

[@guitar_md]

@TriodesPs111 The way I correct this issue is shimming the side of the neck. I use wood veneer most frequently but other materials will also work fine. Also, sometimes the neck is out of alignment, and it can only be brought into alignment by clearing the holes. The holes being too tight can restrict the movement of the neck and keep it stuck in the wrong position. I always use clearance holes, and if the neck shifts, I'll add shims on the side of the pocket to keep it in place. Often you can loosen the neck screws slightly, shift the neck into the proper position, and measure the gap with feeler gauges to estimate how thick the shim has to be. The ideal is a perfect neck pocket. But when it's not perfect, shims can correct it. Alignment is a huge part of a setup and I'd love to cover this in an updated video as it has a direct tie to clearing the neck pocket holes. Thanks for the comment and support!

[@TriodesPs111]

@@guitar_md yeah you make a good point on miss aligned mounting holes in the body. and shimming the side of the pocket is what i should of tried as that would of saved me the headache of other ideas i tried that failed to fix the problem lol. and i do agree that having the threads only bite in the neck heel and not the body is best for good sustain and setup. i also use the trick of loosening, and then tightening the neck bolts just a little while there's string tension to pull the neck heel tightly against the body pocket heel. when i got a guitar with low sustain, heel, to pocket heel tightness is my first suspect. cheers man!

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

I’m going to do this tomorrow. I have a new Charvel So Cal and I can see a gap between the neck and the pocket even though the screws are secure. I’m betting there is also a lot of paint and junk in the pocket so I should get that smooth too.

[@caseykittel]

This is so true. Thanks for sharing!

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

Great video! The only extra advice I would give is to countersink the lacquer from the back of the neck, otherwise chipping is pretty much unavoidable. Some necks have way to much lacquer around these holes. Generally speaking for fender style necks a 4.5mm drill bit is what you want, but always double-check with calipers.

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much! And great tip. That's definitely an important technique and I wish I included it in the video. So many times the wood is pulled up around the neck heel because of a lack of countersinking. For best wood to wood contact and maintenance -- definitely countersink the neck heel holes. Good catch. Thanks so much!

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

@@guitar_md ask me how I know. It wasn't a fun discovery I can tell you that much 😂 I pretty much countersink every single hole in a guitar. Removing the extra lacquer around the holes can only help imo. Then I use an acrylic pen with a color as similar to the paint is I can and paint the exposed wood. Last but not least I use thin CA glue to strengthen the threads and to seal the exposed countersunk wood.

[@guitar_md]

@@alexisdrosopoulos Excellent point on the thin CA to strengthen the countersunk holes. I actually haven't done that before, but am very familiar with thin CA and use it all the time -- will be doing this from now on. Makes perfect sense. Chip out is a very painful experience and even if you're seasoned with touchups and can get it looking perfect, that's still a massive amount of time down the drain. All that could be saved by a little preparation. Thanks for the contribution! Great information that people should be aware of!

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

@@guitar_md The thin ca not only strengthens the threads making stripping them practically impossible , but prevents the humidity from entering the wood, and thus creating the infamous hump that many bolt on necks get at the end of the fingerboard. The trick here is to get it on all threads, but use no more than you have to. Using large ammounts can make the screw difficult and even impossible to get back on the hole. It's definately something I'd advice anyone to do on their guitars, but with extreme caution! Practising on scrap wood can help.

[@guitar_md]

@@alexisdrosopoulos The CA glue is very good for tightening threads indeed, and the moisture protection is a huge bonus -- seen that hump many times, the worst one I ever did, had to take twenty thousandths out of the frets. Fortunately they started off at sixty thousandths high, but from 14 to the end of the board it was awful. Finally was able to get the string bends on the high E and B strings working but it took a lot of effort. Could all have been avoided with a little prep. Great advice and I hope people read through this comment thread!

[@eternallearner8185]

Have converted two Jazzmasters to metal machine inserts, easy to do and neck can be removed and replaced hundred of times with no ill effect or deterioration.

[@ot4kon]

That explain the mistery, the problem described happened to me. I was puzzled as to why the action changed dramatically

[@guitar_md]

I'm glad it helped! It was one of the first things I learned with guitar work. Had taken the neck off my dad's Vox Spitfire and brought it to my soon to be friend and mentor Steve K., and he showed me how this worked. Strings had been flat against the frets because the screws couldn't pull it all the way into the pocket. What a difference! And thanks for letting me know. Always good to hear someone benefiting from any of my videos! I hope to save people a lot of time and frustration, learning from my mistakes and experience.

[@mursel9014]

Awesome thank you for your advice appreciate 🙌✅💯💯✅🙌

[@koonelos]

An alternative to drilling out the holes is to use the kind of screw that has threads only on half its length. The principle is the same, however, great tip!

[@j2b696]

awesome video, gets the points across with no unecessary bullsh!t… i subscribed

[@ggurkan_tv]

Oh man! This is great!!

[@guitar_md]

Thank you!

[@introvertarist2424]

Nice video! Great explanation. So simple but such important thing!

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much, and I agree! So important and makes a huge difference. I do it to all bolt-on neck guitars if they need it!

[@introvertarist2424]

@@guitar_md You see i got this problematic Strat. It's American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster. The neck seems to seat well in the pocket however, when I move the neck with almost zero force up and down, in the playing position, the pitch of the string go up or down by 3Cents. Because of it I can't intonate my low E string as I get flat notes across the neck and very unstable intonation in general. Anything that amateur guitar tech could do has been done with no effect (neck relief, pickup height, appropriate braking points on the saddles and the nut, new set of strings etc.). To make the case funnier it's the second guitar as first one had identical issue and Andertons let me change the guitar for another one. Do you think that this thing might solve my problem? Is it possible for two high end guitars to have such an issue that's exactly the same. Or maybe I'm going nuts? 😂. I've also seen some videos about neck alignment but it looks like in this case making bolts half turn looser and trying to adjust the neck does not help eighter. Did you ever had similar issue? I'm really heartbroken with the guitar 😁

[@guitar_md]

@@introvertarist2424 It's possible the neck is moving side to side, and could benefit from a small shim on the *side* of the neck pocket to stabilize it. How well are the screws grabbing the neck? Make sure that when you tighten the neck screws, you're able to tighten them fully and that none of them are spinning in place. It's possible that the threads on the neck heel are worn out. Sometimes touching those up with a drop of CA glue can stiffen them up enough to give the screws a better grab. In other cases, it might be necessary to plug the neck heel holes and re-drill them. These days I've been using stainless steel hardwood inserts and machine screws for mounting bolt-on necks. I do have a video up on my channel about my process for that. The only thing to watch out for is you can easily over tighten them and crack the finish. But if you're careful, you'll just get a completely rock solid fit that will *not* move at all, guaranteed. Personally, stainless steel inserts are my first choice. But plugging and redrilling the neck heel holes will also work. Or touching up the threads with CA glue. Another possibility is finish buildup or something else in the neck pocket that shouldn't be there. It's important to make sure that the neck pocket is completely flat and doesn't have anything in there that could disrupt how the neck is seating. If the pocket is flat, the screws are grabbing the heel tightly, and there isn't enough of a gap on the sides of the neck pocket for the neck to move during playing, it should be rock solid. Guaranteed your problem is one of those things. Small shim on the side if necessary to keep the neck from moving side to side, installing inserts or plugging/redrilling *or* saturating the neck heel holes with a drop of CA glue to tighten them up, and making sure the pocket is flat. And of course I don't have to mention this video! Definitely make sure 100% that the neck pocket holes are cleared. You should be able to push one of the neck screws through all the neck holes in the body without threading them in at all. They should push right through. If the neck is moving while you're playing with little effort, the only other possibility is the neck itself. I've seen it on some basses where I had to be very delicate with how I played, as they seemed to flex very easily. You could get horrible fret buzz just by playing a little too hard as it could pull the neck into a back bow. Occasionally there are necks like that but in my experience it's extremely rare, and I've only ever seen it on basses with wide and thin necks.

