how to line up the bridge?

[metallisomething]

how do you line up the bridge (specifically a Tune O Matic) on the body? for instance, when drawing the plans for your guitar (by hand, no CAD) how do you line up the bridge so the nut and stings all line up? the fact that the TOM is staggard 1/8" makes it seem even harder

help!

[litchfield]

I usually attach the neck, and run the E strings or thread in their slots. When it all likes up, mark it, make double sure its right for scale, double check the position and drill the treble side. 74mm from that hole and back 1/8" is the other hole, as toy know TOMs are angled.

Beware, Its 5 am, and that may not make much sense

[skibum5545]

If you have the bridge sitting perpendicular to the centerline, and keep the treble side still while swinging the bass side back 1/8", then your TOM is no longer centered.

Wouldn't a more accurate method be:

1. Draw a line 1/16" back from the bridge line; call it "new bridge line"

3. Using compass, draw arcs centered on the "new bridge line"/center line instersection forward from the treble side and back from the bass side

4. Draw two lines parallel to the "new bridge line", one forward 1/16", one back 1/16"

5. Where the parallel lines intersect their respective arcs is where the posts should be placed.

This not only puts the treble side on the scale length and angles the bass side back 1/8", but it also adjusts for the distance inward both sides go to keep the bridge exactly centered. I didn' do any calculations to figure out how much this really matters, so ant insight on that would be nice

Again, this is not a tried and true method. It just seems to me that it would be more accurate. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. I am posting this as a question for more experienced builders regarding if this is a good method or not. Wait for outside approval.

[litchfield]

tilting the tom, is how it is supposed to be. It moves the high e spacing 1/138 if any

[metallisomething]

I wasent too worried about the TOM tilt, but those are good methods. i was more concerned with just centering the bridge. Im in the middle of drawing plans for my (first) guitar, and i dont quite know how to line up the bridge. My plan is to first draw a line representing the width at nut, then find the center of that line and draw a line perpendicular to the nut. This new center line will serve as a reference point. could i then just draw the bridge line centered on this vertical center line?(then tilt it, right now im just worried about placement)

to do something right you have to do it wrong first, unfortunately with building guitars, theres a lot of money involved.

[Guitar1Jesse]

I think there should be a tutorial made on how to place the bridge... don't hammer me if it's a bad idea!! I just think it would help.

[frank falbo]

I always use strings, because I want the low and high string to be centered from the outsides of the strings to the edge of the fret playing surface. It's just a preference, I'm not saying its the right way. In reality it means there's slight favoring to the treble side to offset the string diameter difference. (about .018") You could use the center of the string. Let's face it though, wood moves. Also many "factory" necks arc to one side or the other, or they aren't perfectly straight along the edge. So you do what's best for each guitar. But I never do it by measuring. I measure the scale length and usually draw that line straight across but that's about it. Any guitar that is "pretty much centered" will play the same.