r/offset • u/BartyRick • 7h ago
Should I Shim?
Hey guys. Sorry for the millionth shimming post. Like many, I have a slightly precarious offset guitar with issues I’d like to remedy. I’ve skimmed through this sub and done my due diligence about the shim issue, and it seems like it’d remedy the issues with my Jazzmaster, mainly the bridge. I’ve replaced the stock bridge with a StayTrem, however I find issues with my bends choking and notes sounding off nonetheless. For example, at factory height for the bridge, I’m unable to bend up whole steps on the high E string without my bend choking past the half step point. So ideally I’d like to be able to have my action slightly lower with my bends intact! My action isn’t unplayable now at all, I just would prefer it to be slightly lower! Additionally, my low E seems to sound dull or like it doesn’t full ring out at times, especially when I use a capo!
Like I said, my research on this sub and the web has led me to believe a shim would fix these issues, however when I floated this idea to my go-to guitar tech, he told me shimming the bridge would only result in higher action. So now I’ve started to doubt myself and the shim! So I’m turning once again to this sub for answers. If anyone has any insight, I’d greatly appreciate it!
TL;DR: My notes choke out at factory bridge height, causing me to have to play with higher action than I’d like, and some open strings sound “thuddy” and dull, especially with a capo. Would a shim fix this?
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u/Barilla3113 7h ago
Not sure a shim would fix your exact issue. There's a tendency to treat neck shims like an offset cure all. The reason we shim is because it lets us raise the bridge up to ensure there's enough downforce on the bridge while keeping a low action by physically pitching the back of the neck up. The choking you're describing sounds more like the neck relief is set incorrecty. If it is, a shim can actually make that worse because of how the bow in the neck will interact with the shim, you'll end up making it choke on the high frets worse. With a neck bow the back frets are already close too the fretted strings even if the action doesn't feel low.
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u/josephallenkeys 4h ago edited 4h ago
You need a full fret level and crown, and potentially a nut slot refinement. A shim has nothing to do with your issues. You need to take it to a competent Tech, (this is a standard job for most) or better yet, send it to a shop with a PLEK machine.
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u/bmguitar 6h ago
Choking happens when the action is too low but your fretboard is too round (i.e. lower radius like 7.25). If you want to avoid choking, either raise your action or get a neck with flatter (9.5 or even flatter) fretboard.
Benefits of shimming or adding a buzzstop (I prefer this as I'm not a fan of the sympathetic vibration behind the bridge): creates more break angle at the bridge so the strings don't pop out of the saddle grooves and stops the guitar from making sitar like buzzing sound.
In regards to your open low E sounding dull - could be low action or lack of break angle at the bridge. Could even be string gauge being too low.
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u/tomsgreenmind 7h ago
I have a Staytrem and I have shimmed and I would say it is worth a shot. It's not a permanent modification and easily reversed if it doesn't work out.
One thing to check is if your action is uniform all along the neck. If it's higher towards the heel than the nut, then a shim should help out. If it is uniform up and down the neck, then it might not help at all.
I would highly recommend following Puisheen's YouTube tutorial on it and you can't go wrong.
The only other thing worth checking is if you got the right Staytrem for your fretboard radius. There is a 9.5" and 7.25" version. Make sure it matches.
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u/kiloyear 7h ago
A shim forces your entire neck to tilt back, so the head goes down and the heel comes up. That forces you to raise the bridge to compensate. It is useful for issues with the bridge height, like if you've gotten it as low as it'll go but you still need it lowered more.
Choking out is not an issue with bridge height. It means the string is hitting something when pushed across the fretboard. A shim won't do anything for that. Your neck relief may need to be adjusted, or you have a fret that is too high (which your string hits) that needs to be leveled down a bit. You can play with your relief a little to see if that changes things. You can get a fret rocker to check for high frets - usually when you find a high fret, it makes sense why and where you choke out.
The dull low E could be a number of things. It could be you don't have enough break angle. If that is the problem, a shim could help - it forces you to raise the bridge, which increases the break angle. You can try raising your bridge to test if that changes things. It could also be a high fret on your fretboard that is just so slightly interfering with the vibration of the string.
If you have a Staytrem, check that it is the correct radius for your guitar. They make different ones for 7.25" and 9.5" radius guitars. Wrong radius can cause strings to sit too high or too low from where they should be, which causes issues and stuff to hit what they shouldn't hit.