A degree doesn't sound like much but it will make a noticeable difference. The symmetric airfoil I fly daily only needs 1/64th degree positive AOA for level flight at full throttle! For level flight with -1 deg wing you'll have to trim in some up elevator. This in turn will change your downthrust and cause other performance robbing flight characteristics and trimming hassles.

If it were mine I'd want to get as close to zero as possible and err toward slightly positive. I've found it easier and more accurate to convert to inches or millimeters when setting up my planes than using degrees. Incidence meters have a habit of giving inconsistent readings. From the forethought implied in your question this probably isn't your first rodeo. But let me know if you need the trig overview for getting to inches etc.