Hi Everyone,
Here is my latest build:
Could not have done it without this awesome site. (and I even sold it!) lol
Now for the request for advice bit. 🙂
I have a beautiful raw brass PRS bridge I want to incorporate into a new build and I am wondering what the best way to determine where relative to the scale length of the guitar I need to drill the mounting holes. I am having a bit of a tough time getting the measurements from the bridge. (I have advanced one of the saddles as far forward as comfortable and measured from there to the center point of one of the mounting holes and came up with about .25". That said I really don't want to mess this nice body blank up so perhaps someone out there has experience with one of these trems?)
Thank you!
-Dave
Thats a nice build, I can't imagine selling any of mine.
Let us see a photo of your bridge and we'll have a better idea of how to advise you.
@USADave show us the bridge and also what scale you're planning.
For instance using a T.O.M type bridge with a 24.75 scale I find 630mm to be the sweet spot for the initial scale line then add 3mm for the low E. So high E at 630mm, low E at 633mm.
For 25.5 scale I find the 25.5 for the high E plus 3mm for the low E to work well.
Fender type hardtails 630mm and 25.5 repectively for the high E with the saddle most of the way forward and top of saddle at scale line.
Fender trem, post holes a 1/4 inch forward of scale, floyd trems post holes a 1/2 inch forward of scale line.
If in doubt:
Mount your bridge into a lump of scrap wood to simulate the body then you can work out exactly where the take off point of the string will be
- always a good idea to test your procedure on scrap in any case.
Measure twice, cut once...
@usadave That’s a beautiful build Dave, well done. 👍
Great advice from everyone commenting already. Nothing I can add to that really. The more you build, the more you get used to judging distances and adjustments. If it’s an unusual bridge and you are not sure, set it up on a test bit of wood to simulate, just as Mark said.
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
@markbailey Thank you Mark! (your lessons are how I am able to do any of this! I must admit I miss seeing you on YouTube) I will mount the bridge on some scrap and put some strings on the bridge (and pull them as tight as possible), hopefully I will be able to judge where the take off point is.
Thank you once again.
Mounted in some scrap...
Pictures:
@usadave Mark has loads of vids under the live tab, not quite the same but tons of brilliant info in them. I use his neck carving method which takes a fraction of the time and also learnt how to do a carve top.