I designed a "String Spacing Rule" and thought I'd share...

Addison · #1 09-08-2011, 01:56 PM

Yo...

I'm getting a new Badass II bridge soon, and I was trying to figure out what kind of spacing I wanted.

So, I searched the interwebs for a string spacing rule or guide or diagram of some kind, and couldn't find anything. I found some for cutting a new nut... but nothing for bridges.

Anyway... I figured what the heck and decided to make my own using my squishy brain and some design-a-ma-jigs I have on my 'puter.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!!!

It's a pdf, so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.

I designed it for 4 or 5 string bass (sorry 6'ers!) and it is to exact scale, including string guage... so, not only can you use it to help you file slots in a new Badass bridge, but you can use this thing to help you adjust your bridge, if it's adjustable. I used three different "practical" string spacings I could think of... there might be more, but these were the three I thought of that seemed like they would be useful.

* REMEMBER * You just have to change "Page Scaling" to NONE in the print options window before you hit OK to print in order for the document to print to scale. If you're unsure, I added an inch long line for you to use to compare with a ruler.

Anyway... enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!

MisterFabulous · #2 09-08-2011, 02:01 PM

Very cool.

96tbird · #3 09-08-2011, 02:02 PM

Curiosity killed me, so in I came. I have no use for this, what with no new Badass bridges and all, but it is FANTASTIC! Thanks for sharing!

Addison · #4 09-09-2011, 08:59 AM

Thanks for the comments guys!

I printed out a sheet and used it on a couple of my basses last night... I have a Fender CS '64 Jazz with the old style bent plate bridge with threaded saddles and I also have a Mike Lull with a Hipshot adjustable bridge on it.

I was sort of close "eyeing" the spacing and using calipers and a ruler before, but... being able to fold the paper and lay it over top of the strings as they're resting on the saddles was a HUGE help getting the spacing perfect...

I'm really glad I took the time to put this together... hopefully someone else here will get some use out of it.

Grantrudd · #5 09-09-2011, 09:07 AM

great idea! one comment i have is maybe add a centerline for each string. maybe a little red line, or even white running down the center of the black lines so you dont have to eyeball the center of the string for cutting or marking the starter slots. it might make things a bit more exact. i will definitely be using this!

gastric · #6 09-09-2011, 09:12 AM

Super nice work. A similar ruler comes with every Roland GK divided bass pickup. Makes it super easy to simply hold up to your strings to determine the spacing.

Addison · #7 09-09-2011, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grantrudd

great idea! one comment i have is maybe add a centerline for each string. maybe a little red line, or even white running down the center of the black lines so you dont have to eyeball the center of the string for cutting or marking the starter slots. it might make things a bit more exact. i will definitely be using this!

That's a great suggestion, and I actually tried that, but... it got to be a little too much on the eyes... it was hard to look at and "process" having each of the strings split down the middle.

The way I envisioned this would work on a Badass installation would be to lay it over top of the strings to get the spacing right on a single string, hold that string in place, and then mark each side if the string, center-mark between those marks, and then file away.

On a bridge with adjustable spacing, you can fold the paper and lay it over top and use it as a guide.

Here's a pic I just took with the paper laying over top of an old Badass II... sorry if it looks backwards... I'm a lefty.

You can see it's a little off... I filed this Badass II about 10 years ago using 19mm "Edge-to-Edge" spacing (bottom edge of one string to the bottom edge of the next) and I came pretty close.

I think if I would have had the tools to make something like this then, it would have turned out even better.

BagelBruin · #8 09-09-2011, 10:41 AM

This is so handy! Thanks man!

bobunit · #9 09-09-2011, 11:59 AM

You crazy southpaw!

This is awesome!

Turnaround · #10 09-09-2011, 09:32 PM

This is one of those things that seems so freaking obvious that any number of people should have come up with this long ago. But no one did. Kudos for your vision - beautiful in its simplicity!