Neck Angle With Hardtail Strat Style Bridge?

[j. pierce]

I like a neck angle on my guitars; keeps my strings away from the mic stand. (i'd just feel a little too dorky with one of those madonna-style, air-traffic-control, headset mic things.) but I like strat-style hardtail bridges. Assuming a flat topped guitar, would there be any problems with the strings coming off such a bridge at a downward angle, so as to implement an LP type neck angle? I can't forsee anything, but I could be missing something. Or would it be better to carve the top in such a way that the area the bridge rests on is also angled (in regards to the back of the guitar), so you have an angle in in relation between the strings and body, but the bridge itself is parallel with the strings?

Edited October 11, 2005 by j. pierce

[Batfink]

You'd have to do you angle sums as i'm sure (but don't quote me) that Strat type bridges have a max saddle height of around 1/2" whereas TOM's have something like 3/4" max height. ie: you may not be able to get enough height on the Strat bridge to compensate for the neck angle. Saying this you could always shim the bridge like Hamer used to do with it's early sustain blocks.

Jem

[Mickguard]

You should be able to set the neck a bit deeper in the pocket in order to have an angle, right? That way there shouldn't be any worries about the saddle height.

[frank falbo]

I usually route my bolt on neck pockets deeper than Strats, and with a little angle. I like the neck sitting deeper in the body. So I'm doing it for a different reason. I want the neck closer in. It also makes upper access a little easier because there's less distance between the heel and the fret tops. So if you took the neck down to where the fretboard was almost touching, you could have a pretty good angle. Just watch that you have enough room to lower your neck pickup. I fyou have a pickguard you'll have to cut the pickguard around the fretboard extension, not the neck heel.

As for the mic stand element, I use a boom, or otherwise (gasp) I have one of those "dorky" Garth Brooks, Madonna, Britney Spears wireless headsets. Although I usually only break that out when I'm playing both lap steel and regular guitar. It's like wearing a pink shirt. If you're secure enough in your manhood, you can get away with anything!

Seriously if you've ever worn one it's totally liberating, and limiting at the same time. You have to mute it whenever you're not using it because it picks up your breath like an obscene phone call. Also I've perfected breathing out of the "other side" of my mouth, kind of like when a smoker is trying to direct their smoke off to the side.