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problem with bridge!!

#62
Pilgrim said:
You may be right. The picture looks like it was taken a bit off-center, so there is a little visual confusion for me.

I propose a re-phrasing: When the process is done, the strings should be centered on the neck. If this requires re-aligning the neck, do so.

This thread is nearing chicken-or-the-egg status.

ie: Bridge, neck, or both?
Click to expand...

First things first: put the correct bridge on the durn thing...centered with correct spacing...and the OP will probably be done. There's gotta be a MIC bent-plate compatible bridge somewhere. BTW, what did we estimate the spacing to be?

Riis
 
#63
The bridge is too wide and off-center because E string side of it is aligned against neck and pickup and G goes off. To solve the problem once and forever OP needs to measure desired string spacing (E-to-G) E.g. use any stright line from G string slot at nut over pickup magnet till the bridge (or even pull loose G string itself to desired position). Divide by 3 to know actual string-to-string spacing! Then buy apropriate bridge and install it correctly as current hole pattern seems to be wrong.
 
#66
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#68
mongo2 said:
If the strings are moved to the other holes as I described earlier they will be positioned closer to their respective poles. Where's the harm in trying it?
Click to expand...
this is like one of those spatial reasoning puzzles! keep looking, you'll get it :)

the string grooves can't get any closer together than they are; doesn't matter what holes are where, what screws are where, the strings can't get any closer together than they are.
 
#69
If a 4 string bridge is not avail in that string spacing, a 5 string bridge of the same style, with the correct spacing, but with the G side (1 saddle width) cut off and finished nicely may be one solution, as long as it is lined up/ mounted correctly.
 
#71
walterw said:
this is like one of those spatial reasoning puzzles! keep looking, you'll get it :)

the string grooves can't get any closer together than they are; doesn't matter what holes are where, what screws are where, the strings can't get any closer together than they are.
Click to expand...

The D and G string grooves don't seem to need to be placed closer together just relocated. Moving the intonation screw to the hole where the string is and flipping the saddle will accomplish that relocation. Doing so will definitely get them closer to where they want to be. If the grooves then need to be shifted it's simple enough to cut new grooves and if they should impinge on the original grooves, simply cut the new grooves deeper than the originals so the strings don't slip into the original grooves and then raise the saddles to compensate for the deeper groove. It may not be pretty (that's why they invented bridge covers) but at least that would get the bass functional until he can find a more suitable bridge.

But you are right about it being a spatial reasoning puzzle, however it's not me that's not "getting it" here. :)

My question to bazza99 is, was it setup like that prior to the refinish?
 
#74
mongo2 said:
The D and G string grooves don't seem to need to be placed closer together just relocated.
Click to expand...
"relocated" towards the bass side, right? that's exactly what won't happen! :rollno:

we're kinda OT now, because the actual fix is gonna be a different, narrower bridge, but i'm still amazed you aren't seeing the basic geometry here.

those two saddles are already as far over as they can go, because they're touching the bottom two saddles, which are also already as far over as they can go. flip them any way you want, that won't change.

if the OP wants to try carving new notches into the saddles, then might as well do that as they sit already; i kinda doubt that one too, as the old grooves are big and deep, so the new ones would have to be pretty far over, at which point the strings might start jumping out of them.
 
#76
er, yes?

1. the grooves are in the middle of each saddle, so flipping the saddle itself means the groove is still in the middle of the saddle.

2. the saddles are already hard against each other, so there's no way to move the location of the upper saddles towards the lower ones. flipping the top two means trying to move the D saddle into space already partially occupied by the A saddle.

3. the lower saddles are already flipped in that direction, there's no way to move them any more "bass-ward". (even if you could, that would just mean the E string missing the neck instead of the G)

please tell me which of these statements is wrong and how?
 
#78
walterw said:
er, yes?

1. the grooves are in the middle of each saddle, so flipping the saddle itself means the groove is still in the middle of the saddle.

Yes, but it would be on the other side of the intonation screw.

2. the saddles are already hard against each other, so there's no way to move the location of the upper saddles towards the lower ones. flipping the top two means trying to move the D saddle into space already partially occupied by the A saddle.

Moving the intonation screw will help mitigate that. If what you fear may happen should happen then other measures may be necessary such as filing a new groove or trimming the saddles. Maybe even drilling new holes for the intonation screws and or the strings. Why not? It's easy. At least the bass would be functional.

3. the lower saddles are already flipped in that direction, there's no way to move them any more "bass-ward". (even if you could, that would just mean the E string missing the neck instead of the G)

I never said anything about the E or A string saddles, but you can work on those too if you want.

please tell me which of these statements is wrong and how?
Click to expand...

.
 
#79
Ok mongo, look at my pic.....

And don't tell me it is not the same bridge, it's the EXACT same configuration as ops.

Except for the fact I swapped ALL the holes and flipped the saddles.

Now step by step, from how it is now, tell me what to do with each saddle to get what you are talking about. I will take the bridge with me to work and post pics of every set of maneuvers you instruct me to execute.

Ok?

Here it is again.
 
#80
Based on what I see, I would shim the bottom right of the neck pocket. Also, IME you rarely find perfect alignment between the neck, nut, pickup, and bridge. There is often something to fudge, tweak or just live with.

Another possibility is using a vintage Fender bridge with the threaded saddles. With those your string spacing it almost infinitely tweakable.
 

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