bridge palcement mistake.

[Iritan]

Hey, I just recently put together a Warmoth bass, and after building it, I went to intonate it and natrually I discover that I put the bridge to high. So, I removed it and moved it down a bit. Well it still won't intonate correctlly. I measured to make sure that the bridge is the same distance from the 12th fret as the nut is, and it is actually a bit further.*

I really don't want to put five new holes in my bass if at all possible, is there another action I could take?

*just to clarify, the strings are too sharp, so I need the string to be longer than my bridge will allow.

[Ric5]

It is basic geometry ... you need to move the bridge so it will intonate.

[pilotjones]

You want the bridge to be placed so that when the saddles are all the way in their full forward (neck-ward) position, the witness points are on the virtual bridge line that is found by doubling the nut-12 distance. Then, with any reasonably normal bridge, you will have enough room to move the saddles backward to intonate.

[Bubba Ghanoosh]

Are you installing the bridge so it (the bridge) is 2x the distance of the nut to the 12th fret?
I would think it should be installed so that the bridge SADDLES are at that distance (making sure, of course, that the saddles are at their mid adjustment point on the bridge so they can be tweaked one way or the other for proper intonation).

[Iritan]

Okay, looks like I'm moving it. That being said, will all these excess holes cause problems?

[fenderfunker]

You put your 'L' in the wrong place too......Placement.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by Iritan

That being said, will all these excess holes cause problems?

Yes, but only if You can't think of any clever explanation as why the holes are there.

Otherwise people will make fun of You to no end. I personally know that as a fact .

Regards
Sam

[pilotjones]

Originally Posted by Bubba Ghanoosh

(making sure, of course, that the saddles are at their mid adjustment point on the bridge so they can be tweaked one way or the other for proper intonation).

Wrong. On the one hand, from the theory standpoint that the saddles should only have to go long to intonate, never short. Beyond this, I once did a poll to get actual experience from builders. The result was that in actual, real life: they only go long, never short.

Even the builders who said that they install the bridge with a tiny bit of forward motion available - just in case - said they have never used it.

[torquil]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Wrong. On the one hand, from the theory standpoint that the saddles should only have to go long to intonate, never short. Beyond this, I once did a poll to get actual experience from builders. The result was that in actual, real life: they only go long, never short.

Yes, that's because the string is stretched by a tiny amount as you fret, not the opposite.

Torquil

[Rickett Customs]

Actually, Don't place the saddles "all the way forward". Leave them a few turns back. If you ever change to different strings (light to heavies, etc). You'll thanks yourself later.

[mikeyswood]

The extra holes will cause a noticeable drop in mid-hump.

[Rocinante_x1]

Hmmm... Howard Moon....

[rdrr]

As others have said you should be measuring the length to the saddles of the bridge, if you dont know which part are the saddles stop what your doing as it'll just cause you more problems. Measure down from the nut to the proper scale length, draw a line across at this point, push saddles out to just about their furthest point an align them on the line you just drew, check for proper string alignment to the bridge on the sides, drill and screw.


As far as the extra holes go as long as they are not so close together that there is a structural integrity issue with the screws in their correct position they should be fine. Just tell everyone that the bass is chambered to reduce weight

[mongo2]

Extra holes = Surface elevation adjustments at specific harmonic nodes to cancel superfluous exostatic dynamicism.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[pilotjones]

Originally Posted by rdrr

As others have said you should be measuring the length to the saddles of the bridge, if you dont know which part are the saddles stop what your doing as it'll just cause you more problems.

Just to be extra clear here, one guy knew the difference between the bridge and the saddles, but then made the mistake of lining up the leading edge of the saddles to the virtual bridge line, even though the witness point on those saddles was set back from the leading edge.

The witness point is the point where vibrating portion of the string first makes contact with the saddle. This is what must be aligned to the virtual bridge line.

[Rickett Customs]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Just to be extra clear here,

The witness point is the point where vibrating portion of the string first makes contact with the saddle. This is what must be aligned to the virtual bridge line.

Quite right, but then I'm used to fellas that already know this too.

[Band Dad]

If you're now moving your bridge toward the butt of your bass, won't the wrongly drilled holes then be covered by the bridge?

To those who've suggested that the proper mounting of a bridge requires that the saddles be extended to close to their full extension: thanks. That may have helped my own situation. I just measured three stock bass and find that they do, indeed, favor an initial saddle position toward full extension (minus a bit).

[Bubba Ghanoosh]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Wrong. On the one hand, from the theory standpoint that the saddles should only have to go long to intonate, never short. Beyond this, I once did a poll to get actual experience from builders. The result was that in actual, real life: they only go long, never short.

Even the builders who said that they install the bridge with a tiny bit of forward motion available - just in case - said they have never used it.

Originally Posted by torquil

Yes, that's because the string is stretched by a tiny amount as you fret, not the opposite.

Torquil

Originally Posted by Rickett Customs

Actually, Don't place the saddles "all the way forward". Leave them a few turns back. If you ever change to different strings (light to heavies, etc). You'll thanks yourself later.

Huh. Good to know. Thanks!

[Iritan]

I moved it, it intonates perfectly now. And yes the holes are under the bridge, I wasn't worried about anything cosmetically, and they don't seem to be causing any structuraly damage or shift in sound, so all is well and successful.