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Radius W/bridge Question


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Okay this is bugging me. Every site that gives a description of a bridge, they don't state the radius of the bridge, and I read on here that the bridge should be the same radius as the nut. So why don't websites describe what the radius is of all bridges? :D

I am planning my first build, and I would like to know what bridges out there have a radius of 10", which are tremolos, other than Floyd Rose.

By the way, I did a search and I can't find anything.

-Jamie

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Also for maximum comfort in playability, the fretboard is best to carry the same or similar radius, of course this is totally up to the personal preference, but the closer it matches the easier it is to play. Well this is just what I've gotten the impression of, since staring my own project and it makes sense to me but it doesn't seem to be thought of much. I have only heard this a couple times, maybe most people know that and do it, don't bother to talk about it as it is just common knowledge. But I had no clue, never even had thought about it until wes made that point, a good one too. I would have never considered it and ended up with average to below average playability and would have been pissed once I did find out.

I too wonder why not many put up the radius. Soem sites for some bridges will have the radius, but it's true that most do not, at least ones I've seen. What was suggested to me which is probably the best way to go was, buy the bridge you want and measure the radius yourself, then match up that radius to the nut and fretboard. That way you can have maximum playability. One other thing you can do is try to call and ask, but it might be hard to find a salesman that knows that info. I've called a place and the guy didn't have any specs for me, like string spacing and other easy and common specs. Well good luck finding out what you need to, maybe there is someone here that already has that info and can let you know and I'll look around because I think I've seen what your looking for on a certain site. Later. Jason

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Most remolo bridges have little saddles. Each saddle has a set of screws for adjusting the height. It's up to you to adjust the saddles to a radius. They don't come out of the box ready to use.

As for the nut, well, the radius of the string slots will naturally follow the curve of the fingerboard as you cut them especially if you use the commonly accepted method of slot depth measurment using stacked feeler gauges.

-Doug

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What about floyd rose locking nuts and non-floyd rose bridges? That's what I am kind of getting at here.

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This shold get you started:

Original Floyd Rose: 10" and 15"

Schaller: 14" (maybe 12"?)

Ibanez Edge series: 16" and 10"

Strat-style: 7.5, 9.5, 12"

Gibson: 12"

etc.

Floyd-Rose style floating trems have individual saddles that are shimmed with small brass or steel shims to set the desired radius. Strat-style saddles have individual height adjustment screws to set the radius. Standard nuts can be cut to whatever radius is desired, but locking nuts are fixed at whatever they are.

You want to match the fretboard radius as well as possible to get the best action, and therefore the best playability.

Generally I have found that it is best to start by deciding what radius (or compound radius) is desired in the fretboard. If designing a floating-trem guitar, next select the nut, since you need to find a locking nut that matches your size and radius requirement. That is the hardest part sometimes. Finally select the bridge, and shim the saddles to the radius you need. Strat-type bridges and standard nuts make everything easier because you just make it whatever you want.

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