New Tele Bridge - Pictures

asimmd

Hi All

Well i think i have finally got the hang of putting pictures on the page so here goes.

These are some pictures of my new Telecaster bridge i fitted on Friday.

Never done this before but the Intonation is fine,just need to sort out the saddle heights,but it is playable.

Alan

asimmd

asimmd

asimmd

Last One

ThePrettyDamned

Very smart looking I can't stand having a lip on the bridge.  

Good work, and glad you got it sorted

asimmd

Thanks TPD

Yes finally sorted as you can see.

Thinking of changing the scratch plate for a White one?

Alan

ThePrettyDamned

That's the great thingh about a guitar as simple as a tele, fettle to your hearts content!

ICBM

asimmd said:

Pretty good for a first go! But…

The B string saddle is too low and tilted. The high E and A are tilted slightly too but about the right height, and the G may be very slightly too high - or the D may be slightly too low.

You should be looking for an even progression in height with the top E lowest, the B and low E about the same, the G a little higher and the A and D the highest - there's no exact science to it, and you don't need to measure anything - and you want the saddles level.

When you've got it really right, put a drop of clear nail varnish on each of the height screws - it will soak down the thread and stop the saddles 'self-adjusting' with vibration, which they can do...

asimmd

Hi ICBM

Thanks for the info,here are 2 new pictures that show where i am up to in the setting up process.

I think the saddles are better but the strings are too high,if i lower the saddles,the strings buzz at 

fret 12 and above.

I have adjusted the truss rod,the neck was dead straight,now it has a very slight convex curve,not a lot.

Do you think it needs a shim,and if so what do i use.

Thanks

Alan

asimmd

asimmd

String height

ICBM

The B is still way too low, you've got it lower than the top E. The G might be slightly too high as well, it's higher than the D.

If the strings choke or buzz above the 12th fret, the saddles need to go up - that's the test of the saddle setting.

If that makes the action too high - which it looks like it already is in the pic - then the neck needs to be straighter. This assumes that the nut is already the correct height - this is the first thing you need to do, nothing you do at the bridge or the middle will get it right if the nut isn't.

Check the nut by fretting each string at the third fret and look at the gap between the string and the first fret. It should be around a quarter of the string diameter or less - that's tiny.

Then check the relief by holding the guitar in the playing position and fret the G string at the first and last frets with both hands. The gap between the string and the 7th-8th frets should be less than the string diameter, preferably less than half it.

*Then* check the bridge saddle height by bending notes and playing hard above the 12th fret.

If after all that the bridge saddles are too low and the screws are sticking out of the tops, then you need to shim the neck. I usually use thin, stiff card - a D'Addario string packet is ideal.

But unfortunately it is possible that the neck and the fretting are just not even enough to get all that lot right at the same time without the action being overly high… in which case you probably need a fret dress done.

asimmd

Thanks for all the info ICBM,I will have a go at the alterations on Sunday,and post pictures so you can see how far I get. Maybe I should put the truss rod back as it was,the strings didn't buzz,sounds like chicken pickin,before I changed the bridge,but I have changed the strings from 9's to 10's. I could cheat and get my luthier to set it up,but I want to do it myself. Alan

benmurray85

Nice work but those bridges aren't to my tastes. I like the high sided ashtray styles and the old style saddles as well. That is a sweet looking tele tho pal. Nice work!

ICBM

asimmd said:

I could cheat and get my luthier to set it up,but I want to do it myself.

Good man! It doesn't take a lot of learning, and once you have you'll never need to pay for it again. A little bit more familiarity with how each of the adjustments affect it and you're there. The only tricky bit is the nut, and it may be worth having that professionally looked at if it's not right - it should only need doing once on any guitar really.

asimmd

OK,I have put the neck back where it was regarding the truss rod adjustment.

Carried out all the tests you detail above and the results are.

"A" and "D" strings buzz when played anywhere on the neck,the rest of the strings seem to be OK.

Now the problem is that the strings are too high.

I was thinking that the nut may have been too low but from the pictures the "A and "D" strings don't look too bad.

I have also posted a picture of the saddles after adjusting as you suggested.

asimmd

asimmd

I have now raised the saddles on the D and G string until i cure the buzz.

It was just less than 1 full turn,and the guitar is now playable,no string buzz above the 12 fret as there was before.

However,the strings are now too high.

So just to see if i have learned anything,i reckon if i put a shim under the forward part of the neck pocket

this will raise the fretboard closer to the strings,mainly at the higher frets,then if i get the thickness of the 

shim right,I can adjust the height of the strings via the saddles.

Of course i may be completely wrong,but i am having a go.

Alan

asimmd

But of course raising the neck will also raise the frets as well. I don't know.

imalone

Shimming the neck changes the angle much more than it changes the height. It's actually not much different than changing the bridge height, which is why you don't normally need to do it and the sign it's needed is you find the bridge needs to be higher or lower than it can actually go.
Second post on this link has some good diagrams of what the different things do:
http://www.robchapman.tv/forum/threads/strat-build-sounding-naff-p.27270/
I'm a bit puzzled that the strings can be too high when only just clearing buzzing, that suggests neck relief wrong or uneven frets. Where along the neck are they too high and where do they buzz? Also, if you've gone from light to super light they will be a bit more prone to buzz.

asimmd

Thanks Imalone The neck has a slight concave curve,the original strings were 09's,and I have only changed them to 10's. All strings play fine except the D and G strings buzzed above the 12th fret,so I increased the saddle height until they stopped buzzing. If I lower all the strings to an acceptable action,they all buzz. At the moment if you look at the neck side on,the strings below the 12th fret are fine,it's above the 12th that the gap is too large,that was why I thought a shim would bring those strings closer. Alan