I certainly would not sand much off. You definitely don't want it to be loose. Others will chime in, but tight is generally good. The only time it's not, with a glue on neck, is when it is so tight that all the glue gets squeezed out so that it's just bare wood on bare wood. I don't think that has ever happened to me, though. If the force on the sides is not greater than what you could apply with a clamp, then it's probably OK. I can say that the amount of force you are using to put on yours looks about he same as mine, which has stayed glued now for years. I actually used a one handed clamp to squeeze mine into place. Hope this helps! Also hope others will chime in.