Neck plate rattle

[bingefeller]

Hey guys, just got a Fender American Deluxe Tele and its fantastic. When I got it home and was playing it unplugged I noticed a rattling. I traced it to the back if the guitar, just where the neckplate is. There seems to be a loose screw or something rattling around in there and I can see it when I hold the guitar up - it would fall over the hole on the neckplate, which I assume is for the microtilt adjustment. I was wondering, can I take this neckplate off without the neck coming off or should I just leave it alone?

[RodeoTex]

If it were me, I'd take the strings off and remove the neck plate just to see what's going on in there.

[KokoTele]

The screws that hold down the neck plate also hold down the neck. As long as you loosen the strings, there is no danger in taking off that plate. Just be careful not to cross thread the screws when you tighten it down again.

My guess is that the microtilt screw was backed all the way out. It'll take less than 5 minutes to thread it back in, but just in case you can't, just get rid of that screw. The microtilt is a stupid contraption that is totally unnecessary.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by KokoTele

The microtilt is a stupid contraption that is totally unnecessary.

Here...Here.... + 10

[bingefeller]

Guys, thanks for allthe helpful replies. Would the guitar come to any harm if i just left the screw loose in there? Ive never adjusted any of my Fender necks and dont plan on doing so with my Tele as it plays great with the factory set up. It doesnt rattle when. playing or anything like that.

[KokoTele]

No, it won't come to any harm, but it's easy to take out and won't harm the guitar to fix it, either. You won't be making any adjustments, and unless the neck is loose now, it will go back in the exact same spot as before you loosen it. No adjustments.

[bingefeller]

Thanks for the replies! I was actually able to get the screw to bite on a few threads and I tightened it slightly without taking the backplate off so no more rattling. I hope I haven't adjusted the neck by going this! Mind you, I only gave it a few 1/4 turns with the Allen wrench. I have two mire questions:

1) How will I know if I have adjusted the neck in any way?
2) Why is the micro tilt system there? Is it really necessary?



* *

[KokoTele]

Originally Posted by bingefeller

1) How will I know if I have adjusted the neck in any way?

You have to loosen the neck mounting screws to make an adjustment, so if you just tightened that microtilt screw you haven't made an adjustment. You'd know you made one if your action is different.

Originally Posted by bingefeller

2) Why is the micro tilt system there? Is it really necessary?

It's marketing gimmickry to distinguish the modern USA guitars from the vintage and import guitars, nothing more. It's good for guitar techs because people start futzing with the microtilt without understanding how and why to shim a neck, they get their set up all messed up and don't know how to fix it, and eventually they get frustrated and take it to a pro.

It may have initially been invented to overcome manufacturing problems, and packaged as a feature.

[bingefeller]

Thanks again Koko. I am glad that its been sorted and that there's no danger of me having made an adjustment. I think that Fender do a really good factory setup and i never make any adjustments myself other than intonation and perhaps a tweak of the action. I will take pics of my guitar and post on here in a few days. I got the cherry burst colour.

Don't get me wrong, I love Strats, but the simplier the better, which is why a Tele is great.

[KokoTele]

Happy to help!

[ricksconnected]

Originally Posted by KokoTele

It's good for guitar techs because people start futzing with the microtilt without understanding how and why to shim a neck, they get their set up all messed up and don't know how to fix it, and eventually they get frustrated and take it to a pro.

take a moment and explain the ins and outs of neck shimming koko please.

[blonde52]

Originally Posted by ricksconnected

take a moment and explain the ins and outs of neck shimming koko please.

seconded...and the pros and cons as well please

[mellecaster]

This should keep you both busy for a few days !

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3981769

[ricksconnected]

hey im open to learning. so the stage is all yours kok.

[KokoTele]

I like Tony's search link, lots of reading and learning to be done there, but I'll bite.

There is one main reason to shim, and one secondary reason to shim.

The main reason to shim would be because you can't adjust your saddles to get the action right. You just run out of adjustment on the height screws. If the saddles are as low as you can get and the action is too high, you shim the heel of the pocket to angle the neck backwards. If the saddles are really high and you can't get the action high enough, then you need to shim the other end of the neck pocket.

Shims are sometimes necessary if you change the geometry of the guitar, like if you add a Bigsby.

The secondary reason to add shims is to change the angle at which the strings break over the saddles. When the saddles are lower, the break angle is less extreme, when the saddles are higher the angle is more extreme.

There are lots of conflicting opinions about the pros and cons. I believe that shallower break angles make for slinkier and bendier feeling strings. Some people say that you need you higher saddles for more sustain and twang. From a logical standpoint, I can understand why people would believe that, but my experience has not shown a significant difference in the twang or sustain when you increase the break angle. The difference has usually been pretty subtle, while there's often a much stiffer feel that you can immediately recognize.

[ricksconnected]

all cleared up. ive grown to expect that from you in short order koko.
i love to read your posts/replies. ive learned a lot from you.