[@comiendotrastes3444]

I have a question. When you drill those wider holes, the vibrations from the mast doesn't spread through the whole lenght of the screw to the body, because they're not touching each other, but just to the metal plate that is outside. Also you're losing some wood material, as you widened the hole. So the vibrations from the mast will be transmitted just from the two flat surfaces, the one from the inside (wood to wood) and the other from the outside (metal to wood), but not from the inside of the body itself anymore. The way I see it, there must be necessarilly a change in the resonance of that part of the body. As it is an electric instrument, it won't probably translate into a poorer sound, but maybe the feel of the instrument will change and perhaps someone who owns a guitar for a long, long time could also tell some difference in the sound. How do you relate to that in your experience?

[@guitar_md]

Every single vintage Fender guitar I've seen has clearance holes in the neck pocket, meaning the screws aren't threaded into the body. I think that says a lot. But from a purely mechanical standpoint: you're not pulling the neck tight into the pocket if you *don't* have clearance holes. A lot of vibration transfer is lost as a result. It's the wood-to-wood contact that matters most. I'll also add that many neck heels are not flat. They're supposed to be flat, but they rarely are. So right off the bat most guitars are already not ideal and have far more gaps than most people think they do. Clearance holes are the only proper way to mount a neck, period. It's the only way you'll get a bolt on neck mounted the way it should be, or as close to the way it should be as possible, given issues like uneven neck heels on many guitars. Greater wood to wood contact as a result of the neck being pulled as tightly into the pocket as possible -- as a result of clearing the holes -- is going to have a far greater favorable impact than having the screws threaded into the body and the neck heel *not* pulled tightly into the pocket. Also, without clearance holes, you can't align the strings. The neck can't shift in the pocket. Maximize wood to wood contact. I think a lot gets lost in theory. One person thinks that stainless inserts for example ruin sustain because of the air gaps between the machine screws and insert threads, but many builders and myself will tell you they've heard noticeable improvements after adding inserts. And at the very least, no negatives or anything lost at all. This would need to be scientifically tested to verify. But I will say regardless of the results, there are many other reasons to clear the neck pocket holes. You don't want the neck unevenly seated in the pocket, which can cause playability issues. Particularly if it's rolled to one side or the other on its X axis / horizontal axis. I'm very adamant for many reasons that clearance holes are the only proper way to mount a neck. And overall I think what's gained by maximizing wood to wood contact vastly outweighs anything that might be lost with the screws not being in full contact with the body. It's the neck heel being in full, firm contact with the neck pocket that maximizes mechanical impedance / vibration transfer. This is also why in a perfect world both the neck heel and neck pocket would be perfectly flat. The neck pocket is much easier to get flat than a neck heel. Potvin guitars makes a neck pocket routing jig and I've made my own router base to mount on top of the body. Neck heels don't have any flat surface to reference. Still trying to come up with a way to get those perfect. If they're not right there's also no way of making sure if it's flat in a jig. Anyway, a whole nother topic there. Hopefully that answers your question, or at least, gives you my opinion on the matter. To me, the answer of vibration is a moot point since clearance holes are essential for the function of the guitar first and foremost. That means the neck being as flat in the pocket as possible. If it's not, it can cause very bizarre playability issues. The wood to wood contact is a real benefit for vibration transfer but even not considering that there are solid reasons to clear the holes anyway. Probably the single most overlooked aspect of setting up bolt on neck guitars.

[@okyhydres]

I find that cardboard from a box of Fruity Pebbles offers the best tonal qualities when having to make this adjustment.

[@guitar_md]

Joking or not, carboard box material works great! I'd like to do another video addressing neck angle and neck alignment which would be great to demonstrate that, which would be a good companion for clearing the neck pocket holes. Also, now I want cereal

[@zakali1656]

Thank you guitar md

[@guitar_md]

You're welcome! Thank you for your support!

I normally use blue painters tape in layers. Gives a good tone.

[@guitar_md]

Painter's tape will do it. I've been considering making a video about neck angle and neck alignment as a companion to this video. I did forget to mention cleaning up any paint and other BS that's in the neck pocket -- maybe for another video!

[@the_algorithm]

Excellent advice. Thank you.

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much. And you're most welcome!

[@aaroncurry279]

I know this vid is a couple of years old now, but I found it quite helpful in that there is zero information out there on this subject. There are many forums with folks having difficulty putting necks back on like they were prior removal. I am by no means even an intermediate player, but foresaw having issues especially when purchasing a new take-off fender neck to replace mine. If there’s even a quarter thread difference between my body and a different neck, that gap will never be closed no matter how much tightened and there are four screws to consider too, all with different thread patterns. Nobody could understand my concern or questions, but this video and your kind comments makes it easy to understand. Thanks for the vid, May God bless you and to the trolls out there….this guy has a wealth of knowledge in this video alone. You should kindly thank and appreciate him for sharing.

[@guitar_md]

Thank you so much! Funny thing: I'd love to do an updated version of this video eventually, and mention that on *every* vintage Fender guitar I've seen, they *all* had clearance holes. I'd also love to tell the story of how I learned to do this. For now, I will tell it to you, and you alone. I'm excited to share this stuff so thanks so much for the comment and the opportunity to tell some stories: I just did a bridge pickup rewind on an original 1955 Strat, and sure enough, the screws *completely* cleared the holes in the neck pocket. My friend and mentor Steve K. who first showed me this clearance hole technique back in 2005, has been doing guitar work full time since 1968, when he first started working for Dan Armstrong in Manhattan. So I was 15 years old at the time, had been playing guitar for a year, and wanted to learn how to work on them. I brought over my dad's Vox Spitfire, which I had been learning on, and I was scared I'd ruined it as I'd taken the neck off, and when I tried to put it back on, it wouldn't go all the way. Strings flat against the frets. No matter how tight I screwed down, it wouldn't go anymore. I didn't even understand *why* the strings were flat against the frets, but now I know. Another thing I'd like to mention in a future updated video is how clearance holes are essential for aligning the neck. The outside string spacing from the fret bevels. If the screws are threading in, you can't shift the neck. The correct way to "lock" the neck in position is to shim the sides of the pocket, if necessary once proper alignment has been achieved. I like either wood veneer or mylar film and use Scotch magic tape to hold them in place. Simple. You can use feeler gauges slipped into the gap to find out how thick of a shim you'll need on either side. I should have gotten some footage of that 1955 Strat. I might see if I can bring my camera over to Steve's so we can do that while it's still there. Either way, I find it very interesting that every single old Fender I've seen had clearance holes. For some reason, people have come to think that the screws threading into the neck pocket is necessary for wood-to-wood contact, or so the neck won't shift in the pocket -- this could not be further from the truth. Anyway, I'm very appreciative that you found my video and left this comment. That's awesome. I'm glad I was able to share some stories too. That Vox Spitfire was where it all began, with Steve clearing those neck pocket holes and then putting the neck back on, and it was perfect. I was blown away. 15 years old. Now almost 20 years later I'm doing my best to share everything I know - and continue to learn - as my way of "giving back." Steve never charged me anything. Just went over nearly every day and watched him work and eventually he got me working on progressively harder and harder jobs. Has been like a second father to me and is one of my best friends.

