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I have a 96 Fender Stratocaster Deluxe HSS that I bought used at a good price I thought but it has several neck and fretboard issues. I bought it off the internet so I couldn't return it. I wish I hadn't bought it.

The neck points off to one side a tiny bit. The high E is further from the fretboard edge than the Low E which is too close to the edge. I need to turn the neck about one degree. This strat has a microtilt adjustment screw under the heck plate that I assume only adjusts the neck up or down not side to side. Is this true? I've never tried to adjust the microtilt screw since I am not sure what it really adjusts. I think it is an additional adjustment to adjust neck bow.

I need to move the neck like the hands on a clock. It's at one minute till midnight and I want it at midnight. I loosened the neck plate screws and retightened but got no improvement. I am at a loss as to how it ever got this way unless it was like this brand new.

Loosen the 4 screws just a bit, grab the guitar by the neck and the body, and pull both towards your chest until the neck moves a bit. When you like the string alignment, then re-tighten the screws. Microtilt adjusts the neck angle up or down. The reason it "got that way" is the amount of slop in the neck pocket. This is normal - especially for Fenders.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I worked on it an hour or so and ended up using three thicknesses of tape as a shim on the front of the top side between neck and body. I got it about 90% to where I want it.

I wish I had a selection of micro thing wooden shims because I'm forever needing them. The prob with using several layers of tape as a shim is the tape tends to flatten out over time.

Odd how such an incredible musical instrument has such a seemingly flawed neck joint. I'm surprised it doesn't have any side to side adjustment at the bridge area but then what do I know?

The sample pack would do the trick. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 3456,43407

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

You are overthinking this. It's not flawed. It's a dang BOLT-ON. They are built purposely with slop. Grab that thing, and put some side pressure on the neck joint until you hear it crack. It won't break, trust me. I was an authorized Fender service tech for 13 years.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Chris you were right. I was able to align the neck. I got this guitar hummin. Turns out it is a Lonestar Strat with two Stevie Ray Vaughn single coils and a Pearly Gate humbucker This is a sensational review of what I ended up with but it was a pos when I got it used.
.https://reverb.com/item/554137-fender-american-lonestar-stratocaster-1996-hss-strat

Right on!
Now post a vid of you spanking that plank!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Glad to read it is sorted.
Chris I have seen several Fenders where the neck fit is very precise. I had always assumed they were supposed to fit tight with no slop.. The last one I assembled, (my son bought it as a collection of parts from Stratosphere) was a precise fit. The neck shape he likes was not fitted to the sea foam green body he wanted.
My copies all fit tightly because of this. But the bridge mounting could be loosened and moved sideways a little.
Would this achieve the same result?

Doubtful. Those screws want to stay centered in their holes on the bridge.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thanks Chris