toddler68 Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 I won't know for sure until I get the frets in, but I think I might need to recess the Strat-style bridge I'm using. The bridge itself and all the saddles are already set as low as I can get them and the strings are still sitting way off the fretboard. Does anybody know if I can I safely rout a recess to achieve the lower string height? Will it create any negative side effects? A problem which lowering the tremolo presents is that it will probably stick out below the bottom surface of the guitar -meaning I might have to have the trem block machined down I hate tremolos!! Thanks in advance for any help. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 What is your neck pocket depth and can it go any lower? Standard neck pocket depth for a strat style guitar is 5/8". Also how wide is your neck at the heel area? I'm thinking you can just route the neck pocket out a bit deeper to fix this problem if you have room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Wait till you have the frets in to see whats needed, remember that the frets are 2mm high plus your action which will be about 2-3mm too so as long as it is not 6 mm or something u will be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted August 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 What is your neck pocket depth and can it go any lower? Standard neck pocket depth for a strat style guitar is 5/8". Also how wide is your neck at the heel area? I'm thinking you can just route the neck pocket out a bit deeper to fix this problem if you have room. ← I wish I had the option -it's a neck-through. Wait till you have the frets in to see whats needed, remember that the frets are 2mm high plus your action which will be about 2-3mm too so as long as it is not 6 mm or something u will be ok. ← My main concern is that I'm not leaving myself much wiggle room (upward mobility of the bridge) should I need it in the future. Also, the saddle height adjustment screws are backed way out and therefore sticking up. Do they make shorter ones? I don't want to mutilate my strumming hand I will definitely take your advice though and wait until I install the frets before I fire up the router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 My main concern is that I'm not leaving myself much wiggle room (upward mobility of the bridge) should I need it in the future. Also, the saddle height adjustment screws are backed way out and therefore sticking up. Do they make shorter ones? I don't want to mutilate my strumming hand I will definitely take your advice though and wait until I install the frets before I fire up the router. You are using Jumbo frets right? I agree, you need to get the frets on the guitar before you adjust anything. Just curious, what is the distance between the top part of the neck and body top? You did calculate everything out before you started didn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Yea and where are the progress pics too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 My main concern is that I'm not leaving myself much wiggle room (upward mobility of the bridge) should I need it in the future. Also, the saddle height adjustment screws are backed way out and therefore sticking up. Do they make shorter ones? I don't want to mutilate my strumming hand I will definitely take your advice though and wait until I install the frets before I fire up the router. You are using Jumbo frets right? I agree, you need to get the frets on the guitar before you adjust anything. Just curious, what is the distance between the top part of the neck and body top? You did calculate everything out before you started didn't you? ← As jumbo as I can find. I know the distance is the thickness of the fretboard -likely 1/4 inch. It worked out fine on my first one, but there have been some changes on this build and it seems I measured the bridge height wrong. I'm sure it's not a total loss, but I'd prefer to learn from this experience. Yea and where are the progress pics too. ← Well, there are some gaps in my chronology. I've taken pics but they aren't posted yet. If you look at my last build, it is identical (except of course for the bridge ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 This is perfectly natural and happens to everyone who is willing to forge ahead and learn new things as we go. Unfortunate maybe, but I've had a million unfortunate incidents along the way, just comes with the territory is all, this is how you learn, and you're right in the middle of a lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Drak speaks words of wisdom.. Hey we all make mistakes. I've thrown away a couple of necks, and guitar body before. Remember the only people who don't make mistakes are the ones who don't do anything in the first place. Just chalk it up to a lesson learned and try to make this guitar play good by being inventive, if everything doesn't work out at first. You said that your fingerboard wood 1/4"(.25) is all you have above the body. Most standard Strats have a 1" width at the heel area and a 5/8" neck pocket, so that amounts to 3/8"(.375)of the neck above the body. So that's 1/8" (.125) higher, so you can see why your having to lower your bridge so much to match. Hopefully it won't be enough to mess anything up after you've fretted though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 What about a recessed Floyd Rose? I know you can recess those, all of mine are recessed like this: Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 You said that your fingerboard wood 1/4"(.25) is all you have above the body. Most standard Strats have a 1" width at the heel area and a 5/8" neck pocket, so that amounts to 3/8"(.375)of the neck above the body. So that's 1/8" (.125) higher, so you can see why your having to lower your bridge so much to match. Hopefully it won't be enough to mess anything up after you've fretted though. ← I measured with the calipers and it's exactly .275. I don't know how I could have been off by that much. Once it's fretted I think it will be right-on but with little room to lower the action. btw... any suggestions on where to get shorter saddle adjustment allen screws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Take a dremel tool with the cutting wheel and just cut the ones you already have down a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Take a dremel tool with the cutting wheel and just cut the ones you already have down a bit. ← Ahhh... the beloved Dremel. Along with vise-grips and duct tape, it's one thing no shop should ever be without. I will give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 btw... any suggestions on where to get shorter saddle adjustment allen screws? ← Allparts has them. Just in case the Dremel thing doesn't work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Some godin electrics have recessed strat type trems and that looks pretty good imo. Check out the godin site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 I'm not 100% sure on this, but as long as the trem block doesn't stick out the back of the guitar it should be fine. I don't see any reason why a strat style tremolo couldn't be recessed an 1/8" or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Godin, that's true, but don't forget that the springs stick out from the trem block some, and that's what got us in trouble one time. It seems like the standard one that Stew Mac sells has a longer block on it though. It really just depends on how the block is made. If at last resort a recess is all that will work, then I say go for it if the tremelo will work out ok. If not then you can still buy one with a shorter block. You actually have a lot of options, what Drak suggested would work great if your wanting a real good tremelo system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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