bridge placement: how do ya???

sniper · July 01, 2008, 09:34:28 PM

been thinking about another project and i really want to do a two piece bridge. the question is: How does one determine the exact bridge placement and or angle with such a small adjustment available for Gibby type two pieces bridges (LP Warwick types excluded)? tape the bridge or set it on a rubber "mat" and try to intonate during the build after securing the tail piece but before finishing or what?

here is a pic of the bridge i have been thinking about:

sniper · July 02, 2008, 07:23:30 AM

i guess i didn't ask the question correctly.

are there any nuances to mounting a two piece bridge or even a one piece?

do strings generally intonate a bit longer than planned? like say 32.125" (? guessing here) vs a true 32" as an example. does it make a difference as to how close to the bridge one should mount the tail piece?

uwe · July 02, 2008, 07:32:32 AM

"Does it make a difference as to how close to the bridge one should mount the tail piece?"

That I can answer: No, it doesn't at all. What it does determine is string to saddle pressure though and that is - within reason and avoiding anything radical - a matter of taste. People say that high pressure on the saddles (meaning the stringholder is closer to the bridge and the angle of the strings crossing the saddle a steep one) is always a good thing, but I'm not convinced. I find many basses breathe better with less string to saddle pressure.

Uwe

sniper · July 02, 2008, 07:51:33 AM

good info, thanks Uwe.

Dave W · July 02, 2008, 10:51:45 AM

Quote from: old puppy on July 02, 2008, 07:23:30 AM

do strings generally intonate a bit longer than planned? like say 32.125" (? guessing here) vs a true 32" as an example.

Just consider that the strings will never be less than the true scale length, and even the high strings will be at least a tiny bit more. For starters you can guesstimate the additional distance will be the diameter of the string. Flatwounds often need more than that. Depends on the string.

But make sure you know the true scale length before you start drilling holes, since a manufacturer's stated scale length is sometimes a little off. It's twice the distance from the string's witness point on the nut -- i.e. the fretboard side edge of the nut -- to the top center of the 12th fret.

sniper · July 02, 2008, 03:29:00 PM

wow, thats an eye opener Dave. calculating my scale = which is just over three hairs past 32" as i cut a 34" board off at the first fret (= 32.092") and using your formula for string width (TI's at .104") that translates to almost 32.2 inches or a gain of .104+.

now that is really interesting!

good info for sure!!!

Dave W · July 02, 2008, 10:24:38 PM

That sounds just about right. You always need to a walk a fine line when you don't have much saddle travel.

uwe · July 03, 2008, 06:18:41 AM

And saddle travel on that bridge strikes me as not much though it looks great. Reminds me of what I have on my Dean Flying V and on that bass saddle travel is an issue both ways, there is just not enough of it for perfect intonation and I'm a compulsive obsessive as regards that.

SKATE RAT · July 03, 2008, 08:32:24 AM

Quote from: old puppy on July 01, 2008, 09:34:28 PM
been thinking about another project and i really want to do a two piece bridge. the question is: How does one determine the exact bridge placement and or angle with such a small adjustment available for Gibby type two pieces bridges (LP Warwick types excluded)? tape the bridge or set it on a rubber "mat" and try to intonate during the build after securing the tail piece but before finishing or what?

here is a pic of the bridge i have been thinking about:

what kind of bridge is this? do you know the stud spacing? i wonder if this would fit my SB450 w/ Evertilt ?

sniper · July 03, 2008, 10:42:14 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190018538127&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=009

i think it might be a Wilkenson (sp?) but i am not sure.

here is the auction and i just bought one. it looks okay but in all actuality i was buying it for the tail piece. there is a good article on Warmoth's site about locating a Gotoh TOM bridge, you just have to poke around a bit under guitar bridges. Uwe i already asked the seller and they do not have it in black. i was told it has about a quarter inch of saddle travel.

if it doesn't work i thought i might have to buy one of Scott's bridges but i am going to try this one first.

the spacing is about right for a Gibby.

drbassman · July 06, 2008, 11:35:30 AM

Thanks for chiming in guys, I'm on vacation in Colorado after a week in Wyoming. Great advice Dave. This is always nerve wracking when trying to figure it out. I'll be back regularly in about 5 days. Wireless in motels sucks out here!!!

sniper · July 10, 2008, 06:55:41 PM

Well, this is my first critique of anything as far as writing goes so bear with me. When I got the package I was impressed with the weight. I knew exactly what it was and when I got the package open again I was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't all the packaging that was weighty. It was the bridge.

On my digital bathroom scale it registered at .6 pounds (277 grams) for both pieces with the four studs that came with it. Not a very accurate reading but my scale only reads out to the nearest 10th of a pound. Not a laboratory quality scale but lab enough to tell me when my diet isn't working.

The finish looks like the chrome is good but the handling during the manufacturing process left a few dings that could not be buffed out. They got chromed over. Well, it is a 40$ bridge and not a 100$ Hipshot...so be it.

The spacing of the saddles is 2.125 inches center to center. Good Gibby spacing but not Fenderish spacing. What stands out is I was glad to see there is more to the adjustment than I initially thought and the stud spacing is slotted on one end to make it possible to mount the bridge at an angle to get more adjustment out of it. The openings for the studs are 3 5/8" (3.625") center to minimum center with a 5/16" (.3125") diameter hole on one end and a slotted 5/16" diameter hole 13/32" (.40625") long on the other. Flipping the bridge piece over I found some interesting notches and two tapped holes for the set screw. This enables the adjustment to be expanded a bit but the over all adjustment is still not very long. I measured it at just a hair over 5/16" and not a very big hair at that. The only problem I see is that one of the holes (there are two holes for each set screw) were not tapped out after the chroming process = hence the screws are a bit tight and will have to be reamed out with the proper thread size tap before using them. Betcha a dollar they are metric threads as the bottom of the tail piece says Sung-Il BT100.

The tailpiece is nice and weighty also. And it is beefier than I expected. It has a nice sculptured back side. Better than some Ladies I have seen. The chroming on the tailpiece was done a bit better than the bridge.

I hope I can take a few decent pictures to show all the things I am talking about. i will have to cut them down in size in order to get them on here.

sniper · July 10, 2008, 07:04:46 PM

i might have to resize some more!

sniper · July 10, 2008, 07:06:36 PM

resized

sniper · July 10, 2008, 07:10:58 PM

almost done. at this point would i buy another? gotta try it first and see if it works.

it is beefy, chromed reasonably good but not show quality. if some dude stuck his nose to see the chromed over dings i would probably knock his clock backwards because i would think he is trying something abnormal with me, they won't show more than a foot or so away.

not bad for 40$ but it might be a bear to measure and set correctly so take care.