Neck Angle Calculator Question

[SamIAmUBUF]

quite a few people have directed me to this neck angle calculator. can anyone explain why the only way ( according to this calculator) to have proper action and a neck angle of zero is to have the bridge height the same as your fretboard height on a flat top guitar. wouldn't your strings just be resting tightly against the fretboard?

To be more specific, this is my challenge:

I have a 1/4" tall fretboard and a 1/2" tall bridge. I want to recess the bridge such that I don't need to angle the neck. to find the proper depth I filled out the form a number of times, reducing the string height by 1/16" each time to simulate a deeper cavity. When I got to 1/4", I realized something must be screwy (it's probably me, but I figured it would be worth asking).

Edited December 8, 2005 by SamIAmUBUF

[verhoevenc]

Yes, they WOULD be resting the the fingerboard then. But I'm guessing what It's finding IS the place where they'd be resting, cause then, between the nut being slightly up higher than the frets, and the ability for all bridges to be raised to a certain degree, I think you'll be fine.

Chris

[SamIAmUBUF]

Yes, they WOULD be resting the the fingerboard then. But I'm guessing what It's finding IS the place where they'd be resting, cause then, between the nut being slightly up higher than the frets, and the ability for all bridges to be raised to a certain degree, I think you'll be fine.

Chris

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what I figured I'd do is set the bridge so it's 1/16" higher than the top of the fretwire at it's lowest setting. that way, I can adjust it up to 3/32"

[Mickguard]

You don't say what bridge you're using? What guitar?

I'm having a similar issue --in my case I'm using a Badass bridge and no neck angle. But my fretboard is set way high above the surface --a good 10-12 millimeters. Even still, at the lowest setting, the Badass is still too tall....I need to drop the bridge about 2 mm to get the strings to touch the frets.

So the choices as I see it are:

1. Recess the bridge studs

2. Machine the Badass so it's thinner

3. Replace it with a lower profile bridge.

4. Machine string grooves into the back of the Badass and deepen the notches in the saddles.

I'll probably go for recessing the studs though, since I like the Badass for this guitar (and it already has Graph Tech saddles and I kind of need those...)

[SamIAmUBUF]

You don't say what bridge you're using? What guitar?

I'm having a similar issue --in my case I'm using a Badass bridge and no neck angle. But my fretboard is set way high above the surface --a good 10-12 millimeters. Even still, at the lowest setting, the Badass is still too tall....I need to drop the bridge about 2 mm to get the strings to touch the frets.

So the choices as I see it are:

1. Recess the bridge studs

2. Machine the Badass so it's thinner

3. Replace it with a lower profile bridge.

4. Machine string grooves into the back of the Badass and deepen the notches in the saddles.

I'll probably go for recessing the studs though, since I like the Badass for this guitar (and it already has Graph Tech saddles and I kind of need those...)

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I'm using an ETS mkIII bridge on my custom 6-string bass

[Mickguard]

I don't see the problem.

This bridge looks like it's for a bass with no neck angle (do angled neck basses exist?).

So what you really need to figure out is how deep to route your neck pocket--and for that, why not just contact ETS? They'll know exactly what you need.

[SamIAmUBUF]

I don't see the problem.

This bridge looks like it's for a bass with no neck angle (do angled neck basses exist?).

So what you really need to figure out is how deep to route your neck pocket--and for that, why not just contact ETS? They'll know exactly what you need.

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it's a through-body. there is no neck pocket

[Setch]

I'm having a similar issue --in my case I'm using a Badass bridge and no neck angle. But my fretboard is set way high above the surface --a good 10-12 millimeters. Even still, at the lowest setting, the Badass is still too tall....I need to drop the bridge about 2 mm to get the strings to touch the frets.

Idch, you've been around here long enough to know the golden rule - draw it out fullsize!! This stuff won't happen to you if you invest 30 minutes in drawing a few lines on a piece of paper... certainly a damn sight easier than recessign studds of machining new saddles!

