Official Luthiers Forum!

I just reset the neck of a 12-string guitar with the Spanish foot construction. I have no idea why the luthier chose to use this method on a 12-string none the less except that today 40 years later he's an accomplished classical builder so it's probably the technique he was comfortable with. This guitar had already been slipped one too! So the only choice was to saw the neck right off and convert to a bolt on, very expensive operation. I've done this operation 3 times now and it works quite well.

The amount of neck resets I've done on nice guitars and having seen Spanish 'feet' need a neck reset I'd never consider using such a method on a Steel String guitar. Heck I have not used that method on classical guitars in ten years

But to answer the OP question, I do not know any authoritative voice on the subject as far as steel string guitars are concerned but there is plenty of info on classical guitar construction which essentially is the method you want to use. The wedge method will open the top up a bit by stressing the sides setting the neck angle when the top is glued down. That will work just fine, other wise just cut your side slots on a slight angle and adjust the top and foot of the block to the appropriate angles.

If you do use this method I'd say you definitely want to angle back and shoot for the high side of acceptable string saddle height to facilitate action adjustments in the future. A truss rod is not a device intended to correct action heights due to string tension and deformation. It's only good for setting playable action preferences and dealing with minor changes due to humidity etc...

I believe Pimentel & Sons use an integrated neck block as you've described. You might give Rick a call and inquire about it.
When I was at his shop a few years ago, he was more than happy to lend all the advice he could about the process they use to build guitars.

http://www.pimentelguitars.com/index.html

Either way, good luck.

Dave

John,
Rory Dowling from Edinburgh Scotland owns Taran Guitars and makes steel string guitars with a spanish heel. Taranguitars.co.uk On his web site there is a Taran tour page that shows his method. He has a few you tubes out there also. He does real nice work.
Brian