[@aaroncurry279]

@@guitar_md That’s an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. It’s awesome to learn from an experienced expert. Just last week, I returned a player series SSS fat 50’s Strat to an online retailer. I’m pretty detail oriented and once I verify everything works on a guitar, I polish the frets, fret ends, condition the board depending on the wood, hand glaze and wax the body and then remove the plastic film on the pick guard (I even swapped this one for another) back cover and then remove the film and 3 annoying stickers from the neck plate, which uses my foolproof, scratch proof method. While doing this, I noticed a body crack straight through the grain right where the screw was in the body. There should not have been a crack there as there should have been clearance for the threads. I wonder if the Fender Ventera Strats and Teles have the clearance, as the truss rod adjustment is at the opposite end of the headstock and the neck must be loosened to adjust. Keep up the fine vids and thanks again.

[@guitar_md]

@@aaroncurry279 My question is how are they installing them? Like an impact driver or something? Some neck pocket holes I've seen have been so tight, I had to open them up by practically .020" to get the screws to clear the holes. Impact driver is my guess..just seems nuts to me. Clearing the holes makes installing necks *so* much easier as well. You just push the screws in by hand, and as soon as you start turning them, they thread into the heel of the neck. One screw in and then you can get the other 3 screws in no problem, without having to hold the neck firmly in the pocket with your hand. You're inspiring me to make an updated version of this video. I'll have to think about it. I'm glad I made this one already but I feel like there are some points I could mention that I didn't in this video. It really is critical, and people misunderstand -- clearance holes aren't optional, but mandatory for a proper joint. Thanks again so much for the comment and the feedback. I love hearing detailed stories from people like you've shared here, and I wish people would do it more often!

[@aaroncurry279]

@@guitar_md Hey, I have a Strat body with the neck removed awaiting a new neck tomorrow. Once apart, I could not get a screw to hand thread any into the neck, but I could thread a screw part way into the body. My guess it’s maple vs alder wood hardnesses. I will drill clearance holes today in the body and feel confident to do this after watching this video. The factory must simply clamp the neck into the pocket, drill the pilot holes sized for the neck through the neck plate to clear into the neck and screw all the parts together while still clamped. Seems like a big shortcut to me. The Strat I returned was a big disappointment as I had spent a lot of time intricately detailing it and changing the machine heads to locking ones, but easy enough on a Fender, pick guard and setting up pickup heights and back cover only to discover a hairline crack through the heel of the body where a screw goes into the neck. This should not have happened if there was a proper clearance hole in the body. This is what started me on my quest for the information in this video. I have worked decades with machines and can’t recall ever bolting one piece to another and both parts having threads. There will always be an unclosable gap or the parts would never properly fit snugly together with proper torque if this were the case. That applies to guitar necks and bodies too apparently. You earned a sub the other day and I enjoyed binge watching several of your videos. I like how you acknowledge Steve, a great mentor, in them. You have apparently picked up his willingness to help others and that my friend is a genuine rare attribute. One thing to point out is to avoid cross threading or stripping out screw holes when changing parts on guitars, I think it is quite important to reverse thread a screw until a click is felt or heard. I also swear by cling wrap to protect parts from mishaps like the body or pickups while working on stuff. I really enjoy the confidence you demonstrate and show in your videos, such as using a dremmel to clean or reroute a neck pocket and also considering body contour imperfections or neck heel variations etc. Keep up the excellent work. God bless, Ac

[@The3Dsmash]

@@guitar_md The video is great, but I'm blown away by your long and thorough comments down below. What a wealth of info, stories and experience. Thanks again for sharing!

[@FoulOwl2112]

Cool vid bro. Now that l found your channel im finding some good info. I had this issue with a Thinline (or more accurately a Chinline Tele) l was converting over to a humbucker sized/modern style 6 sadfle bridge. I went the route of plugging all the holes and installing threaded inserts in the neck. But I'm betting this method might have solved my issue and saved me half a day's labor to boot.

[@guitar_md]

It may have, but I've heard threaded inserts and machine screws can actually improve sustain and may be better overall. Let me know how it worked out. I may have to try that sometime soon! Good thing is those screws and inserts will never wear out no matter how many times you take the neck off. Very cool!

[@FoulOwl2112]

@@guitar_md yeah l can tell you they have been very helpfull in that respect. I've done it to a couple of my guitars which l consider as my go to testbed guitars. The ones which l tend to switch out and test different electronics and bridge options on frequently. The only issue I've had and subsequent recommendation reguarding them is go with the STEEL INSERTS. The first one l did l had the choice of steel or BRASS inserts. For whatever reason (dont really remember my line of reasoning at the time) l went with brass. It ended up inevitably with boogered threads and crossthreading and had to be replaced. Other than that the steel ones have worked great with dozens of on and offs. And all ways dead on the nuggets back into original position.

[@Michael_Dominic]

"guitar MD" is pretty clever ngl

[@guitar_md]

My mom actually came up with it 😂 Don't tell anyone though 😱

[@robertcoggin3366]

Great trick. Thx

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much for commenting. And sure thing!

[@whitneyro1260]

I do exactly. But without the electric drill, I just use the screwdriver. I feel more control with the screwdriver not to slip off and scratch the body

[@guitar_md]

To each their own! Many people avoid 4v cordless screwdrivers, but with clearing the holes in the neck pocket you will find the risk of slipping off the screw head very, very low, almost impossible. I forgot to mention that one major benefit of clearing the holes in the neck pocket is reducing the torque you need to tighten the screws. On bodies where the neck screws are threading into the neck pocket -- which is most guitars -- there is a high risk of slipping with a screwdriver because of the excessive force needed to tighten it. When the screws are *ONLY* threading into the neck heel, as they should, the screws will feel much easier to tighten. Thank you so much for the comment! Appreciate you!

[@CreamyBone]

I took it a step further and installed threaded inserts in the neck and machine screws 😉

[@guitar_md]

Definitely a great option. I made a video about my method for that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmGQpHioqd2tmq8 I find the wood inserts work perfectly fine. I get the tapping threads and using the metal inserts but I've used this method several times with great results, super fast and super easy. It's also my go-to method these days for repairing stripped holes in the neck heel. You gotta drill oversize and dowel it anyway, so to me it just makes more sense to skip the doweling altogether, drill oversize and just install the inserts. Will never have to worry about it again. My only gripe is I feel like they should be available more cheaply somewhere else, but I can't find a source. Might have to ask around.

[@habibiyala4389]

what gauge of screws/drill bit are being used? does it vary between guitars?

[@guitar_md]

It does vary between guitars. Be careful! The proper way is to measure your neck screws with dial calipers. The "major diameter," or the outside threads of the screw. In this case, the screws were about 4.16mm, or .164", so I used a drill bit that was 4.26mm or .168" in diameter. You can go slightly larger too. The goal is for the screw to pass easily through the holes in the body *without threading*, and to thread *only into the heel of the neck*. Use dial calipers, measure the neck screw diameter, and start out going 0.1mm or 0.2mm oversized -- that is .004" or .010" -- with your drill bit. Hope this helps!

[@saturnskull1242]

@@guitar_md Hello! Very informative video! I have a couple of questions: 1. I want to replace a wooden neck with an aluminum one. The neck fits the pocket but i have the following problem. Neck pocket holes are very narrow, i have to strive to get the screws through and then the screw pushes the neck away rather than being inserted into the neck hole. Do you think this clearence could solve this problem? 2. Neck screws are 5mm in diameter but drills i can find are 5mm and then 5.5mm. 5.5mm is too much, right? Thnx in advance!!

