How do you adjust your string spacing on a vintage Fender bridge?

[BusyFingers]

You're right. We are all wrong about this.

I didn't say everyone, I meant sbpark and ddnidd. Seriously, their only contribution was to say just do whatever. That's not really appropriate or helpful when someone is looking for specific answers.

If no one has any specific answers, I suppose I will continue to research and see. I just don't like re-inventing the wheel when someone else may have already done it.

 

[BusyFingers]

View attachment 2812466 If you really feel the urge to tweak your string spacing, then you have the wrong bridge. You need one of these... However, with that Fender bridge? As others have said - put the strings on the grooves that make you happy with your string spacing. Then measure it carefully; write it down; and move on to your next obsession. There is no universally optimal, carved-in-stone spacing that makes us all universally happy; sorry...However; to answer your original question: how do I adjust the string spacing on a vintage Fender bridge (or any other bridge, for that matter)? I don't, really. I get some tension on the strings, so that they're straight between the nut slot and the anchor point in the bridge/tailpiece; and let the string spacing more or less adjust itself. On most of my 22 basses, string spacing adjustment isn't really an option, anyway. It just is what it is. Don't let me stand in the way of your obsession; I understand perfectly where you're coming from. And most of us here do, too. We just don't want to see a fellow bass player get so carried away that he loses track of the object of the exercise - which is, to play the thing...

I considered one of those big honkin bridges with all the sideways adjustments, but then I thought about how heavy they are. Then I came upon that vintage threaded bridge, and it was nickel, see, and I like patina. So I'm hoping for the day 'Tina will show up on my bass because all the hardware is nickel.

But... I asked the question because I heard someone suggest these vintage style bridges are good for adjusting for string spacing. I thought maybe there was a standard approach, but I can always just experiment or just let them lay wherever seems straight and see if it's good enough.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Come on, dude. Can't you see I'm getting trolled here? I was hoping you would come back with some insight about string spacing for these vintage style bridges.

As far as "standard" set-up specs go, I mean typical. You know, like how the instrument is supposed to come from the factory:

How do I set up my bass guitar properly?

Some people like extreme adjustments (like those guys who always talk about having super high strings do around here). I'm not like that. I'm very, well, typical, in my choice of set-up specifications.

Standard string spacing on vintage Fenders were 3/4". Or, as close as one can get with the segmented saddles. I believe this was from C-C of the strings. Note that the strings, often (most of the time, actually), did not align perfectly with the pickup pole pieces.

I didn't say everyone, I meant sbpark and ddnidd.

Oh, sorry. I though most of us were trying to be helpful, though. There is a lot variations on what works best for any particular instrument and player, in combination, not isolated. Pickups do have a much wider range of coverage than just above the center of the pole pieces, so do experiment a bit. You might find you prefer a wider, or narrower, spacing than what CLF decided on in 1951.

 

[ddnidd1]

There may be a valid reason you're not getting 'specific' answers.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I put a Schaller 3D bridge on one of my 1972 Jazz Basses, back in the early '80s, and never regretted it. They are not really all that heavy.

 

[chris_b]

I'm from the "what does it come with" school of bass appreciation. If I like it I'll buy it. I rarely change stuff afterwards.

The Fender style 18mm/19mm spacing is what I'm comfortable with.

 

[BusyFingers]

There may be a valid reason you're not getting 'specific' answers.

I concede I may be expecting more than is possible on the topic.

 

[BusyFingers]

I'm from the "what does it come with" school of bass appreciation. If I like it I'll buy it. I rarely change stuff afterwards.

The Fender style 18mm/19mm spacing is what I'm comfortable with.

What do you mean by the 18mm/19mm? Is that the space between the strings? And why is there an 18mm and 19mm? What's the difference?

 

[chris_b]

What do you mean by the 18mm/19mm? Is that the space between the strings? And why is there an 18mm and 19mm? What's the difference?

That is the string spacing at the bridge and it's the measurement I prefer.

 

[2saddleslab]

What do you mean by the 18mm/19mm? Is that the space between the strings? And why is there an 18mm and 19mm? What's the difference?

1mm. That was easy.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

18mm or 19mm on bridge spacing normally means center to center on the strings or the saddle slot if the bridge saddles only have one slot. Setting the strings of the center to center measurement is one option. The other is to set an equal spacing between the strings which will mean the center distances will be different, the thicker string centers will be further apart. Bridges that only have one slot per saddle are typically going to set the measurement as center to center on the strings The original Fender spacing would (I believe) have been 3/4” which is nominally 19mm c/c on the strings. So, I suppose start there and adjust until you’re happy. Hope this helps.

 

[lz4005]

And why is there an 18mm and 19mm?

We as a society have decided to invent units of distance and assign a set of interval variable labels to them so that we can communicate with each other about how big or far apart things are. That's why.

 

[Jeff Scott]

We as a society have decided to invent units of distance and assign a set of interval variable labels to them so that we can communicate with each other about how big or far apart things are. That's why.

Did "we" decide or was it decided for us? Time for a new debate.

 

[lz4005]

Did "we" decide or was it decided for us? Time for a new debate.

Considering we can't all get on the same page with using the metric system, I don't think anyone is in charge.

 

[BusyFingers]

18mm or 19mm on bridge spacing normally means center to center on the strings or the saddle slot if the bridge saddles only have one slot. Setting the strings of the center to center measurement is one option. The other is to set an equal spacing between the strings which will mean the center distances will be different, the thicker string centers will be further apart. Bridges that only have one slot per saddle are typically going to set the measurement as center to center on the strings The original Fender spacing would (I believe) have been 3/4” which is nominally 19mm c/c on the strings. So, I suppose start there and adjust until you’re happy. Hope this helps.

Awesome, thank you for the clarification.

 

[BusyFingers]

What are "typical" set up specs?

With time and experience you will realize this and, eventually (hopefully), you will throw away (most) of the measuring tools (hopefully) and feel/see your way to YOUR optimum set up, which will, very likely, be different on each instrument you own, anyway.

Absurd, this is...

 

[Jeff Scott]

Absurd, this is...

View attachment 2813009

What would Yogurt Yoda do?

 

[lz4005]

What would Yogurt Yoda do?

He would optimize the heck out of his bass, for starters.

 

[whatever4]

I have two P-basses with those saddles. The string tension aligns the strings straight from the bridge holes to the nut. If you see a string snagged at a weird angle, straighten it out. If there's too much space between saddles, you can slide the string over a notch to make the saddles abut against each other for more stability--like the fingers of a fist when you want to punch somebody. The saddles add mass too each other when they're pressed together. You can also use the fret dots and pickup pole pieces as reference points.

 

[DarkStar90]

Old thread, but I didn’t see anyone mention that 19mm spacing is actually a more modern revision to avoid e or g strings rolling off the edge of the fretboard. String spacing used to be 20mm to 20.5mm. Marcus Miller’s signature Fender has 20mm spacing cut on the badass bridge. He is actually adamant about it, there used to be a write-up about it on the FAQ section of his old website.
Also, spacing between the strings at the nut used to be wider, which is why i usually replace my fender nuts for preslotted graph tech nuts as they maintain that vintage spacing. It maximizes the workable space on the fretboard, and the fretboard radius seems more felt, to me. This should be no problem for a threaded saddle to accomplish, as I have removed all my badass bridges for threaded fender bridges. The badass never made a huge difference to me, and low action is harder to achieve.