Just got a new Gotoh replacement bridge of eBay, just wondering if it were possible to put threaded inserts in the bridge's screw holes, use machine screws and get a really tight bridge fit. Would it be worth it?
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Threaded inserts on a bridge?
- Thread starter phillipmorephil
- Start date
- Dec 20, 2004
- 4,267
- 2,481
- Disclosures
- Player-Builder-Founder: Honey Badger Pickups & Regenerate Guitar Works
absolutely not! you'd completely ruin your bass! the inserts would make it sound like a very bad keyboard bass (no offense keyboard guy)
of course I'm lying my pants off here ... sheesh - I can't let out all of my secrets
all the best,
R
p.s. it's OK to use brass inserts for a bridge, just be careful when you install them in the body
of course I'm lying my pants off here ... sheesh - I can't let out all of my secrets
all the best,
R
p.s. it's OK to use brass inserts for a bridge, just be careful when you install them in the body
I used machine screws and stainless inserts on my Hohner's bridge. It's a fairly standard "L-shaped piece of metal with four saddles" type bridge. The machine screws that went with the inserts wouldn't fit through the holes in the bridge.
Since I discovered this after I had drilled for the inserts, I drilled out the holes in the bridge to fit the screws. Then I discovered the second problem. The heads of the screws were too large and "rode" the tail end of the L-shaped piece of metal.
There was no going back so I slowly (evenly) tightened them down. Eventually, the bridge more or less flattened out against the body. Then I put the other two screws in and tightened everything up carefully.
The bridge is now rock-solid. It sounds pretty darn good, too. I couldn't say if it made any difference by itself because I did the neck inserts at the same time. The neck inserts may have been a mistake because I tightened it far enough to actually bend the backplate. Guess I don't know my own strength.
I don't know if your bridge would have the same problems. Good luck!
Since I discovered this after I had drilled for the inserts, I drilled out the holes in the bridge to fit the screws. Then I discovered the second problem. The heads of the screws were too large and "rode" the tail end of the L-shaped piece of metal.
There was no going back so I slowly (evenly) tightened them down. Eventually, the bridge more or less flattened out against the body. Then I put the other two screws in and tightened everything up carefully.
The bridge is now rock-solid. It sounds pretty darn good, too. I couldn't say if it made any difference by itself because I did the neck inserts at the same time. The neck inserts may have been a mistake because I tightened it far enough to actually bend the backplate. Guess I don't know my own strength.
I don't know if your bridge would have the same problems. Good luck!
The extra work is not worth it in my experience and produces no change in sound over just using wood screws into properly sized pilot holes.
However, using threaded inserts to bolt on a neck has produced a slight improvement in sound from my own observation.
Threaded inserts are great for mobile assemblies like 2 point bridges or pickups.
For a fixed assembly they're useless IMHO.
For a fixed assembly they're useless IMHO.
I did it on my Steve Harris replica SX that I built a few years ago. I believe there's something to be gained from this in the same way it works for the neck joint. My opinion is the increased force by which the bridge is anchored to the body can do nothing but improve the transfer of string vibration to the body. If you've gone to the trouble of picking woods for a particular sound, this is a good way to make the whole package work together.