[@guitar_md]

@@saturnskull1242 Clearance holes will absolutely help in your case -- and are absolutely necessary. The neck pocket holes being too tight, and resulting in pushing the neck out instead of pulling it in, is exactly what happens when the neck pocket holes aren't cleared. You can get an Imperial (SAE) drill bit instead of jumping to 5.5mm. It's important to search for both Metric and SAE when looking for tool sizes. They fill in the gaps that each other misses -- to get the right size you need to know both the metric and imperial size and make your choice based on the closest decimal size you can find, which may be metric, or may be SAE. I have a collection of SAE and metric bits, as well as Lettered or Numbered bits. Lettered bits are simply labeled as "J, L, M," etc., numbered bits "#5," etc. and correspond to specific decimal sizes. 5.5mm is .216". 5mm is .196". If your neck screws are 5mm / .196", you can try a .201" to .205" drill bit. This would also be known as a #7, #6, or #5 drill bit. #7 would be .201" and would give you about .005" of clearance. That would probably be my first choice, though a little extra clearance won't hurt either. #6 is a little wider, about .204". And #5 is around .205". Any of those should work. More clearance isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can make it a little more challenging to locate the neck screws properly. Check out SAE drill bits as I mentioned. Either you can get a direct decimal size, or a number size that corresponds to the decimal size, like a #7, #6, or #5 bit. Again, I'd say .201" - .205" (Imperial / SAE) would be your best bet. .201" would be the choice for the least clearance necessary and you should be 100% good to go with that. That would be the #7 bit. Just double check and make sure it says .201 inches. Let me know if you can locate these. They'll fix the problem for you and your neck will mount perfectly.

[@saturnskull1242]

@@guitar_md wow! Thank you very much for such a detailed answer! Very kind of you! I will look for sae but since I live in the EU I am not sure I can find those..Do you happen to know any online stores? If I can't find those, would it be safe to use a 5.5 mm afterall? Thnx again! 😊

[@guitar_md]

@@saturnskull1242 Yes. If you can't find any of those, a 5.5mm should be safe. It is a bit large, however, so first I would suggest a 5mm bit. There's a trick with that: You can put the screws in the neck pocket holes after drilling them out with the same size bit (5mm drill bit for 5mm width neck screws), then tap the screws with a hammer so they force their way through the neck pocket holes without threading into them. Do this a few times, and the threads will carve out the wood as they're tapped through. Sometimes a few passes like that will open up the hole just perfectly, so the screws slip through without threading in. However, be careful, and if it's too tight and you hammer the screws through, it could chip the finish. The safest option would be to start with a 5mm bit, then use a slightly larger bit -- 5.1mm, 5.2mm, 5.5mm, whichever of those you can find -- to complete the hole. 5.5mm should be OK, but it is quite oversized. The only real issue with this is cross-threading the screws, which will only happen if you're not careful as you're threading them in, and continue to screw them in despite *massive* resistance -- -- and you do lose a little surface area when the holes are oversized. This is pretty negligible, however, and probably not worth worrying about. Anyway, I'd try the 5mm bit and screw - tapping trick first. Then move to a larger bit *only* if that doesn't work. This will also prevent tearout. Sometimes you run the risk of damaging the neck pocket holes if you try to bore out too much material at once. I usually step up in drill bit sizes several times before getting to the final size. That also gives you a chance to test between each size. Another benefit to clearing the holes is you'll be able to hold the neck in place in the neck pocket, *and* push the screws right through just with hand pressure. You should be able to push them all the way through, then screw in one screw most of the way -- that'll hold the neck in place and make installing the rest of the neck screws much easier. I mostly use eBay, but also Amazon sometimes. Any local hardware stores or online hardware stores in your area -- or that will ship to your area -- are also worth browsing through.

[@danielmiller2886]

Is it possible that this extra clearance could lead to movement of the neck for a pocket that isnt sufficiently snug?

[@guitar_md]

Nope. If the screws are threading into the neck pocket, it's not a proper joint. If the neck is moving due to not being snug enough, the sides of the neck pocket will have to be shimmed, but there are no advantages to not having the neck pocket holes cleared, only downsides. No matter the case, the neck pocket holes *have* to be cleared for a proper joint. Actually, the neck will be more stable and less likely to move with those holes cleared, as it allows the screws to pull the neck as tightly as possible into the pocket. Small shims are often necessary to fully stabilize a neck. It's unfortunate, but most bolt-on necks will benefit from having the holes cleared, the pocket routed flush in case it's uneven, and then shims added to the sides if necessary to prevent the neck from shifting. However, once all that is dialed in, you're good to go! The proper fix for a shifting neck is shims as necessary. It usually doesn't take too much to tighten things up, fortunately. Shim stock or wood veneer with a litlte double stick tape work very well. Or sometimes you can get away with simply slipping a shim into the gap when the neck is still mounted, though removal and then adding shims is usually best. Determining the right thickness can take some trial and error.

[@jpsilverplaylists]

Thanks!

[@guitar_md]

Absolutely. Thanks for commenting!

[@landervillaflor1039]

can i do this method together with installing thread inserts?

[@guitar_md]

Yep! The screws need to clear the holes in the body for machine screws too, as well as wood screws. So if machine screws that you're using for threaded inserts are threading into the neck pocket, you absolutely should clear the holes so the machine screws can pass right through them without threading in. You *only* want them threading into the inserts on the neck heel. They should not be threading into the body *at all,* whether using wood screws or machine screws. For threaded inserts, I use EZ LOK Stainless Steel 8-32 inserts for hardwoods, part number 400--008-CR. 8-32 machine screws are a bit smaller than 10-24, which is what most people use. I prefer 8-32 as you don't have to drill as much of the neck heel out, leaving more wood in-tact. I actually finished a video showing my method for installing inserts, but it'll be a while before I upload it. But again, to answer your question -- absolutely! Let me know how it works out for you if you try it!

[@ukguitaryogi2888]

nice thanks

[@brianeckert774]

excellent video, thanks!

[@FretNinja]

This got you a subscribe. Thanks

[@guitar_md]

Thank you so much, really appreciate you! Have a lot more on the way!

[@sam-ww1wk]

As a wood worker and mechanic this is 101. I get your average joe, but how can the manufactures not know this. Just opened up my tele and 3 of the 4 weren't bored correctly on the body. Weird. While you're in there, take a little flat edge scraper and make sure the pocket doesn't have any micro raised spots.

[@guitar_md]

Appreciate this. A lot of people don't understand that clearance holes are the only proper way to go. Also, as far as assembly goes, drilling clearance holes from the get-go would make manufacturing faster. Maybe they're using impact drivers or something to attach the neck screws at the factories. I really can't wrap my head around it. It is worth mentioning that every single vintage Fender guitar I've ever seen had clearance holes in the neck pocket. Also absolutely true about the neck pocket. I'll have to try a scraper. I usually go full bore and use my plunge router base for my Dremel with an Amana Tool 1/4" miniature guide bearing bit with an 1/8" shank. 47223-S I believe is the model number for the bit. I made an MDF base for it that I can use, but the Potvin Guitars neck pocket templates really are the best thing for the job. I've had some seriously effed up neck pockets, to the point where you couldn't even fit a neck into them because they were too narrow. I attach the Potvin template by using bamboo skewers or dowels. I use them as locating pins for the template, which I can lower down onto the body. The dowels go into the bridge holes, obviously after taking the bridge off. He makes neck pocket templates for all styles of guitars. Invaluable to have for someone like me. Even for a hobbyist, you never know when some junker body you get on eBay or Amazon for 50 bucks is going to have issues you can't fix without serious equipment. I recently did a build for someone where I had to use that Potvin template and it worked like a charm. Neck pocket was too narrow by about 1/8", so about 1/16" off on either side. It was a lot to rout. No idea how that happened. But worked perfectly. You can also use it for depth. The Stewmac Plunge Router base really is the best. I like being able to see my work as I go. Using a template and that router setup guarantees a totally flat and perfect neck pocket. Combine that with clearance holes and you've got a recipe for success. Only caveat is shims may be needed on the side of the neck pocket to ensure proper alignment. Many people, in error, rely on the screws threading into the body to hold the neck in place. This is wrong -- clearance holes are correct, and if the alignment is off, that's a manufacturing error, and shimming the side of the pocket is the only proper way to fix it. You can even slide a feeler gauge into the gap once you align the neck properly to get an idea of how thick a shim you need to make. I just tape them to the side of the pocket and call it a day though you could glue them in with hide glue or Titebond if you wanted to go that far. I like tape as I swap necks a lot and you never know what the specs will be.

