Use this $16 hack to improve the playability of your guitar! It really works!

[@jimkalfakis9893]

Finally a solution! Growing up we always had cheap instruments. To fix them, I would use a piece of business card

[@thebaldshredder]

Me too!

[@greasy8eyes]

I use playing cards , 52 shims for next to nothing from the dollar tree . cut to fit

[@LesterMitchell]

Man this is super cool! You are the shim master

[@thebaldshredder]

😃 yep

[@captcraig777]

Great option for those having problems with their action! Good product. Thanks for sharing. Shred on!

[@GaryBertolo]

Richard, when placing the neck into the neck pocket to rebolt, you should "always" tighten the screws closest to the body 1st. Then tighten the screws towards fingerboard 2nd; retune to pitch... again. Again, loosen the 2 screws closest to the body a 1/4 turn ... followed by the other 2 screws 1/4 at the fingerboard while "listening for a pop" sound. If you hear a slight pop... retune to pitch, "then finely retighten" the screws 1st at body followed by the other 2. Check final tuneing. If you "did not hear" a pop, "then the neck"" was already set nicely. You might also hear, better Sustain all said and done. ¡¥¡ Peace Bro

[@bcltdinc.8919]

Funny thing Richard .. I never had a neck replacement project or adjustment that requires the butt of neck be raised .. I always needed a tinny shim at the start of the neck pocket ..this straightens the alignment of the neck with the body and easily corrects the string buzzing at lower frets. The rest then be up to fine tuning with the truss rod and the saddles Great video again as always

[@Old_Sailor85]

Same, had to raise the headstock, not lower it. Warmouth/Mighty Mite build.

[@AdamBurseMusic]

That's awesome Richard, thanks for sharing that man 😀🤘

[@BatColonyEvictor]

Really good option! Thanks 👍

[@danpalmer4820]

Never had to use one until recently. Bought a used Tele from GC, and there were some neck angle issues. Shim did the trick.

[@SerpentsBane1995]

Video idea: so you previously showed how you get all your awesome tones from a discontinued old Line 6 (POD Farm?) VST. Perhaps a shoot-out is in order between that and your new Catalyst or POD Go or whatever it was that you won, in conjunction with a standard review. Set up the best tones possible from the older unit, maybe look around to find some pro-level presets that are still kicking around to download or see if you can improve your current presets, and see if the sound quality, physical unit vs all digital, ease of use, and other criteria are a significant improvement from the newer Line 6 VST. Keep shredding TBS \m/

[@Vayth]

That is awesome, I always used the Stewmac shims, still have a few lying around, but these ones are very good value for money. Thanks for the link! Great video!👍

[@sryburn641]

I use a 1983 Q102 “Q-Card”. Works like a charm.

[@JamieLynnMorris]

GREAT INFO! This is so helpful. I wish there was a way to share this with every guitar player in the universe! 🎸👽🎸👽🎸👽🎸

[@mega5k]

What is anyones thoughts on aluminum pop can material wedge for an at home alternative?

[@glennrosa234]

I think that's Fine cuz I've folded foil & the can is thicker I guess as long as the shape is formed as you feel for what's needed to do the job yeah but I feel there it resonates better than "business cards or cardboard. ....... take Care bro.

[@mega5k]

@glennrosa234 thanks for your thoughts. What all guitars do you have? Take care too bro 👍

[@rchydrozz751]

Yep, My strat needed a shim. I dont like high sitting saddles. A small shim does the trick. Trimmed up and stained to match the neck.

[@Nazman06]

I shimmed an old Lotus Tele a few days ago..I used the queen of hearts

[@RiccardoPilloni]

good hint! what about a video of your green prs? a shred one

[@thebaldshredder]

There will be a PRS video of course.

[@papablue3015]

Yep! I do the same! I finally ordered some real shims! But.... I still haven't used them! I've only had them for a year or two? 😅 Sooo....one of these days.....new shims for every guitar! yay!!😊 thanks Shredder

[@kerryfromaj9032]

Very cool KZbin video. I actually took a couple of my guitar necks and using my table saw took material off the neck to get it lower in the pocket. A table saw??? Yup, I’m on a budget and figured stuff out the last few years learning guitar. Great video and interesting to see this addressed and yes the angle 📐 as well. It’s great to learn how to work on your own guitar.

