Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey, guys. I'm working on my first scratch build, and was planning on using a tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece. But when I set the bridge on the body in the proper location, the stop bar will only be 2-3 inches from the tail of the guitar. It just looks weird to me. Now I know I could use string thru ferrules and omit the tailpiece, but I am drilling by hand(no drill press or even access to one) and I doubt I could drill the holes in proper alignment. My only other recourse, IMO, is one of these type bridges.



I dislike them because of their lack of adjustment. If I don't get it spot on, I'm stuck with what I have. Since I've never installed either type, I would appreciate some tips or instruction on installation to get the most out of this type of bridge. Thanks in advance.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Mike, both these bridges do have adjustment grub screws for innotation on both posts, just not full adjustment on all strings in between.
The problem with the first type is that it has the saddle ridge set up for innotation of a wound 3rd string not a plain which most use now
The second type is better set up for a plain 3rd.
You do with ant bridge, have to get the postholes in the right place and vertical.
Having installed a few, I would not attempt to drill post holes without a drill press unless I had someone with a drill press make me a substantial thick steel template(1.5") which I could clamp in place.

Thanks, Jeff. I thought I had heard/read somewhere(maybe here) about the first bridge being set up for a wound third. Thanks for reminding me of that. As for drilling the post holes straight, I'm pretty confident I can do so, at least to the depth I need to install the posts. My resources are quite modest, but if I stopped everytime I needed a tool, I'd never build at all. It's drilling straight through an inch and three quarters six times that I have my doubts about. I have since found a kind of cross between the tune-o-matic and these type bridges, which I'm also contemplating.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I have used the TonePros version of the last shown. Not as elegant/graceful, but well made and properly functional.Mike T.

Thanks, guys. I'm actually still kind of thinking about using the T.O.M. and stop bar. Sure, it'll be really close (about 3") from the "tail" of the guitar, but I've seen a lot of bass guitars like that. It'll definately look different, but different is not always bad. So we shall see.

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.