Upgrading my NK headless guitar

[flashriprock]

I then drilled out the four bridge screw holes to a uniform diameter and filled them with dowels.  I didn't worry too much about sanding them flush because I knew I would be routing out this area for the new bridge install.

[flashriprock]

Headless bridge hardware tends to be a little pricey, averaging $200-300.  When one considers they also represent replacement tuners, however, they’re perhaps not as expensive as they first appear.  I’ll quickly run through the competing non-tremolo systems I found when researching this.  Prices shown are for mid-2018 for 6-string installs. Systems fall into two categories: single-piece bridges, and individual saddle systems.

[flashriprock]

Single-Piece Bridges

• Hipshot bridge-only ($240), with head piece ($350)
  • Expensive, but a very well-reviewed system.  Standard equipment on all of Kiesel’s headless guitars.  Seems like the best premium choice in the single-piece bridge category.
  • 
• ABM tuner + separate bridge ($220).  Head pieces extra.
  • Tuner and specs
  • Bridge and specs
• Mera Submarine III (price unknown)
  • Hybrid concept.  Features a single baseplate and separate slots for individual saddles for each string.
  • 

[flashriprock]

Individual Saddle Systems

• Strandberg Bridge
  • Nope – I tried.  Apparently they used to sell their hardware separately, but no more.  The only want to get Strandberg hardware is to buy a Strandberg guitar.
• Hipshot Solo Guitar Bridge ($300 saddles only)
  • Pricey, and not especially compelling design-wise IMHO.  Full design specs here.
• ABM 3801 ($240 saddles only)
  • Functional, but again, not very compelling to look at IMHO.
• Fanned Fret Headless Bridge Saddles ($180 incl. head pieces)
  • Can be found on eBay.
  • These are intriguing and well-priced. Clearly modeled after Strandberg and T4M.  Quality unknown however.  Don’t see them installed often.
  • 
• Technology 4 Musicians ($190 saddles only, $280 w/ head pieces)
  • Beautifully engineered saddles, and recently redesigned.  Circular ball bearing plates now used at thumb screws so tightening strings is buttery smooth.
  • 

Edited May 26, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

I chose the T4M saddles.  For me, they stood way above the alternatives.  The Hipshot single-piece bridge seemed outstanding and it would have been an easier install, but it would also be the mainstream choice if I ever decide to get a Kiesel Vader for example.  By comparison, the T4M saddles were the most beautifully engineered of the lot, and to my knowledge they are not OEM on any production guitars, except perhaps high end exotics, giving me an opportunity to make something unique.

But, the T4M saddles meant a more challenging install, and I am not a luthier or a wood worker.

The issue is that T4M recommends routing each saddle’s baseplate about 2mm into the body of the guitar.  This is tricky stuff for someone like me with no skills or tools, and so I wouldn’t recommend it for others like me.  But that's OK because I don’t even think it’s necessary to route for the baseplates.  By my calculations, the T4M saddles have the vertical adjustment range to get one’s string height just fine even if they’re sitting on top of the body.

Despite this realization, this was a project and I decided to go for the most challenging install of all – recess the plates, cut each plate’s individual route (as opposed to one large rectangular route), and then stagger each saddle’s distance to roughly follow the natural intonation distances for a set of Ernie Ball 0.10s.

The question was how, and using what tools?

[curtisa]

1 hour ago, flashriprock said:

Despite this realization, this was a project and I decided to go for the most challenging install of all – recess the plates, cut each plate’s individual route (as opposed to one large rectangular route), and then stagger each saddle’s distance to roughly follow the natural intonation distances for a set of Ernie Ball 0.10s.

For a non-fanned bridge layout, that seems overly complicated. There's mountains of intonation adjustment range on the T4M baseplates; there's no need to pre-stagger them for a normal, perpendicular bridge pattern.

To do individual saddles will take a lot of careful planning and cutting. I could see it being done with a brad point or forstener bit of the same diameter as the curved section of each base plate. Drill each end of the body where the saddles are going to be installed to accommodate the baseplate and join the two drilled sections by hogging out with a chisel. At the bare minimum you'd want a drill press to get it looking clean and consistent.

The first time I installed a set of T4Ms I made up a template with an indexable baseplate that matched the spacing and position of the saddles, but I've also got access to a CNC which makes doing this kind of template work fairly trivial. It'd be pretty tough to replicate it freehand, but maybe it will spark siome ideas for you:

 

@Pariahrob was working on a T4M installation for a while. His build uses a square, common recess for all six tuners which looks quite neat. I assume he used a router and some kind of template, which would be easy to replicate using a piece of 1/4" MDF:

 

[flashriprock]

4 hours ago, curtisa said:

For a non-fanned bridge layout, that seems overly complicated. There's mountains of intonation adjustment range on the T4M baseplates; there's no need to pre-stagger them for a normal, perpendicular bridge pattern.

You are so right!  And I'm glad you mention this because the individual saddle route was something I tried hard to avoid, but, it's now the only option with T4M.

