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Hello

I'm building my first electric and it's a les Paul Jr. Style double cut but I'm connecting the neck at the 22 fret location instead of the 23rd. Also adding two p90s and a tune o mastic bridge with the tail stop. I'm wondering does this slight change in moving the neck to the 22nd fret change the neck angle or the use of the two piece bridge? with a strait edge on the frets what should the gap be at the bridge location. also how far from the bridge should the stop piece be? Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Wes, I am assuming your are building from some sort of plans that has a profile (side) view of the neck angle, pickups and bridge. If not you should draw your own because the angle is a function of a bunch of things that will vary from guitar to guitar. First, most LP Jr's have a flat top (no arching) and the fretboard stands proud of the body by some amount. From there draw a line that represents the frets extended to bridge. Now draw the normal playing action you want, lets say 0.060 to 0.080 at the 12th fret) and extend that to the bridge. That is about where your ToM saddles will end up (there will be a small effect from the relief in your neck). You want your neck angle such that your ToM adjustment allows you to go up and down a bit from the playing action.

I've had very good luck setting the neck so the fret plane is as low as the ToM can go - to test that I put the bridge on a couple of pieces of wood that are the thickness of the studs



The fretboard is fretted but has no relief.

I have scanned my Les Paul plans and could send you PDF's of the neck to top profile. It is fairly easy to measure the height that the fret plane should be over the top, but remember that this is a carved arched top. Might get you started at least.

Last comment, as far as locating the bridge relative to the end of the fretboard (scale length) I have found the StewMac fret board calculator to be helpful. After running the calculations they have a drop down for you to select the bridge you plan to use - it will give you the compensated location which seems to work pretty well (as far as putting the adjustment in the middle of the range).

Hey thanks for the info. I am working from a set of plans with a few modifications. I think that just drawing it out to scale will clear the hole thing up for me. I have never done the TOM bridge before and sort of assumed you set them up a bit but was nervous every to go at it all Willy nilly and mess something up. You have cleared it up for me big time.

Thanks!!!!

Maybe in missing something but when I do the layout I'm barely getting 2 degrees for the angle where most people are using 3 or 3.3 degree angles. My layout aimes for 11/16" from the flat top body over the bridge location. That's including 5/16" at the neck body joint for fretboard and frets as well as about 1/4" possible downward adjustment of the bridge.

2 degrees would be about right for a flat top with a TOM bridge with a 1/4" fret board laying on the body.

Awesome I'm gonna route it and see how it go's. Thanks for the input!

So I made the neck pocket 2 degrees and did a test fit and was off by 1.3 degrees. dang!!! 3.3 was it, I don't know how I didn't get that angle laying it all out on paper.