2.5itim Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 1 hour ago, ScottR said: That's a handy skill you have there. For bridge placement, I typically run the high E saddle forward towards the nut about 80% of its travel. Then measure the scale length from the inside edge of the nut to the break point on that high E saddle. Mark it and mount my bridge there. That's for a hardtail type bridge. TOMs start in the same place, but the low E side angles back slightly as well. SR Ok that sounds a bit easier than I'm making it out to be in my head. And the break point on the saddle would be where the string actually leaves the saddle? So here where my pen is at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah Scott, the trades that I've learned over the years have definitely come in handy, ecspecially for someone like me that always has to be tinkering with something. With that being said I really think I am just gonna start making my own bridges/tremolos. It's such a simple thing and it's hard to justify spending $75-$150 on them when I could make one myself in about an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 I wish I had local access to a Bridgeport or other mill. I want to build one of these (Solidworks render): ....but 5-string 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 For those hipshot bridges, i use the screw holes as the measurement. I have found that putting the screw holes right at 1.25" past the scale length works perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 3 minutes ago, killemall8 said: For those hipshot bridges, i use the screw holes as the measurement. I have found that putting the screw holes right at 1.25" past the scale length works perfectly. That's what I was looking for!! So if I put the center of the 3 screw holes at 26.75" I should have no problem intonating it? yeah pro, it really does come in handy! We have 5 manual Bridgeport mills here and 8 manual lathes I am almost always over there making something for myself. Although for something like that I would probably just bust it out on the cnc ecspecially since you already have it in solid works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 I'm bringing a case of beer and a sleeping bag. On second thoughts, maybe not a sleeping bag. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 1 hour ago, 2.5itim said: Ok that sounds a bit easier than I'm making it out to be in my head. And the break point on the saddle would be where the string actually leaves the saddle? So here where my pen is at? Exactly. You'll probably find the K's screw hole measurement leaves it in pretty much the same place. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Haha pro, come on over,It's just a short trip across a pond!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 I was originally planning on making a new bridge and using my Hipshot saddles on it but then I remembered the lady got me this bridge for Valentine's Day and she would be pretty sad if I didn't use it on this so this is what I came up with, it's just a 1/8" spacer to raise my bridge up a little bit. I was super busy at work today and I couldn't stay late so I had to do this while my cnc was running, needless to say I didn't have a lot of time and it's not my best work but it'll do the job! now it's off to powder coating. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Some bridges come with an optional baseplate like the one you've made, very nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 (edited) 3 hours ago, psikoT said: Some bridges come with an optional baseplate like the one you've made, very nice... Thanks man much appreciated!! I didn't know they sold these, at least now I know for sure it'll work lol I was able to get all my wiring holes drilled, input jack drilled and tuner holes drilled tonight, angling the drill bit into the toggle cavity worked perfectly just like y'all said it would. I need to go buy a 3/4" forstner bit tomorrow (it seems to be the only one that I don't have) to inset the input jack, these tuners are just extras I have laying around for mockup, my black ones are in the mail along with my black input jack and my pots. Now I just need to get my bridge spacer back from powdercoating, get the bridge mounted, buy pickups, finish sand, lacquer finish, make my electrical covers out of aluminum/powdercoating them and figure out this bridge and we should be all done!! Edited February 27, 2016 by 2.5itim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted February 27, 2016 Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 Correction, I meant 3/4" past the scale. I hope i caught you in time. I put it at 26.25" for a 25.5" scale. Sorry for the mixup. I was thinking of a wrong scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 I'm also wanting to do some inlay work on the headstock, could y'all give me some pointers? The end of the headstock is kind of an important part on this because if I do end up putting a name to this and end up making more guitars the swoosh would be an important part of my "guitar name" so I was just wanting to inlay a swoosh to follow the end of the headstock I just have no idea how to do inlays so if y'all could give me some advice or tutorials I'd be greatly appreciative!