Below is a picture of a single baseplate configuration that T4M used to offer.  This set-up was my first choice because it would require just 4 screws and I'd have perfect saddle spacing and lots of intonation range for each saddle.  Unfortunately, they no longer off it.  I corresponded with Alberto, who was very responsive and and helpful, and he said the only option now is to go with individual saddle baseplates.

 

[flashriprock]

@curtisa, thank you for those two posts on your and @Pariahrob's builds.  Those are the best, and only, detailed install posts I've seen for the T4M bridge.  It's clear you both have mad skills to install them as they deserve to be installed.  Makes me wish I could learn to do builds like yours from scratch.

I unfortunately have neither the skills, nor the tools.  And since I've already installed mine in my own clumsy way, I'll just share my experience so others can improve the process.

In my case, I decided to try to route the baseplates using what I had on-hand -- a Dremel.  I wanted to make a template, but 1) I couldn't figure out how a template would work for such a shallow route (the Dremel bit would chew up the template itself because Dremel bits don't have ball bearings like a router bit -- I've since learned these do exist) and 2) I lacked the tools to even cut cleanly through a thick MDF board to make the template.

Then I realized I could make a template based around the Dremel's circular attachment.  I just needed to create a reference guide for where I wanted the routes (which I did in PowerPoint), plus a template for the Dremel (which I cut out of thick frame mat board).  It's a similar concept to the one used by @curtisa in his link above -- just way more crude and DIY.

Here's the guide.

 

[flashriprock]

I sited in the mid point for the bridge using both a laser and thread.  I measured it, re-measured it, and then re-re-measured it.

[flashriprock]

I decided to stick the guide on the guitar and route through it as I went.  I didn't have to, but I figured it would give me additional confirmation that I was on target.  The first thing I did was drill the holes for the plates.  The thinking was that my routes might be slightly off or too snug, and whatever happened I wanted to make sure the baseplates ended up straight and properly spaced.

[flashriprock]

Each time I moved the template I relied on alignment lines at the outside edges of the template and matched them to lines on the underlying guide.

 

[flashriprock]

Here're the routes before final touch up.  They weren't perfect, and that bugged me a lot.  Fortunately, once the baseplates were installed they actually weren't too bad.  The critical routes are around the sides at the edges, and the front, and everything else is obscured by the saddles.

[flashriprock]

[flashriprock]

If others decide to route using a Dremel, one thing I learned was that mine was not sitting perfectly perpendicular to the surface using that crude plastic circular attachment.  I know this because if I rotated the Dremel 90, 180, and 270 degrees, the bit would shave off slightly more around the edges of the route.  If it was perfectly perpendicular, it shouldn't have done this.

You might consider getting this precision router base from StewMac instead.  Here's a link.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

Also, Amana makes 1/8" ball bearing router bits that can fit in a Dremel.  If I'd known this I might have pursued a more traditional template path than I did.  They're available from StewMac here.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

LOCKING HEADPIECES

With the bridge installed, now I needed to install the new T4M locking headpieces.  But first, I'd have to remove the stock piece.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

This left me with four holes, which I filled with dowels.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

I originally planned to stagger each piece in an attempt to be clever.  It just seemed a little boring to line them up in a straight line.

[flashriprock]

I quickly changed my mind however, and I DO NOT recommend staggering them as I did at first.

One of the things I quickly learned was that tightly aligning each of the pieces next to each other gives them rigidity and stability that is not possible when each is independent.  Note too that with the NK headless guitar you will need to trim the center screws because they will otherwise penetrate the truss rod tunnel.  This is another reason to line up the pieces for shared rigidity because the center pieces will have less screw depth than the others.  One bonus was that only one of the four dowel holes was showing after installation.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

NEW NUT

I next decided to replace the nut.  I didn't have to, but I wanted to.  One of the reasons for replacing the bridge was to achieve reliable tuning and I didn't want to skimp for a part that's less than $20.  I wasn't crazy about the stock nut because it was flat, not angled, and it also wasn't sitting perfectly flush in the channel.  I was developing a fairly critical eye by this point after the effort and time with the bridge!

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

I wanted a pre-cut nut and I searched for one that best matched the E-to-E spacing of my stock nut.  That turned out to be the Tusq XL SLOTTED 1 23/32" (Model PT-6114-00).  Note, I deliberately chose the black nut but these come in white too.

I removed my stock nut without any problem because it was not even glued.  It slide right out.

Edited May 27, 2018 by flashriprock

[flashriprock]

The Tusq nut was thicker than my stock one, but after a little sanding I got it to size.

[flashriprock]

[flashriprock]

Here it is almost complete.  One of the things I learned (and you can probably see in these pictures) was that the string height on the low E side of this new nut was a little too high.  I next needed to sand down the bottom of the nut on the low E side to reduce that extra height a little.  Once done, however, it turned out nicely.

[Andyjr1515]

13 hours ago, flashriprock said:

Here it is almost complete.  One of the things I learned (and you can probably see in these pictures) was that the string height on the low E side of this new nut was a little too high.  I next needed to sand down the bottom of the nut on the low E side to reduce that extra height a little.  Once done, however, it turned out nicely.

Look the business.  Interesting seeing in the thread of the iterative process often encountered in unconventional builds, certainly in my own, where the final solution to a task is often quite different to the original thoughts.