I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

[2Loud2Old]

I discovered a serious flaw with my new quilt body.

It looks to me that the bridge pup and term route is too far back for the heel pocket.

Using 22 fret neck

I need to put the posts 25 inches from the nut., right now, the edge of the pup route is at 25 inches and test fiting the trem in the rout places the posts at 25-1/2!!!!

So I need to move the nut 1/2 closer I think, so the saddles will have ample adjustment range.

I have 2 ideas to do this.

1: Remove fingerboard overhang from neck, (to clear neck pup) trim back of heel to move nut closer in pocket.

Or.

2: do the same, but remove wood from back of neck pocket.

Anybody have a preference? or any other idea???

This is the only thing I can think of to keep the nut-bridge relationship.

[Hotrodder]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Change the neck pocket.

that way you will just have a weird body, if you muck with the neck you will have a weird body and neck.

[Newc]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Then again, I'd string it up and check the intonation, assuming you have an identical neck to the original one.
My import Roswells both have 22 frets and 25 1/2" scale, BUT the very front of the bridge body itself is dead on the 25 1/2" mark, with the saddles being about 25 9/16" to 25 5/8" from the nut, yet they intonate perfectly. If the neck pocket is cut for a specific neck to maintain a specific scale length, you'll have to mod either one to get the right scale.

Newc

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

This is a new body so I have no previous neck to compare to.

It was intended as a Strat replacement, vintage trem.

I'm thinking the best bet is to bring the trem foward in the route as far as it will go.. surface mount Floyd. 25-1/2 falls partly within the saddles range, then trim away at the inside pocket if it doesn't intonate.

It's such a gorgeous body, I don't want to drill more than once.

[nor]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Bolt it up, string it up, and try to intonate it. If it works - great! Don't start carving until you at least try it...

[sully]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

i'm 99% sure you'll be fine... seriously.

sully

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Originally posted by nor:
Bolt it up, string it up, and try to intonate it. If it works - great! Don't start carving until you at least try it...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'd like to, but I can't.

See. There's a trem rout but no holes for the trem posts.

So.. if I drill in the wrong place.. its ruined.

Everything I read tells me that the Floyd posts need to be 25 inches from the nut, with the saddle midpoint at 25-1/2.

But in my case, due to the position of trem rout and the bridge pickup rout, the posts would end up at 25-1/4, with the saddles roughly at 25-3/4

[ October 29, 2003, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: 2Loud2Old ]

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Originally posted by jsullysix:
i'm 99% sure you'll be fine... seriously.

sully

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I certainly hope so, this body cost me a bit and it really is gorgeous.. I'd hate for it to be a waste.

[Chuckracer]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

I'm with Sully. The saddles midpoint at 25.75" makes sense. Think about it.
If the scale length is 25.5" and the strings were laying ON the frets, you would want the saddles at 25.5". But the strings DON'T lay on the frets, they are above the frets and the very act of fretting the string, pushing it down to the fret, is stretching the string just the same as bending. You are increasing the tension, therefore raising the pitch.
Therefore you would want the saddles further back than 25.5" or you will surely run out of adjustment room.
Your tech is right.

[Black Mariah]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Better way to think about it. You're not going to have the saddles exactly 25.5 inches from the nut anyway. Intonation changes the distance, sometimes by quite a lot. A quarter inch off should be fine since there's more travel than that in the saddles. Don't worry about that little distance. Intonation is screwy. Yes, it's terrifying to drill into a really pretty and expensive quilted top but you should be just fine. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Now I'm really confused.

I called my local tech who is pretty good.

He thinks it'll be fine, as he likes the saddles to be a little farther back than 25-1/2 inches.

He doesn't think we'll have to mod the pocket.

With the trem placed properly within the route, I measure 25-3/4 inches from nut to middle of saddle adjustment.

I was gonna do this myself, but I think I'll take it in. Don't want to ruin the body.

[sully]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

thanks for the reassurance... i seem to remember that it's closer to 25 3/4 than 25.5... but the alzheimer's kicks in from time to time.

i know the fright of drilling bridge holes and dealing with the "no going back" fear. it's awful. i'd say that if you don't have a drill press, to take it somewhere that does. if you need help, i may be of assistance to ya.

sully

[ October 30, 2003, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: jsullysix ]

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Thanks for the advice and help.

I was measured, marked and ready to drill... and then I chickened out.

"Step away from the drill.. away from the drill.."

I'm taking it to the guitar tech on Sat.

[RacerX]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

I thought that place burned down? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[2Loud2Old]

Re: I really need help, mistake in new body!!!

Originally posted by RacerX:
I thought that place burned down? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's a big city. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]