I'm in the process of gathering up the parts for my first build, and I'm having a little trouble picking out the bridge I'm going to use. I'm also working on getting all of the relevant templates designed, so I'm at the point where I need to finalize my hardware choices so I can get them finished up. Here's what I'm looking for:
1. Fixed bridge. I'm not a big trem user, and to be honest, I don't want to route for one on this build.
2. Not a Tune-O-Matic. It just isn't the look I want for this guitar. This also goes for the wraparound types, since I'd want to recess it, which seems that it would make changing strings extremely difficult.
3. No strings through the body. I don't want to see string ferrules on the back, and I don't want to risk drilling them imperfectly.
4. Gold. I'm using a walnut top and I think the warmer color of gold will look much better than chrome or black. This shouldn't be a problem, but it's still a requirement.
I'm aware of a few options, but I'm not sure which way I should go. The bridges I've looked at so far are the Schaller ( http://guitar-machine-heads.com/hp135016/3-D6.htm ), ABM ( http://www.allparts.com/store/guitar-bridg...002,Product.asp can be found cheaper elsewhere, but allparts has the biggest picture), Kahler ( http://www.wammiworld.com/u7330.html ), and of course the cheap strat-style bridges that can be found on eBay or elsewhere for about $20.
I'm curious if anyone has any experience with any of these. I'm currently leaning towards the Schaller, since the ABM and Kahler both just look too big, and my design isn't a huge body to start with. I do like the style of the ABM the best, but it just looks too long to me. I'm not a huge fan of the fine tuners on the Kahler, since they make the bridge bigger, and seem completely unnecessary for a fixed bridge. I also feel like the cheap bridges don't look nearly as good as the other options. I'd rather get the right bridge to start with than be disappointed in the finished guitar because of it, even if it does cost me quite a bit more up front. Is one of these bridges clearly better than the rest, or are there any that I've missed?