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted February 27, 2016 Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 8 hours ago, 2.5itim said: That's what I was looking for!! So if I put the center of the 3 screw holes at 26.75" I should have no problem intonating it? yeah pro, it really does come in handy! We have 5 manual Bridgeport mills here and 8 manual lathes I am almost always over there making something for myself. Although for something like that I would probably just bust it out on the cnc ecspecially since you already have it in solid works. Correction, I meant 3/4" past the scale. I hope i caught you in time. I put it at 26.25" for a 25.5" scale. Sorry for the mixup. I was thinking of a wrong scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 22 minutes ago, killemall8 said: Correction, I meant 3/4" past the scale. I hope i caught you in time. I put it at 26.25" for a 25.5" scale. Sorry for the mixup. I was thinking of a wrong scale. No problemo man! I haven't installed it yet, I'm waiting on my spacer to come back from powdercoating before mounting it, so we are all good lol! I will go ahead and put it at 26.25" thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 27, 2016 Report Share Posted February 27, 2016 5 hours ago, 2.5itim said: No problemo man! I haven't installed it yet, I'm waiting on my spacer to come back from powdercoating before mounting it, so we are all good lol! I will go ahead and put it at 26.25" thank you. I usually do a 'just in case' double check on something as important as this. I suggest you pencil where the bridge will be and then double check using @ScottR 's method. My method is similar to Scott's. I wind the top E to almost full travel forward, I place the bridge at scale length for that saddle and then make sure that there is at least enough travel for the bottom E saddle to be at scale length + 4mm. My double check is then to measure one of my guitars of the same scale and see if it matches with a tad of extra adjustment either way forwards or backwards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 @Andyjr1515, I will definitely use yalls way to double check myself before installing the bridge. Today I was able to get the back of the body rounded over, I wasn't originally planning on doing this but I started thinking about it and figured I would like to give it a try. this actually turned out to be quite hard on this guitar, for some reason my top of my body is completely flat and level but the back laminate of the body has a slight bow to it and I just found out about this while using the router table. This doesn't particularly bother me because it isn't noticeable just looking at the guitar but it did make today's tasks pretty hard to do. So I ended up setting my router height, cutting a few inches, resetting my router height and so on and so on. All together after cleaning it up with my rasp and sand paper it turned out great. I finish sanded the body today also, in the close up pic of the top I will post the grain is pretty wavy and you can feel it with your hands. No matter how much I sand it I can't get it flat, any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Maybe a little impractical, however a large board of plywood (1-1/2" to 2" thick) with a wide sanding belt glued to it works. Lasts forever. A lot of expense for one job though. A sanding block, pencil and examining light under a straightedge works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 What did you use for a sanding block? Some woods or grain types are bad about sanding away at different rates, It takes a hard flat sanding block to get these perfectly level. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 I'm just using a short 4" long 2x4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirspens Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 On 2/28/2016 at 4:01 PM, 2.5itim said: I finish sanded the body today also, in the close up pic of the top I will post the grain is pretty wavy and you can feel it with your hands. No matter how much I sand it I can't get it flat, any ideas? As a novice wood worker. I have this problem, too. I was looking at this other day.... And was like, "How the hell did that become this..." When I sand things, they most typically just have less wood, with not much less irregularity. I mean, I understand how it is supposed to work. I just can't seem to make it happen. Still practicing....! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 @sirspens I know exactly what you mean! I still have so much left to learn, and it's really hard on me lol. I normally don't have to try very hard to be good at something. Not being conceded or anything but I'm often told that I'm usually really good at things without much effort but wood working really hasn't been that way for me! But just gotta practice and practice and think about how to fix screw ups instead of just saying f it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 That is one thing I like about wood working is wood can almost always be added back on but in my day job of cutting steel that isn't the case. One screw up there and you just ruined 10's of thousands of dollars in a split second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirspens Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 42 minutes ago, 2.5itim said: @sirspens I know exactly what you mean! I still have so much left to learn, and it's really hard on me lol. I normally don't have to try very hard to be good at something. Not being conceded or anything but I'm often told that I'm usually really good at things without much effort but wood working really hasn't been that way for me! But just gotta practice and practice and think about how to fix screw ups instead of just saying f it! Yeah. Me too. I've always been a quick study and new skills have usually come fairly easily for me. I knew taking on building guitars would be hard. Working with my hands is not one of those things I have ever been good at. That's why I decided to do it. I just have to remind myself of that sometimes. I really want to build a guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 I never sand with my hands unaided. It simply serves to hide problems more than it does to deal with them; sure it knocks off the high spots, but it rounds them out and blends them into one undulating inconsistent surface. Constantly mark the area up with pencil and sand using hard blocks, bits of rubber or other things which are harder than your hand. Pool noodles, squares of thin plywood which bend a little, etc. The pencil stays in the low areas but would otherwise get scrubbed out by fingers. Lighting plays a key role too; having an opposable lamp helps move the light around so you can examine shadows and highlights. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.