Hi! First Pitbull build going on, 4th guitar build in total, 2nd with a set neck.
I have to say the first set neck build I did wasn't completely successful. I didn't do a dry build and I ended up with a somewhat high action - I suspect the neck angle wasn't quite right (it was a Les Paul Jr from guitarkitworld)
I've taken delivery of an SGD-612 and asked for a maple veneer on top - beautiful piece of maple, about 1mm thick. I did a dry build and the action is a little high even with the saddles as low as they will go. It dawned on me that the maple may have messed with the overall body thickness and maybe the neck pocket is relatively slightly deeper than it should be. Could anyone from PB confirm whether that's the case?
If it is, am I better off shimming the neck or putting the saddle posts slightly deeper into the body? I have some maple veneer I bought separately for staining tests which I could use as shims, which could be aesthetically pleasing.
What is the bow of the neck? Personally I would not do any of the two things you are suggesting and first check the bow. Perhaps you are able to use the trussrod to change the bow. This is a somewhat tricky thing to do but it could resolve your problem. If you are talking about 'little high action', a quarter to a half turn could be enough.
Is it both necks? It's better and easier to put a shim in the neck pocket. It won't need to be very thick at all, because you get roughly a 5:1 increase in height at the bridge compared to the height of the shim. So a standard 0.6mm thick piece of veneer should give around 2.5-3mm extra height at the bridge, allowing you to raise the bridge slightly and set your action. But as Kick says, check the neck straightness first. If there's a significant concave bow in the neck, then straightening it so there's only the hint of of a concave bow (trussrod turned clockwise when looking down the neck at the body to straighten the neck) may give you all you need without the need for a shim.
I think it's a good idea to check the neck to see if it's straight. Simon generally knows better but I check the neck to see that it's straight, then check the bridge height. For me, no gluing happens without lots of measuring and testing.
You'll need something like this...which is also really useful for doing the setup later. Of course if you are a cheapskate like me, you'll buy a cheap aluminum straight edge from a big box store and notch it yourself with a file or an abrasive blade saw... ;-)
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