Neck Angle Mistake

[angry_jeremy]

So... I made a noob mistake and didn't check the neck angle on my guitar before gluing up the neck. You know the saying 'haste makes waste', well I was trying furiously to finish the guitar before I moved away from easy shop access. Anyhow, I got it finished and threw on the bridge and discovered the mistake. I then proceeded to make the TOM bridge recessed. It was planned as a string-through so no change needed there. A word to the wise about string through/TOM combos: Make sure the strings can actually cover the distance they need to! From my high E string on the 6 in line headstock to the ferrule on the back of the guitar is about 2" short of a new string's length. A near miss.

Back to the original topic, is there another option other than removing the neck or just the fretboard? I've thought about recessing some kind of flat bridge like a hardtail Strat kind but there's that route I made and the post holes for the TOM. Sounds like I may be up the famous creek with no paddle...

[bluesy]

So... I made a noob mistake and didn't check the neck angle on my guitar before gluing up the neck. You know the saying 'haste makes waste', well I was trying furiously to finish the guitar before I moved away from easy shop access. Anyhow, I got it finished and threw on the bridge and discovered the mistake. I then proceeded to make the TOM bridge recessed. It was planned as a string-through so no change needed there. A word to the wise about string through/TOM combos: Make sure the strings can actually cover the distance they need to! From my high E string on the 6 in line headstock to the ferrule on the back of the guitar is about 2" short of a new string's length. A near miss.

Back to the original topic, is there another option other than removing the neck or just the fretboard? I've thought about recessing some kind of flat bridge like a hardtail Strat kind but there's that route I made and the post holes for the TOM. Sounds like I may be up the famous creek with no paddle...

Would one of those "ashtray" type bridges from a Telecaster fit, and cover the holes for the TOM and it's posts?

[Geo]

To a point, I think you can recess a new bridge. If you have a flat neck angle, I don't see why you'd need to recess a flat Strat type bridge.

Note... if you use a Strat hardtail, your string-thru problem will be fixed, I think.

This is an illustration of the need to plan the build completely.

[fryovanni]

What type of neck joint are you using? If it is a bolt on just make a shim and derive the proper angle. If it is a neck through, probably best to deal with the bridge. If it is a set neck, the better solution would depend on the way the joint is made up, but disasembling a glued neck joint and shimming may be a easier solution than screwing around with the bridge. Time to slow it down and choose the best solution.

Rich

[angry_jeremy]

It's a set neck that's been set for a while so getting it out would be disastrous I think. Recessing a Fender type bridge might be the way to go. Bah, I hate stupid mistakes.

[eddiewarlock]

recess the TOM, if you put another bridge it'll look like crap best of luck

[angry_jeremy]

It's recessed already...

[imott]

It's recessed already...

Newb stepping in here...Thinking "Out-of-the-Box"...

Maybe recess the ferrules on the back bringing them closer to the front. Therefore, requiring less string.

PEACE

i

[angry_jeremy]

Well the string length is not the issue. It almost was and I thought I'd share that tidbit to others who are planning on using the ferrules with a TOM to consider the length of a string when figuring out where to put the ferrules on the top and back.

[eddiewarlock]

maybe you can recess the hell out of that TOM??

[Mickguard]

Well the string length is not the issue. It almost was and I thought I'd share that tidbit to others who are planning on using the ferrules with a TOM to consider the length of a string when figuring out where to put the ferrules on the top and back.

So I'm not sure I understand what the issue is then, if it's not the string length.

Are you saying that recessing the bridge didn't work?

Might help if you put up some photos.

[imott]

Well the string length is not the issue. It almost was and I thought I'd share that tidbit to others who are planning on using the ferrules with a TOM to consider the length of a string when figuring out where to put the ferrules on the top and back.

In your original post you said, "Make sure the strings can actually cover the distance they need to! From my high E string on the 6 in line headstock to the ferrule on the back of the guitar is about 2" short of a new string's length. A near miss."

Sounds like you were saying that the string was 2" too short. Pix?

[bluesy]

In your original post you said, "Make sure the strings can actually cover the distance they need to! From my high E string on the 6 in line headstock to the ferrule on the back of the guitar is about 2" short of a new string's length. A near miss."

Sounds like you were saying that the string was 2" too short. Pix?

I read that as saying the distance, as he described it, is 2" short of a string length, or IOW the string is 2" longer than that distance.

[Mickguard]

I read that as saying the distance, as he described it, is 2" short of a string length, or IOW the string is 2" longer than that distance.

Ah, okay, makes more sense. I think instead of 'near miss' he meant 'close call'.

Maybe they don't teach English in the frozen Canadian wasteland. Greg?

[bluesy]

I read that as saying the distance, as he described it, is 2" short of a string length, or IOW the string is 2" longer than that distance.

Ah, okay, makes more sense. I think instead of 'near miss' he meant 'close call'.

Maybe they don't teach English in the frozen Canadian wasteland. Greg?

As an Aussie, I'll defend his English Near miss means it nearly missed out on being long enough - but instead, it just made it!

[jmrentis]

My take on what he said was he decided to switch from a string thru guitar to using a wrap around, hardtail, or tailpiece or whatever. If he had used the string thru idea the distance from the top tuner, the high E, to the ferrule in the back of the guitar would have been longer than the string, but since he decided against a string thru guitar, the string was long enough. Near miss seemed an accurate description to me, since he was able to switch to a different way to secure the string ends at that point, it was a near miss cause if it was all drilled out and there was no turning back, then it would have been a bummer, but since he wasn't at a point of no return just yet, it was a near miss. I dunno, sounds alright to me, though close call would work fine as well.

Out of curiosity, what type of tuners are you using? I was just wonder if you were using locking tuners or not. Not that the wraps on the post would come to 2inches, but locking tuners would free up a little bit of string length. As for the neck angle, see how close a normal hardtail puts you, I'd imagine you could recess it some, but that'd be really close to the body, the pickups would have to be bottomed out and no pup rings. There was a thread recently were someone had a "so-called luthier" unglue a set neck. It can be done without any damage and then the neck angle can be reset appropiately. If you don't feel comfortable, see if there is a qualified local luthier that could just unglue it for you. Just a thought. Best of luck. J

PS: Have you put a finish on the guitar and everything or is it not that far yet?

Edited July 28, 2008 by jmrentis

[Mickguard]

As an Aussie, I'll defend his English Near miss means it nearly missed out on being long enough - but instead, it just made it!

Yeah, guess I'm just a 'glass half full' kind of guy...

[angry_jeremy]

Whoa, sorry for the confusion. The guitar is and was always intended to be a string through TOM job. My strings fit, but just barely. That bit was more of a 'word to the wise' thing. Something that I never considered and figured prolley other people might miss it on theirs. Unless of course they read this confusing thread.

My strings = OK. You might think about checking yours also if planning a string through.

I have recessed the TOM to the point where the intonation screws are at the top surface of the guitar, any farther and I will have to make some accommodation to allow adjusting these screws. The guitar is painted, cleared, buffed, etc. which makes it a double pain in the butt to do any further modding. The neck has been glued for almost a year now... I don't know how to remove it -nicely-. Sure you can whack it out and wreck it but to get it out then back in is another thing.