[@evanpaulsmithfalconfogolin6147]

The next question, how do we re-drill misaligned holes in a body?

[@guitar_md]

I would make a template, and double-stick tape it in place. Basically, trace the heel of the neck onto a piece of 1/4" MDF, cut it out on a band saw, shape it so it fits perfectly into the neck pocket. Then there's a couple options. For proper hole spacing, you could trace a neck plate onto the template, to mark where the holes are. Or you could simply use another neck pocket of similar dimensions that doesn't have misaligned holes and copy that. The way to do that would be to hold the MDF template in place, and use a neck screw through the body holes, tapping it with a hammer, to make a set mark in the MDF. Same way you'd make set marks on a neck heel before installation. Either way, whatever way you do it, you'd need a template --- complete with holes -- that you could double-stick tape to the neck pocket. Plug the holes with dowels, flush cut them off (chisel, and/or Dremel + Plunge Router Base + Amana Tool 47223-S guide bearing bit), then double stick tape your MDF template in place, and use the template as a guide on the drill press to drill your new holes through the neck pocket. So, the short version: plug and flush cut the misaligned holes, then use a neck pocket template to drill new ones. That's my guess, anyway. I might have done one of these but it was so long ago I wouldn't remember. So I'm just going to assume I haven't done this job before. It's the same as jobs I *have* done many times though, like misaligned bridge studs. Plug and flush cut, then re-drill the new holes in the proper location. Templates are *always* helpful as long as it's feasible to use them for a particular job. Often you have to make those templates yourself.

[@flppr1]

My bolt is size 5/32". My closet drill bit size is 11/64". Is that close enough?

[@guitar_md]

That will definitely do it. You could even go a bit smaller than 11/64" on the bit, but it should be close enough. That's. 156" vs. .171" -- so about .015" oversize. That should be fine. I certainly would not go any bigger, and using the minimum size that will get the job done is always best. But that will work. Let me know how it goes

[@flppr1]

Strangely, even though the bolt measures 5/32, both my 5/32 and 11/64 bits fall easily thru the body holes. Next size up is 3/16, which enters the holes enough to stand unsupported. Edit: my bad, the size of the bolt is actually 11/64, not 5/32. So 3/16 hole should be okay?

[@flppr1]

I went with the 3/16 bit, but the bolt/screw wanted to thread even that size, so I gradually removed more and more wood with the 3/16 until the bolt fell through the hole with minimal resistance. Job done. Thanks again for this great tip. Hopefully it will improve the sustain on my frankenstrat.😂

[@guitar_md]

@@flppr1 It definitely helps. Mechanical Impedance -- as another commenter pointed out. It will increase vibration transfer, believe it or not -- even if it's a small difference. Also, that's great that you got it working. That's it. You went slow and then got right to where you needed to. Perfect!

[@GerManBearPig]

Or just use a couple of clamps to clamp the neck down around the screw area and then screw it down

[@toploadtele]

5 Stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@guitar_md]

Thank you so much!

[@nickmizell1141]

Well done!!

[@guitar_md]

Thank you!

[@chase_modugno]

Nice. Also, not essential, but I suppose if you'd want the most optimal straightness with the hole being drilled it would be ideal to use a drill press instead of a hand drill

[@guitar_md]

Thanks for the comment! The only thing I'd watch out for on the drill press is tearout. Not sure if I mentioned it in the video, but some neck pocket holes are so tight, you need to start a few sizes undersize and go through a series of two or three drill bits. Doing it by hand you can feel how tight it is, as the bit will self-guide, but doing it on the drill press you can't. If you used the full sized bit right away on a particularly tight pocket on the press, it's possible it could chip or tear out the finish on the back of the neck as it bores it's way through. As long as that's kept in mind, though, the drill press certainly would work. I have actually thought of making and using small drill guides for this job to keep the drill straight when using it by hand, but haven't tried that yet. Fortunately there's a lot of leeway here and the pre existing hole acts as a guide for the bit, but it's still important to be careful when doing it freehand.

[@chase_modugno]

@@guitar_md Ahh yeah that's a good point. This reminds me of the straight flute reamer bit. I don't know if you're familiar with them or not, but I think it might work perfectly when it comes to using the drill press to expand the holes without chipping them.

[@guitar_md]

@@chase_modugno The straight flute reamer bits are excellent, and I use those regularly when making pickups. I have a .187" diameter carbide one I use for drilling through Fender pickup flatwork (the top piece) to make sure it's wide enough to accommodate the magnets. Even though it just shaves off a little bit, if I don't use the reamer, the magnets flare the top flatwork piece out when I hammer it on and it looks terrible! So it's definitely a lifesaver. Never thought to use them on clearing the neck pocket holes. It's very possible that could work well on the drill press, or even by hand if you've got a steady grip. I'd say .199" is about right for how big of a reamer to use most of the time, maybe slightly smaller, but depends on the neck screws. Just looked it up and they do have them available online. Perhaps the same method could apply of using a smaller reamer first, and graduating to a bigger one, in the case of really tight pocket holes. Interesting stuff! Thanks again for the comment. Great ideas to think about. I haven't had any horrible issues just using drill bits, but sometimes they can catch or drag if I'm not careful. Never had any damage from that (knock on wood), but perhaps I'll try a straight reamer bit in the future. I do have that 3/16" one lying around so I could start with that just to see how it works. Very interesting stuff. Always trying to take things to the next level, and very happy you shared this comment. I don't think I ever would have thought of trying this otherwise, and a straight flute reamer bit might actually be the superior tool for this job. I'll have to try it! Let me know if you do first!

[@chase_modugno]

@@guitar_md Will do! Thanks for the video and all of the information!

[@chase_modugno]

Oh wait, here's a better idea. How about just using a bigger screw to expand the holes? Then take it out and replace it with the original screw. Should follow a straight path and minimize the risk of a blowout

[@Reallyhurtz]

Yes!

[@jeffrowlette]

I really have a hard time understanding why fender doesn't do this. It's engineering 101.

[@guitar_md]

They used to. All vintage Fenders I've seen had the neck pocket holes cleared. 100% agree. I'd like to see how they install the screws at the factory -- maybe an impact driver or something. There's no proper way without clearing the holes and it makes me wonder how they bypass that. Most likely power tools. Properly cleared, they thread into the neck heel by hand with very little effort!

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

No need to drill out the holes. You should clamp the neck to the body before installing screws. Drilling holes larger just allows the neck to move and shift much easier. Thats why its not done from the factory. But do whatever you want.