Listen up people - draw it out fullsize!!! AAAAGHaaaaaaghh!

[Guitarfrenzy]

I always draw it out like Hiscock shows in his book, so far I've never had a problem. But yeah, you should always draw everything out first beforehand.

drawing of the jv-1 to determine neck angle...

[SamIAmUBUF]

I'm having a similar issue --in my case I'm using a Badass bridge and no neck angle. But my fretboard is set way high above the surface --a good 10-12 millimeters. Even still, at the lowest setting, the Badass is still too tall....I need to drop the bridge about 2 mm to get the strings to touch the frets.

Idch, you've been around here long enough to know the golden rule - draw it out fullsize!! This stuff won't happen to you if you invest 30 minutes in drawing a few lines on a piece of paper... certainly a damn sight easier than recessign studds of machining new saddles!

Listen up people - draw it out fullsize!!! AAAAGHaaaaaaghh!

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I did, but I had the wrong measurements for the bridge.

chill, we all remember the golden rule

[SamIAmUBUF]

I suggest we close this topic. I got the answer I was looking for, and that's all that I really cared to hear. For the record, I planned this out very thoroughly. Unfortunately, as you all should know by now, things don't always go as planned. I'm simply making a correction to compensate for bad information I was given.

Edited December 8, 2005 by SamIAmUBUF

[Mickguard]

Idch, you've been around here long enough to know the golden rule - draw it out fullsize!!

←

Yeah I had things pretty well planned out-- but I've got this bad habit of changing my mind as I get into it (well, I look at it as allowing the project to evolve...hey, I'm an artist, not a craftsman!)

In this case, I got nervous about the strength of my neck joint (when I discovered that my set neck was a false set neck after all) and decided to lower the neck deeper into the body, which is why the Badass now stands a bit too tall (but I was prepared for that eventuality --that's why I have two other wraparound style to bridges here to choose from, both offer a lower profile, both fit the studs...but now that I think about it, I like the idea of recessing the studs, I think it'll end up looking great).

SamIAM: sorry, you can't close a thread when it gets a bit warm for you...on the other hand, this is all a learning process for a lot of us, it's only normal that people will make mistakes --that's how you learn-- and no one here will put you down for that.

But it does help to give more info upfront --like the fact that you're working on a neckthrough and the type of bridge, etc.

[SamIAmUBUF]

Idch, you've been around here long enough to know the golden rule - draw it out fullsize!!

←

Yeah I had things pretty well planned out-- but I've got this bad habit of changing my mind as I get into it (well, I look at it as allowing the project to evolve...hey, I'm an artist, not a craftsman!)

In this case, I got nervous about the strength of my neck joint (when I discovered that my set neck was a false set neck after all) and decided to lower the neck deeper into the body, which is why the Badass now stands a bit too tall (but I was prepared for that eventuality --that's why I have two other wraparound style to bridges here to choose from, both offer a lower profile, both fit the studs...but now that I think about it, I like the idea of recessing the studs, I think it'll end up looking great).

SamIAM: sorry, you can't close a thread when it gets a bit warm for you...on the other hand, this is all a learning process for a lot of us, it's only normal that people will make mistakes --that's how you learn-- and no one here will put you down for that.

But it does help to give more info upfront --like the fact that you're working on a neckthrough and the type of bridge, etc.

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the type of bridge/neck joint are completely irrelevant to my question. I just wanted to know what measurement the neck angle calculator is indicating.

As for why I want to close this topic; there are roughly 80 threads about neck angles. I see no reason to have another one conveying the exact same information.

[rhoads56]

As for why I want to close this topic; there are roughly 80 threads about neck angles. I see no reason to have another one conveying the exact same information.

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Next time maybe take your own advice and do that search then huh? these neck angle thread repeats ARE getting to be ridiculous.

Edited December 9, 2005 by rhoads56