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Did some things better on #3, and lots of new things worse! That's ok, I'm already thinking more about #4.

One big mistake I made, without realizing it at a time when it could be easily fixed, was I put a transverse arch across the upper bout with the brace. I didn't really notice it at the time, and thought I had paid careful attention to the neck joint, top/side angle etc....until I went to fit the neck. The arch (most pronounced at the fingerboard extension area of the top) would not allow for a proper neck set, so the best I could do with lots of coaxing was to have about 5mm gap from top of bridge to extended fret-top line, measured with a straight edge laying on frets.

I can get it set up and playing, but of course with a very tall bridge insert, and subsequent high string angle across it. Not happy at all, but short of essentially disassembling the box....blah blah blah...a tall bridge is the best fix I can see. I chalk it up to another learning experience, and will relegate this guitar to a campfire model. (for playing, not starting the fire) Any other fixes I'm missing?

thanks,
Dave

A tall bridge is not a fix, a tall saddle is a disaster. They are detriments, tonally. Take your time and reset the neck unless you feel the guitar is a pile of junk. Then set it aside and start over.

you can force a neck they either fit or they don't
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNcbA1P95KE
this video should be able to help

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

You can thin or even taper the fingerboard to set the desired bridge height.

Take the neck off and start over.

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If you are getting 5 mm above the bridge with a straight edge across the frets, your saddle must be at least 7 mm tall above the bridge. Way too high. You have to take the neck off and do a re-set but it won't be straightforward if you've built too much arch into your upper bout as you said. Somewhere you need to find a few mm at least. Places you might do this are: tapering the fret board extension as has already been suggested, sanding the upper bout to take out some of the offending arch, making an extra tall bridge, dressing the frets to make them a little lower on the high end, and accepting a small "negative hump" where the fret board joins the body. An exotic idea is to add re-enforcement under the upper bout and then rout a pocket into the top to allow the fret board extension to sink below the top surface. That's all I can think of off-hand. Best of luck!

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

There have been suggestions involving thinning the top and tapering the fingerboard and resetting the neck. What happens if a bit of both is tried? It don't take much to drastically alter the plane of the line extended off the fretboard.

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Peter Havriluk