[@guitar_md]

Wrong. There's *absolutely* a need to drill out the holes, and I'll explain exactly why. This is not debatable and clearance holes are the only correct answer here. On every single vintage Fender guitar I've seen, including an original 1955 Stratocaster I was doing a pickup rewind on the other day, the holes in the neck pocket are cleared. They were done that way from the factory *every single time* back when there was genuine quality control, and true craftsmanship was put into each instrument. I have *never* seen an old Fender that *didn't* have clearance holes in the neck pocket. The factories did it that way back then because they were much more hands-on, actual craftsmen, and were aware that clearance holes were the right way to do the job. The reason the holes aren't cleared at the factory now is not because it's the correct way to do it. It's because it's faster and easier for the factory. Time is money, and it saves them a lot of time. That's the only reason they do it that way. The proper way to prevent the neck from shifting in the pocket is to shim the sides as necessary once proper alignment has been achieved. Not to rely on the screws threading into the body, which there are two major problems with: 1) Bridging. The screws threading into the body means the screws are not capable of pulling the neck heel into the neck pocket as tightly as possible. If you look up "woodworking bridging clearance holes" you will find multiple woodworking resources explaining what bridging is. For guitars, this means an adverse effect on the neck angle, as well as a lack of complete wood-to-wood contact. Both of those are bad. I've seen many guitars where someone had taken the neck off, put it back on, and the strings are stuck flat against the frets, due to the screws being unable to pull the neck heel into the pocket -- which is due to the screws threading into the neck pocket holes, instead of clearing them and only threading into the neck heel holes. I've also seen many guitars that had unexplainable issues with the action and playability that were remedied by removing the neck, clearing the holes, and reinstalling it. Sometimes this requires flattening the neck pocket itself as well, depending on the guitar. 2) String alignment. You can't shift the neck in the pocket when the screws are threading into the body. If the string alignment is off, and the holes aren't cleared, you *need* to clear the holes in order to be able to fix this problem. Then use shims on the appropriate side of the neck pocket to keep the neck in position. A simple piece of wood veneer secured with some clear packing tape, or glued onto the wall of the neck pocket with Titebond or hide glue, is the correct solution here. You can use a feeler gauge to measure the width of the gap once the neck has been shifted into proper alignment, with both E strings an even distance from the fret bevels on either end. Then use that measurement to determine how thick your shim needs to be. Clearance holes are the only correct way to do this. Period. Clamping two pieces of wood together, like with a corner clamp, and drilling through both pieces at the same time -- like with a combination drill and counterbore bit -- then using an impact driver to drive the screw home through both of them at the same time, is a general woodworking thing. Not for guitars at all. Even with woodworking that's technically "incorrect," but in the vast majority of cases it doesn't matter at all. For guitars, it actually matters a lot, because even very small changes in how the neck heel sits in the neck pocket will have a potentially very dramatic effect on playability, and even the sound of the guitar. Mechanical impedance is real and maximizing wood-to-wood contact has benefits that go beyond just playability from having a proper neck and body joint.

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

@@guitar_md Wrong mr. know it all

[@guitar_md]

@@buzzedalldrink9131 I apologize if I came off as a know it all. That was not my intention. But I stand by my arguments.

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

@@guitar_md apology accepted. Sorry if i was rude to you. I just don’t agree with your assessment of the situation. Fender and all other guitar builders have been building guitars this way for a reason. If the holes in the body are drilled for clearance, it increases side to side lateral movement causing the increased probability of neck shift. Thats why they use the size holes they do. Thats how bolt on neck guitars are made. Clamping the neck to the body with eliminate the possible issue you mention that can only happen if the neck is being held by hand while trying to screw it together. Thanks for video.

[@guitar_md]

@@buzzedalldrink9131 I understand your point. I completely agree with clamping the neck to the body, by the way, and this is what I do when installing necks. However, my process is a bit more refined. I will also provide some examples of issues I've had with bolt-on necks installed from the factory the way you've described. Please excuse my extremely lengthy reply -- I can't help it, just the way my brain works, just want to make it clear I'm not trying to be disrespectful or combative at all: I clamp the neck to the body and then string it up with two E strings, and get the alignment perfect by shifting the neck in the pocket. Once the outside E strings are both an equal distance from the fret bevel on either side, I then use a transfer punch to make set marks on the heel of the neck, then drill those out with a brad point bit on the drill press. If there's any slop in the neck pocket, I will shim the sides until it's rock solid. We are in complete agreement that the neck should not shift laterally. My preference is to do this with shims to snug up the sides of the neck pocket to perfection -- and *also* use clearance holes in the neck pocket, for the purpose of pulling the neck heel into the pocket as tightly as possible, and as flat as possible. In a perfect world, the neck pocket and neck heel would be a perfect, snug fit with perfect string alignment, and the neck pocket would *also* have clearance holes. Why the clearance holes? For maximizing wood-to-wood contact, which is not just a tone/sustain thing, but very much a major playability issue. I have seen cases where the screws were threading into the body, and it was preventing the neck heel from seating fully -- even cases where it was up on the left or right side, not just the back or front. You'd have the screws socked down as tight as possible, but the neck was slightly lifted on one side or the other. This can result in a very weirdly playing guitar with buzzing/choking out in odd places even though the frets themselves are even. This is due to a phenomenon called "bridging," a term used in woodworking to describe when a screw acts as a "bridge" between two workpieces when there's a lack of clearance holes. With two workpieces being pulled together, the screws should *only* be threading into one of the workpieces, in order to pull it against the other as tightly as possible. The same concept applies to a neck heel and neck pocket. I've also seen hundreds of cases of brand new guitars with poor string alignment, and no clearance holes in the neck pocket. In those cases, shifting the neck into the *correct* alignment is impossible *unless* you clear the neck pocket holes. I'll then shim the sides of the pocket to stabilize the neck laterally after clearing the holes, and proper alignment has been achieved. Again, we're in complete agreement about the neck needing to stay put laterally. My opinion is merely that clearance holes serve an important purpose, and the lateral securing of the neck should be done with the neck pocket. I only use shims because I have to. If I were building guitars from scratch I'd do my best to match the neck heel and neck pocket as perfectly as possible. FSC Guitars does this. Very cool guy, Farhad Soheili from New York. He's showed many times that his necks fit snug enough in the neck pocket that you can pick up the entire guitar by the neck, with not a single screw holding it in -- and it'll be perfectly fine. To me that's the ideal, but the majority of builders are not working to that degree of precision. If you're not absolutely perfect with it you will run the risk of finish chips and cracks, and that's probably why most builders/factories leave some leeway in the neck pocket on either side. Unfortunately that can lead to the issues mentioned in the above examples.

[@JohnAdams-xc5yk]

Neck screws 1/8 body clearance 3/16

[@guitar_md]

That'll definitely do it. For enlarging pre-existing holes, I only go over by about .005" or .010", just enough so none of the screws are threading into the body at all. With 1/8 screws and 3/16 neck pocket holes you have about 1/64" (.062") of clearance, so you'd certainly never have to worry about the screws threading into the body! Is there any reason you like going oversize by so much? I'd say 1/8" screws with 9/64" body holes would be more than enough for full clearance, but I'm curious if you've found any benefits to making the neck pocket holes 3/16" when using an 1/8" screw. Let me know! Always interested to learn more. Certainly a great standard compared to most manufacturers that almost seem like they use an impact driver to thread the screws through the neck pocket and the heel of the neck in one go. Pretty much every single stock guitar I get in has the screws tightly threading into the neck pocket. Not good!

[@JohnAdams-xc5yk]

I use stainless steel screws from Stewart McDonald's they recommend 3 mm neck 5mm body 1/8 x 3/16 stainless steel #3356 , I do believe the stainless screws have a larger thread for a #8 if the holes are already drilled and little loose they make a neck plate that takes #10 screws

[@guitar_md]

@@JohnAdams-xc5yk Very interesting, thanks for the response and info. Stainless steel is definitely the way to go!

[@bimwopbarn47]

what's with the voice?

[@istvangabor3373]

Just take a look on wood screw surface, it is terrible rough. So it wears the hole ,at least causes a weak connecting. The solution is the metal screw with threaded wood insert, just think of it...

