For Tune O Matics, does scale length affect the string height at the bridge? In other words, regardless of the neck break angle, whether your scale length is at 24.75 or 25, string bridge height should also change somehow?
I guess the answer is "yes, but not materially".
The purpose of the neck join angle is to cause the line of the strings to move away from the top of the body, so that there's enough height at the bridge to create enough string break angle over the saddles for the strings to vibrate properly over the scale length.
If you took that to an extreme, and considered an imaginary scale length that put the bridge at the far end of the body, then - for any given neck join angle - the strings would be a lot higher when they got to the far end of the body, than at a "normal" scale length position.
So, as you increase scale length - for any given neck join angle - string height at bridge will get higher.
*BUT*, for a typical neck angle of 2.5/3.0 deg, which only has effect from the end of the fretboard to the bridge position, I don't see that a 0.25" change in scale length would cause the strings to be much higher at the bridge, and it shouldn't cause an issue because you can adjust the height of the bridge.
Best way to check it would be to draw it out, full size, and measure.
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Clinton Topic starter
20/09/2020 9:53 am
@tv1010101
Thanks needed that affirmation. Well said my thoughts exactly.