Neck Through Electric "neck Design"

[paintballbballlax]

I am in the process of bulding a neck through 24 fret guitar. The question that I keep running into is about the scale length and bridge placement. I am building a Les Paul, all coustom with a "Tonepros" bridge. I am worried about intonation. I have noticed that many Tonepros are tilted slightly is this the case or am i seeing things. If so how much is it tilted? When i enter in my scale lengh into the calcultor this could technically be any length, correct? In order for me to get the intonation perfect i must install the bridge and nut, then calculate the distance from the nut to fret one, two, three...? All the measurements are taken from center or from the end of the nut to the end of the bridge?

Thank you,

paintballbballlax

[joshvegas]

lespauls have an angled neck i would guess this is what is making you think the bridge is tilted backwards.

There are threads relating to bridge placement that are very recent i'd recommend doing a search on the forum but you would typically measure from the fret side of the nut along the high e string to the saddle this should be the scale length but make sure you have some adjustment in the bridge the low e path will be slightly longer I think setch said recently that the bass side of the bridge is "a bit" further away from the nut.

Just to make things more confusing gibson state a funny scale length which isn't actually the true scale length because they compensate for the stretch of the strings when they are fretted. so the fret placements don't actually match the scale length exactly but thats only really important if you are working on a gibson i'd guess.

Someone will say it so i may aswell say it first have you baught yourself Melvyn hiscocks book "make your own electric guitar? and if you have check out page 14 to 16. if you haven't i'd really recommend someone here even has two copies!

edited for clarity....

Edited March 13, 2008 by joshvegas

[Rick500]

The distance between the fretboard side of the nut and the 12th fret, multiplied by 2, is the scale length.

Move your bridge saddles to the middle of their range of travel, or even a little forward of the middle (forward being toward the nut). The bridge should be installed so that the high E saddle will be right on the scale length. Since you've moved the saddles to the middle (or a little forward) of their travel, you'll have a little room to play with, to get the intonation adjusted once it's strung up.

You can angle the bridge 1/16" to 1/8", the bass side being angled backward away from the nut by that far, to give yourself a little more possible intonation adjustment room on the lower strings.

Edited March 13, 2008 by Rick500

[joshvegas]

have i misunderstood what you meant by tilted?

[Rick500]

I assumed he meant that the bass side was moved back further than the treble side, not that the bridge looked bent over on its posts.

[joshvegas]

well either way i think the question has been answered!

I still say buy the book though!

[paintballbballlax]

Thanks guys, Rick got it right by what i meant by tilted, thats omitted from the majority of the online resources. when all the frets are measure out, including your reference to the scale length are measured to the middle of the fret WIRE correct?

Edited March 17, 2008 by paintballbballlax