[@guitar_md]

I have a video on installing threaded inserts with machine screws here. I do this on my own personal guitars and am a big fan of it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/goOwn4acn66kn80si=NIdGkpwCoepNbigK

[@kazkylheku1221]

How can the idiots who made the body not know basics like this?

[@guitar_md]

Probably 90% of bolt-on neck guitars I see don't have clearance holes in the neck pocket. Even higher end, expensive guitars don't always have them. Might be a speed thing at the factory. You'd think they're using an impact driver or something as threading screws in by hand like this is extremely difficult. I can't imagine building a guitar without clearing the neck pocket holes so I'm also not sure why this is common on just about every bolt-on neck guitar on the market.

[@WDXash]

So why don’t these expert guitar manufacturers actually do this.. probably because they don’t have as much pride in their products and are too busy making money. I’m amazed at how many guitar / bass manufacturers are sloppy on quality.

[@guitar_md]

Every single vintage Fender I've ever seen has had clearance holes in the neck pocket. They knew what they were doing. There are some modern guitars I've seen using clearance holes, including some Fenders, but it's not the norm. Also, side note, but this is a great article here: www.manmadediy.com/4593-i-ve-been-drilling-pilot-holes-wrong-my-entire-life-here-s-how-i-learned-to-correct-my-technique/ With modern guitars, I'm not sure what they're actually saving in terms of time and money by not using clearance holes. The neck is *much* easier to install when the holes are cleared. You hold it in the pocket, and since you don't have to thread the screws into the body, they just push right through -- as soon as you start turning the screwdriver, you're threading into the neck heel. I was actually going to make an update to this video sometime, to discuss alignment of the neck, and how the holes need to be cleared to allow the neck to shift in the pocket. The perfect solution is to have perfect string alignment with a near airtight seal between the neck heel and body. The real world solution is to simply use shims on the side of the pocket to keep the neck in alignment. You can use feeler gauges slipped into the pocket, once you align your neck so the outermost strings are evenly far away from the fret bevel on either side -- -- then make a shim of that thickness. You can tape or glue it into the neck pocket, then put the neck back on. Some argue for tight screws that thread into the body so it'll hold the neck in place, but this is wrong. The screws were never meant to serve that purpose. I consider poor alignment a design flaw, similar to improperly routed neck pockets. That's what shims are for, and the real world solution to imperfection in the neck pocket is to either shim it on the bottom or on the side, and/or rout the neck pocket deeper if necessary. The screws serve one purpose: attach the neck to the body. And to pull it as tight and flat into that position as possible. Anyway. Just thinking out loud here. I've been redoing and updating a lot of my old videos and I'd love to do a deeper discussion on this at some point. Thanks for the comment! Funny thing too, I haven't gotten any comments on this in quite a long time and I was just thinking about this today.

[@WDXash]

@@guitar_md I totally agree with you 👍 I recently saw a KZbin vid, where it was demonstrated, to gently loosen the neck screws (without loosening the strings) in order to allow the strings to pull the neck firmly into the pocket/socket, and then retighten the screws. This, apparently, enables the neck to seat tightly against the body and improves sustain. Can’t remember whose video it was but I’m sure it’s be easy to find if anyone was interested.

[@polatozeldersmerkezi3157]

Love the way to strip out the heads of the neck screws.

[@guitar_md]

I'm assuming you're talking about the 4v powered screwdriver. Clearing the holes in the neck pocket completely eliminates the excessive force needed to tighten the neck screws -- which happens when the holes in the neck pocket *aren't* cleared, and the screws are threading into both workpieces. If you clear the holes in the neck pocket, you'll find that the neck screws thread in very, very easily and effortlessly with a powered screwdriver. You can safely get them 90-95% of the way there, with zero risk of stripping the heads, zero unexpected torque/grabbing, and tighten them up by hand for the last few threads. With the holes *not* cleared? Excessive force required. Lots of torque generated. Stripping the heads very possible, both with a powered screwdriver and a regular one. This entire video is about making clearance holes in the neck pocket, which eliminates this problem completely -- though I should have mentioned this benefit in the video. It actually is a good point and another reason to do this. One benefit of a comments section that people can read through! There is no reason to avoid using a 4v powered screwdriver. They save a ton of time and wear and tear on your hands, especially when you're doing things like this multiple times a day on a regular basis. Some people are not comfortable using one or prefer not to and that is fine too.

[@BillyTheKidsGhost]

I don't think my Gibson Flying V, sustaines better than a bolt-on guitar.

[@Noone-of-your-Business]

Sorry to say, but if you need to do this to your guitar, then it was delivered faulty "as is" from the factory. This is something that has to be done correctly when _building_ the damn thing. Any manufacturer who cannot be trusted to get absolute basics like this right does not deserve your hard earned money. You can also use screws with a thread free neck for the width of the leading board, so that the screw head can pull the neck all the way against the wood at the floor of the pocket.

[@guitar_md]

It is indeed a sorry state of affairs. But over the last 20 years of doing guitar work, I can't even count how the amount of guitars I've had to do this to. Probably 90% of them in any case, from every single manufacturer you can think of. The only bolt-on neck guitars I've seen that had the neck pocket holes cleared every single time were vintage Fenders. Every single one of them I've seen had clearance holes. I find that very telling. This and flattening the neck pocket with a router are the two most overlooked things I've seen when it comes to setups. Might as well throw neck alignment into that category as well. I'll never forget how I first learned about this. 20 years ago when I started working with my friend and mentor Steve K. I'd taken the neck off my dad's old Vox Spitfire, and when I went to put it back on, the strings were just flat against the frets. I tightened and tightened and couldn't get it down. What I now understand to be bridging due to a lack of clearance holes was the issue -- he just checked and saw immediately that the screws were threading tight into the body. Quick couple passes with a drill, and done. That was a huge education. Never heard or saw anyone else address this issue, which is surprising -- I know he isn't the only one, but it certainly isn't standard practice, unfortunately. You'd think this would be cut and dry from the manufacturer, along with properly fit neck pockets and neck pocket floors. I wonder how these places are even driving these screws in without clearance holes. Maybe banging them in with an impact driver is what it seems like. Just doesn't make sense to me as the clearance holes make it so easy to load the screws in and screw them in. You'd think *that* would be the easiest way to do things.

[@jagerking7020]

Many manufacturers drill the neck and body at the same time with the same size bit and then run the screws in as a shortcut/cost cutting measure. I have encountered this sort of thing on Chenders to MIJ and MIA Fenders. It's not a big deal to enlarge the holes and right away you can hear how tight the neck gets with some nice creaking.

[@kalesmythe]

Yeah this happens when you buy temu guitars. It is fun, though

[@rdog421]

The Fender MIM Factory should make all their employees UNDERSTAND this concept. Sadly they do not and produce inferior quality products.

[@spudvader]

Why do you assume it’s an employee problem and not a Fender problem?

[@rdog421]

Read the comment again. The first four words should answer your misguided question. It is your feeble attempt to split hairs with me on subject matter. Get a life

[@spudvader]

@@rdog421 Why are you so up set? it's only a KZbin comment. If it triggers you or you're really busy, you could have just ignored it. I do appreciate you replying. I should elaborated, I'd assume that MIM even most MIA Fenders will be CNC'd bodies and most holes will be pre-drilled, anything after the fact i.e. hands on work, will be at a work station with pre-determinded tools i.e. drill bit sizes, sandpaper grits, etc and any work that has to be done will be with a template. So with that being said, I believe It's more of a Fender issue rather than the workers not doing there job properly since everything is already pre-determind by Fender.

