Fat TOM bridge for intonation problems?

[thick_mike]

My dodgy old archtop won't intonate properly. All of the saddles are reversed and screwed back as far as they will go, but it's still not far enough.

 

I don't want to go to all the hassle of repositioning the bridge. Does anyone do a fatter TOM bridge to give me a few more mm of adjustment?

[d_dave_c]

Nashville TOM:

 

http://store.gibson.com/Products/Hardware/Bridges/Nashville-Tune-o-matic-Bridge.aspx

 

They have different post sizes and spacings. I think Faber as well as some other guys make conversion bushings so you can fit an ABR style bridge onto Nashville posts.

 

I think the Tonepros and Gotoh ABR-1 has a little larger intonation range, too.

[thick_mike]

 

Nashville TOM: http://store.gibson.com/Products/Hardware/Bridges/Nashville-Tune-o-matic-Bridge.aspx They have different post sizes and spacings. I think Faber as well as some other guys make conversion bushings so you can fit an ABR style bridge onto Nashville posts. I think the Tonepros and Gotoh ABR-1 has a little larger intonation range, too.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. Any idea what the dimensions are on that bridge?

 

My current one has 8mm (5/16 in old money) adjustment front to back.

[vintage clubber]

is this an archtop with a floating bridge? I recently did a set up job on an Ibanez AG85 with that type of bridge. I positioned the bridge so that the middle two saddles were exactly 12 3/8" from the 12th fret and the intonation was dead-on when I checked it. this guitar did not have adjustable saddles though. if it is a floating bridge, I would still do what I suggested above and then adjust the saddles as needed.

[thick_mike]

 

is this an archtop with a floating bridge? I recently did a set up job on an Ibanez AG85 with that type of bridge. I positioned the bridge so that the middle two saddles were exactly 12 3/8" from the 12th fret and the intonation was dead-on when I checked it. this guitar did not have adjustable saddles though. if it is a floating bridge, I would still do what I suggested above and then adjust the saddles as needed.

 

 

No, it's a fake Epiphone archtop (if you can believe they're faking Epiphones now!). I bought it used cheap off ebay a while ago. The guitar *looks* nice and the Pups sound nice, but it won't intonate properly.

 

It's got a trapeze tailpiece with a TOM-style bridge. The bridge is fixed through the top into a post inside the guitar body that holds the back and top apart (like a sound post in a violin). So moving the bridge would be a real pain.

 

I guess I could replace the TOM bridge with a floating bridge and place it like you suggest...

[etawful]

The locking Wilkinson roller bridges from Guitar Fetish have a little more backward mobility for intonation, both because the holes for the posts are elongated to allow more movement and the saddles seem to have more range of motion:

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/wibrrobrlost.html

 

[thick_mike]

The locking Wilkinson roller bridges from Guitar Fetish have a little more backward mobility for intonation, both because the holes for the posts are elongated to allow more movement and the saddles seem to have more range of motion: http://store.guitarfetish.com/wibrrobrlost.html

 

That looks nice, and there's a gold version too!

 

Need to measure up now...

 

Thanks!

[vintage clubber]

 

No, it's a fake Epiphone archtop (if you can believe they're faking Epiphones now!). I bought it used cheap off ebay a while ago. The guitar *looks* nice and the Pups sound nice, but it won't intonate properly. It's got a trapeze tailpiece with a TOM-style bridge. The bridge is fixed through the top into a post inside the guitar body that holds the back and top apart (like a sound post in a violin). So moving the bridge would be a real pain. I guess I could replace the TOM bridge with a floating bridge and place it like you suggest...

 

 

pics?? take a measuring tape and measure from the 12th fret to the bridge to see where it's at.

[WRGKMC]

They're hard to find but you can buy the wider Dot bridges. have no idea if the posts would be the same. drilling larger holes is no big deal though.

 

Has the intonation always been out? Maybe the neck relief off or the frets have worn flat?

 

In any case, measuring the placement of the existing bridge would be the first thing I'd check. Measure from the nut to 12th fret, then the high E saddle to the 12th fret and see if they match. Then you position the other saddels back from the high E. The second is adjusted back about, .011 from the first, the third .017 from the second, the 4th gets adjusted even with the second, the 5th gets adjusted back .036 from the 4th and the 6th .046 back from the 5th. These are ballpark adjustments of course but the final intonation setup wont be off too much from there.

 

If you get down to the last few saddels and have no room for adjustment, then obviously the bridge is mis positioned and needs to be corrected. If you still have several turns of play left, then it may be other issues, String type, relief, height, Nut height, etc. Most TOM builds have an angled positioning as well as adjustable sadles. If you measure from the 12th fret to the 6th saddle and its 1/4" longer than the High E, I'd definately say, the bridge isnt your issue, even if you're using baseball bat strings.

[etawful]

That looks nice, and there's a gold version too! Need to measure up now... Thanks!

 

No problem. That will fit most imports to my knowledge. You can use the existing studs but thread the posts that come with the bridge into them (same thread size on the ones I've used in the past). The post end of the posts (as opposed to the threaded end) is skinnier than the stock ones on most imports I've seen, but the threaded end is the same.

[goosefartfan]

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-SCHALLER-CHROME-6-STRING-GUITAR-ROLLER-BRIDGE-/270588169058?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3f004fcb62

 

wide schaller bridge will do it.