[@thebaldshredder]

Yes! I love working on them. Thanks!

[@CamiloPefaur]

Many years ago I was at this gig with my band and one of the guitarists showed up with a borrowed guitar that was awful to play. And yes, the bar owner lent us some tools and I did a full setup of that pice of atrocity and shimmed the neck with a piece of debit card! yes, it was that much. I got to fix the action and intonation of that guitar but he had to cope with the cutting frets through out the whole set. He deserved it

[@denisebarrett6983]

How do you know if your neck needs shimming? Maybe you could do a video about that?

[@thebaldshredder]

It's all about the angle and the distance between the strings and the fretboard. Maybe I'll do a video about it. Thanks.

[@PegeCovers]

If you can't get the action low enough with your truss rod and bridge adjustment. Then shim it. Ofc, your nut might be too high too, but that's not that common. This is how I do it.

[@PegeCovers]

I used my business cards to fix many of my guitars. My bass was A W F U L to play before. Now it's amazing.

[@thebaldshredder]

Yeah business cards work great.

[@darkobelisk4076]

Word on the street is even the wood ones mute the tone a bit.

[@qwasz123123]

I've used these also. Sure beats paying those Stew Mac shipping prices.

[@thebaldshredder]

Yep!

[@wallyinthebox1]

Thanks for the top Bro

[@wallyinthebox1]

Tip ,sorry my bad

[@thebaldshredder]

LOL, I knew what you meant.

[@lomoholga]

Apparently it is well known that you have to do this with almost all jaguar guitars that don’t come with a modern angled neck-pocket

[@thebaldshredder]

Yeah I've had to shim the neck pocket on most of my bolt on guitars.

[@redrocker1055]

Meh. Cardboard is made of wood. The Kraft Mac & Cheese I used on my 70's Dixon LP clone has done the job for the past 26 years just fine and it didn't cost me a thing. My mom probably paid 40 cents for it it back in the day.

[@alperfetti4125]

Watched to 0:13. Paused the video to comment that people have known about neck shims since about 5 seconds after the bolt on neck was invented. Leaving now.

[@thebaldshredder]

Yeah I never claimed it was a brand new invention. 😃

[@MaximusAdonicus]

Lol... Not everyone is born with the knowledge of shims 🙄 I myself had played guitar for over 10 years before I heard/learned about shims! It's not something common that comes up when u play guitar, it only rises its head when u have an issue with ur guitar, like I had with my 2nd guitar. My 1st guitar, an entry level Ibanez RG170, played FLAWLESSLY for 10 years and still does (it's 25 years old now)!

[@eddieschneider8470]

Your a smart guy

[@thebaldshredder]

I like to think so, ha ha!

[@kingbrutusxxvi]

Dude, it's still early all the way over here in Florida so sleep in a little. 😉

[@thebaldshredder]

🤓 no sleeping in for the shredder!

[@gavriloprincip11]

my solution is buying set-neck or neck-throughs !

[@sharkey9]

These shims will not improve the sound at all. BUT these full size shims do protect the neck because single strips can cause "ski jumps" and the big ones won't.

[@thebaldshredder]

It's not for sound. It's to get the correct action height.

[@sharkey9]

@@thebaldshredder Yes I know. I just mentioned it because you said you might get better sustain and stuff, compared to a strip shim.

[@andrewbecker3700]

If you need to shim "quite a few" of your guitar necks, you need to start buying some better guitars. Maybe for vintage used guitars it's something that's common. If your buying new guitars that need this type of repair, wouldn't you just return it?

[@thebaldshredder]

Absolutely not. Most of the time it's a very slim amount just to slightly change the angle so I can get really low action. Not everyone has the same preferences. It's not a defect. And it's very easy to do.

[@andrewbecker3700]

@@thebaldshredder I know what it involves. It's not rocket science. If I paid over $500 bucks for a new guitar, and it had a major set up issue, I'd return it before disassembling anything. Having to shim the neck on a new guitar costing over a thousand bucks is ridiculous. A nut can be filed, or a truss rod adjusted. But let's face it, the average guitar goon isn't gonna rip his brand new guitar apart. If it's like a $300 hundred or under p.o.s. then maybe?

[@Old_Sailor85]

Paper is wood.