[@aaroncurry279]

@@spudvadernever mind that guy. Telling someone to get a life is quite rude. You have one obviously with an inquisitive mind and aren’t we all here for the same purpose anyways? We’re all made in the image of God, have purpose and should be respected.

[@billpoplin2534]

​@@aaroncurry279In this new age, the Golden rule is a cliche.

[@hairoftehdog]

Ooof.. Don't enlarge the holes! That's so unnecessary.. Just securely clamp the neck and body before you bolt the neck back on.

[@guitar_md]

It is definitely necessary, 100%. It also makes putting the neck back on dead simple, with no need for clamping, the way it should be. You can push the screws in by hand and then you have far less to tighten, as they're only threading into the neck heel, which is how they're intended to work. Also, every single old Fender guitar I've seen had clearance holes. And better built modern guitars also have them. It's simply the correct way to do it, and that's evidenced by most higher end guitars employing clearance holes, and cheaper ones doing a "one and done" and leaving the neck screws threaded into the body. The threads screwing into the body can *only* cause problems. There is no benefit to the screws threading into the body -- they're meant to be clearance holes. Some people argue that they help keep the neck in place, but the proper fix for this is to shim the sides of the neck as necessary to stabilize the neck into place. The neck pocket should be shimmed as necessary so when the neck sits tight in the pocket, it does not move side to side, and is at the proper angle for good string action. I also forgot: clearing the neck pocket holes also allows for proper string alignment. If the holes aren't cleared, and the alignment is off, you will not be able to shift the neck in the pocket to properly align the strings without clearing the neck pocket holes. It can be a bit of a pain to do, but you only have to do it once. Bolt-on neck guitars can be tedious to work with but it all boils down to clearing the neck pocket holes, and properly shimming the neck, if necessary -- either the base of the pocket or the sides, or both. Sometimes they also need to be routed down deeper, which can be a difficult job. I do have another video on that as well.

[@sydmichel]

Well if you used the correct screws this wouldn't be an issue. The screws that should be used to secure a 'screwed on neck' should not have threads all the way to the top.

[@guitar_md]

These are the stock neck screws, and 90% or more of original neck screws are like this. AKA sheet metal screws, not wood screws. However, it still doesn't matter, and it still would be an issue. Why? Because wood screws that have an unthreaded portion are not unthreaded for anywhere near long enough to clear the entire neck pocket. Even on screws where the threads don't travel all the way to the top, you're still going to have a substantial amount of threads going through the body holes. I've done this to many guitars using actual wood screws instead of sheet metal screws -- they both need it. Clearing the neck pocket holes only takes a minute and is necessary on all bodies where the screws are threading into the body. If you can't push the screws straight through the body holes and have them *only* thread through the neck heel holes, the body holes are too tight. You can test this and see where the screws stop and require threading to go any further. It can happen with both types of screws. Having cleared holes also makes taking the neck off and putting it back on much easier. Wood screws do make more sense, for sure, but they would need to have a much longer unthreaded portion. But even if they did, if you can't push the screw through the body holes by hand without turning the screw, it's still way too tight. Even with an unthreaded top, the portion that is threaded can get stuck in the body. , Fender always used sheet metal screws, not wood screws, and this is never a problem on vintage Fenders. They always cleared the neck pocket holes.

[@borg3575]

If you have a brand named guitar, try this first: loosen one screw BY HAND and then pull on it. If it easily pulls right out of the heel then just put it back and quit effing around trying to compensate for your lack of playing ability.

[@guitar_md]

Very strange belief that if someone works on a guitar it means they can't play or are trying to compensate for not being able to play. Definitely not true! What an odd thing to think. Clearance holes are essential for proper joinery and the fact is that the majority of production guitars, including brand name, don't have proper clearance holes. Some do, but not all. And some are far worse than others. Playing ability also does not mean tolerating a terrible setup as a badge of honor, though many people feel that way. Even if someone believed that, the fact remains: Many times necks have to be re-angled to achieve comfortable action, which requires taking the neck off and adding a shim. Occasionally they need to be shimmed and/or sanded down to be realigned as well when loosening the neck screws and shifting the neck left or right isn't enough -- though that process is impaired by the screws threading into the neck pocket as well. If you don't clear the holes and the screws are threading into the neck pocket and you try to put the neck back on, problems can happen: primarily variable neck angle as a result of the screws not being able to pull the neck heel all the way into the pocket. The most common issue is the strings laying flat against the frets and being completely unplayable, though other issues with neck angle and alignment can happen too. I specify issues from removing and replacing the neck for that reason. Most people never take the neck off, but most people also have no idea how to do a setup, so that's a moot point on this video where I'm demonstrating an important part of a setup for bolt on guitars. Anyone who does setups should be completely comfortable removing and replacing bolt on necks. If the screws are threading into the neck pocket, it's not a proper joint, period. That is not debatable. However, I am coming at this as a guitar tech working on a lot of guitars for other people all the time, and more often than not I need to take necks off to realign and/or re-angle them. It's the rare exception to not need to remove the neck at all to truly dial in the setup. And that means the neck has to go back on. That will never happen successfully or safely without clearance holes in the neck pocket. All vintage Fenders I've seen had proper clearance holes. No magic or mojo -- just proper woodworking. I have seen more modern brand name guitars with proper clearance holes lately, but not every time. For the layperson not comfortable with tools and/or who doesn't care about their setup, enjoy. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with diving deeper either, and the whole process here only has to be done once and takes less than 5 minutes.

[@broforcefreedom4936]

You sound jealous lmao

[@lunachicks6665]

With your low amount of subscribers and one crappy video about using a CNC machine to route out a guitar your opinion is discarded immediately, “Borg”.

[@lunachicks6665]

Loser

[@livergen]

@@lunachicks6665 I really enjoyed your article, and I've been reading through the comments and decided to give you a solid thumbs up Sir. Your explanation and in-depth understanding of proper wood joining techniques was very refreshing to read. And I must also say your patience in responding to this gentleman was very well received by me at least, you definitely went the extra mile and took the time Most people wouldn't have bothered with, much respect to you sir. I'm actually completely rebuilding an old Fender Starcaster With an absolute beautiful maple neck, I have replaced all the electronics & every piece of hardware on this thing, I think I spent $60 on the complete guitar and probably now have over $800 into it, but I have really enjoyed rebuilding this thing. I just refinished the neck and head stock and it's laying here on my bench as I'm watching your video. I just checked my screws into the body and they are extremely tight, so I will be re-addressing that tolerance , I am honestly so glad that I found your Very informative video, You truly saved me much aggravation in my finishing setup and action. I'm actually going to check my Telecaster Just as a point of curiosity to see what's going on behind the scenes , you have definitely shown some light onto this.. Thank you brother, stay blessed and keep safe

I use a piece(or 2) of masking tape on the bottom of the neck. Pro tip; when you are finished leveling frets, tape from 12th fret down and level a little more from 12th fret up(just a little, don't over do it) and you will have amazingly low action with no buzz. 🤘😎

[@guitar_md]

I should have redone the intro, as I was talking about clearing the neck pocket holes, not shimming the neck. When the holes aren't cleared, when you put the neck back on, the screws can fail to pull the neck all the way back into the pocket, creating an angle, and affecting the action. Leveling the middle of the frets from 12 to the end is a great trick. Effectively carves a compound radius into the frets -- and does work every time. I've done this to many guitars, some of which require extensive leveling to "get there." My preferred method is leveling under string tension -- that way you can test it immediately. Sometimes you have to take out a surprising amount. Masking tape also does work great. Typically I use mahogany veneer just because I have a lot of extra on hand. When the neck needs to be angled, that's all you need. I get the argument for full pocket neck shims but have never found them necessary!

[@michaelscortez4341]

Thanks 👍

[@guitar_md]

You're welcome!