whisky182 Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 i'm new to using tune-o-matic style bridges, i need to know evrything about them to fix 1 on to a custom guitar that i'm building 1the distance between the 12th fret and the bridge, 2 the distance between the 12th fret and the saddle 3 the angle which the bridge has to be put at 4 any other information (no matter how useless it is, it might be important) cheers to anyone who helps, and i need this info QUICK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 run a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 A forum search or a CAD drawing from www.guitarbuild.com should answer all your questions if your prepared to learn as you go. The length from the 12th fret to where the strings run through the grooves (saddles?) in the TOM bridge will depend on the scale length of the guitar your building. However the length from the 12th fret to the saddles (refer to previous (?)) should be identical to the length from the inside of the nut to the 12th fret on your neck regardless of what scale the neck is - Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 The length from the 12th fret to where the strings run through the grooves in the TOM bridge will depend on the scale length of the guitar your building. However the length from the 12th fret to the bridge should be identical to the length from the inside of the nut to the 12th fret on your neck regardless of what scale the neck is What part of the bridge are you referring to??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Sweet baby jingles... It depends on the guitar, dude. For all of those questions. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 The length from the 12th fret to where the strings run through the grooves in the TOM bridge will depend on the scale length of the guitar your building. However the length from the 12th fret to the bridge should be identical to the length from the inside of the nut to the 12th fret on your neck regardless of what scale the neck is What part of the bridge are you referring to??? The part where the strings contact it... like... the tips... probably called the saddles, and thats probably why you asked the question... to pay me out now im all nervous cause i dont know if i was right or not in what i said!! AHHRRRGGG PLEASE DONT KILL MEE!!! I guess ill just shut up Its just i was tired and you never know when the people are asking questions like that whether they actually know what they are asking.... i can sorta see now how my answer would have been confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 The length from the 12th fret to where the strings run through the grooves in the TOM bridge will depend on the scale length of the guitar your building. However the length from the 12th fret to the bridge should be identical to the length from the inside of the nut to the 12th fret on your neck regardless of what scale the neck is What part of the bridge are you referring to??? The part where the strings contact it... like... the tips... probably called the saddles, and thats probably why you asked the question... to pay me out now im all nervous cause i dont know if i was right or not in what i said!! AHHRRRGGG PLEASE DONT KILL MEE!!! I guess ill just shut up Its just i was tired and you never know when the people are asking questions like that whether they actually know what they are asking.... i can sorta see now how my answer would have been confusing. Yes, it would have been better to pass on answering the question, because the answer you gave was incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 hmm well, if i assume you didnt have a condesending tone when you said that, thanks for letting me know with a bit of respect. Could you please let me know why it was wrong, becuase i know your thinking that probably think i know everything and thats why i tried to answer the thread-starters question, but thats not the case and the only reason i answered is because its the one thing so far that ive had to specifically research for the building of my first guitar, and i got the answers to my questions (which were very similar to this guys questions) from this forum and i trusted them. So yeah, it would be helpful to have my answer corrected so i know for my own project. Thanks - Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 i'm doind it to the same scale as an epephone flying v (22 fret) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Could you please let me know why it was wrong, because only one part of a t.o.m. bridge is at the actual scale length....i put the high e stud post at the exact scale length,then i put the top post about 1/8" to 3/16" further away than that then you intonate from there a forum search is sometimes the most useful tool for quick answers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 The intonated length can never be shorter than the scale length. So, position the high e saddle to its shortest position (ie: string length) and place the bridge there. That saddle will either be perfect (unlikely), or have to move backwards. If you do it like this, you have the full saddle adjustment in your favour. If you position the bridge so that the saddle is in its middle of its own travel, when its at the scale length (not intonated length), you've got only half the adjustment. If you use heavy guage strings, or want a high action, the intonated length will be longer than average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 So the intoned length is never less than the scale length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 So the intoned length is never less than the scale length? thats correct... NEVER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 i'm kindda getting this now, so what's the scale length for a flying v?! then what distance do i need to set the bridge from the 12th fret?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 i'm kindda getting this now, ...... then what distance do i need to set the bridge from the 12th fret?! If your asking that question, your not getting it yet, re-read the thread. Do you have a set of plans that you have either purchased, or drawn yourself?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 can someone please put the answers in to idiot proof language?! what do i need to tell you to get the answers i want?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 can someone please put the answers in to idiot proof language?! what do i need to tell you to get the answers i want?! dude, the answers are all there. IF you dont yet understand it, re-read it all until you do. Follow the links also. It cant be made ANY easier for you, unless i build the guitar for you myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 unless i build the guitar for you myself. you'd do that, for me?! say (for sake of argument) the distance from the 12th fret and the nut is 20 inch, then the hight e post has to be 20inch away from the 12th fret, and the low e post has to be 20&1/8 inch from the 12th fret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 unless i build the guitar for you myself. you'd do that, for me?! say (for sake of argument) the distance from the 12th fret and the nut is 20 inch, then the hight e post has to be 20inch away from the 12th fret, and the low e post has to be 20&1/8 inch from the 12th fret why are you measuring from the 12th fret?measure from the nut.if the scale length of the guitar is 25.5" then that is how far from the nut you place the high e post and i have never seen a 40" scale guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 I'll try to simply re-state what has already been said, and add one new bit of info: First the new bit: I believe a flying V is 24.75" scale. Let's assume for a second that it is. [edit: I posted during Wes' post... it may well be 25.5"! ] Then, Rhoads56's bit: on your TOM, turn the screw so that the high 'E' saddle is as far forward (toward the headstock/nut) as possible. The contact point (the top of the saddle) will be either 24.75" away from the nut, if you measure it that way, or 12.375" away from the 12th fret (the 12th fret is the halfway point...) if you measure it that way. Then, as per Wes' post, to get the most intonatable bridge possible, angle the bridge back a little bit, moving the post of the bass side like 1/8"-3/16" or so, keeping the post on the treble side where it already is. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Also, why do you need the info so quick? If it's something you're building for yourself, you should take your time and do it right. If it's something you're doing for someone else as a gift, they'd appreciate the extra time more than if you gave it to them exactly on their anniversary/birthday/whatever. If it's something you're getting PAID to do, and have been given a deadline... well, frankly I don't think you should be doing it at all. Even before I started building a guitar, I had a few of the basic concepts of guitars IN GENERAL in my head. eg. that the 12th fret is the halfway point... Good luck, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 I'd just like to jump in and say thanks to you chaps, even though I didn't ask the question, as this thread has been really useful. Ta chaps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 GregP, you are a god! (thanks everyone else, but GregP put it in to fool proof language for me!) i'm doing this for a friend, they're supplying me with all the bits, all i need to do is make a body and fix it together, and they want it ASAP! i'll post pics when it's done (it's not a flying v, but it's gonna use the same scale and pieces!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 [edit: I posted during Wes' post... it may well be 25.5"! ] well i just used that as an example...i believe the gibson flying v is a 24.75 as you say...but a simple search would find that out for the guy asking th question 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.