How Tight is Tight, Pt II?

I am about to attach my allparts neck to a hwy 1 body and am able to get it into the pocket w/ just a little force. No damage to the paint, wood, etc. The neck is so tight it will stay mounted in the pocket when I pick up the axe. Is that a problem? Should I give the neck a few sandpaper passes to thin it up a bit? My concern is that when I screw it all down, it could damage the thin side of the neck pocket. FYI..Everything seems to line up correctly in the pocket (no gaps, etc).

w/ just a little force

Sounds like a perfect fit.

As long as you're pushing it in from the top (bridge side up, neck being pushed down) you're OK. If you're sliding it in toward the bridge, you can do some damage.

smoke, assuming that alder body has no flaws in it, and you drop the neck in from the front and not through the top, you should be fine.

Remember, tho, if you have it too tight, and it falls, there's no place for any motion in the neck to be absorbed, and you increase the chance of cracking the alder or the undercoat. The lacquer is, for now, pretty flexible altho it will get brittle in 15 years' time. Maybe a poly finish body would need to be a smidge looser.

Each of us here has a different amount of strength, so take that into account. When I was small, I busted everything I touched, so gotta be careful because " I can make anything fit" , especially when I'm tired.

Thanks everybody. I am being pretty gingerly with it, but still firm, and coming from straight down on top w/ the body flat. Sounds like allparts did a nice job on this one. Well, time to drill some holes and screw some screws. I should have this thing wired up and ready within a week!! Scary/exciting time, this is.

I guess I'm out of step with the group here. I just don't think it gets you much of anything to have a force-fit neck pocket. If it were my project, I would relieve the neck to reduce the interference.

I'm on the side that says it doesn't need to be jammed in tight. Wood moves with changes in humidity and with time, and the maple neck and ash body will expand and contract at different rates. It's possible the pocket may shrink and get tighter. Also, you have no leeway at all in aligning the neck to the bridge before drilling your screw holes. It's not a set neck with a glued mortise and tenon joint, don't try to make it one. Nothing wrong with bolt necks so let the bolts do their job.

These are good points. I think a few whacks w/ sandpaper will take care of the problem. It is already on the margin of being a good fit. Might as well hedge a bit and make it perfect. Thanks guys! Pix coming soon.