This is almost exactly how I locate the bridge on my ukuleles. They are of course glued on so I have to get it right. I’ve done it wrong enough times…! Once I have determined the location for scale length, I clamp a straight edge to the body so I can maintain that location while sliding the bridge side to side. I then use the thread trick (I use fishing line) but I clamp the nut in place temporarily and pass one length of string from the bridge, through a nut slot, through a few tuner holes, back over the other nut slot, back to the bridge and hang a weight (vise grip) over the end of the bench to maintain tension. That lets me move the bridge until both strings are centered perfectly and then I place the tape exactly as you do! I really appreciate your explanation of how you adjust the intonation forward before locating the bridge for scale. The few times I’ve used this kind of bridge I was just lucky enough not to have run out of adjustment!
I like this subject matter and the high quality Japanese made hard tail bridge. It should be noted, however to nonprofessionals that the use of hand tools and hand held screw drivers is the preferred method for learning how to do new skills and for working on fine instruments and guitars in general. Electric drills, etc., move fast and are far less predictable than hand tools (screwdrivers). The slightest movements can be detected by your fingers when using a hand held screw driver. Power tools are relatively impersonal and have been known to lead to problems even in the hands of experts. Caution is advised when using electric drills on guitars. Nonpowered tools are best to use on guitars in most cases. I myself will carefully use a de walt lithium palm sander on guitars for quick and controlled removal of material. Slip ups are less quickly detected and the palm sander is unforgiving. Best results are from hand sanding and making and using 'sanding blocks'. Power tools save time but can remove or destroy material quickly and before detection. With hand tools you are directly in touch with the guitar. It is always best to be in direct touch with your workpiece. It is not that power tools do a better job. Mostly power tools save time and that is the primary motivating factor for choosing a power tool for a job. With guitar work I advise taking plenty of time and exercising patience, taking extra time to think and plan.
Thanks. I like using string to line up the bridge. I've messed it up trying to use a straight edge. As you said, having it look centered is more important than having it be at a perfect center point. I even use string on both E strings at the same time so I can really get it right by eye.
Guitars are hodge podged together. Seems like after millions of units made. for Close to 100 years. There would be a serious engineering way of constructing them.
This is the one and only! I say so after seeing perhaps all the other brij positioning tutorials. There are certainly other real good vids on topic. This is same good but it's the ONLY one that acknowledges and makes allowance for the fact of low E fatness. The string reveal is poor on just about every one of my cheap kijiji sourced guitars. I refinish them as hobby. Repositioning the bridge will now become a major part of all my upcoming projects. It takes time and it's finicky. Exactly what hobbies are for. Thank you thank you for posting this !!!!!!
What if I'm using a vintage style 3 saddle tele half bridge for humbucker bridge position? The saddles set back into the base a little. Do I measure from center of 12th to the saddle or stop at the bridge front base? Thanks
I've never seen the ground wire hole drilled into the pickup cavity, only angled directly into the control cavity. Any practical reason you do it differently, or is it just personal whimsy?
Hey Chris, why the note to never use a tape measure? Just used a tape measure to measure for a bridge on a bass about an hour ago and I'm curious why that is verboten? Thanks,.
If i have a guitar where I need to have the bridge a little bit closer to the pickup is it alright to sacrifice a few milimeters of adjustability of the saddles?
No! In almost all cases, intonating the strings requires moving the saddle back, which increases their scale length. You never have to move the saddles forward. Therefore if you position the bridge with the saddles centered, you risk not having enough rearward range of adjustment to intonate the strings. This is especially true with the wound bass side strings as they need more rearward adjustability.
@@HighlineGuitars what would you say as far as importance goes for tone priority. Saddles, picknups, nut or tuners? Which order would you replace? And pots and bridge I guess too. How about graph tech compared to bone? Thx a mill.
A spool of thread and some masking tape are super useful for bridge placement.
That's how I've been doing it almost since day one. Mainly on my hand built guitars. With CNC it's not necessary.
This is almost exactly how I locate the bridge on my ukuleles. They are of course glued on so I have to get it right. I’ve done it wrong enough times…!
Once I have determined the location for scale length, I clamp a straight edge to the body so I can maintain that location while sliding the bridge side to side. I then use the thread trick (I use fishing line) but I clamp the nut in place temporarily and pass one length of string from the bridge, through a nut slot, through a few tuner holes, back over the other nut slot, back to the bridge and hang a weight (vise grip) over the end of the bench to maintain tension. That lets me move the bridge until both strings are centered perfectly and then I place the tape exactly as you do!
I really appreciate your explanation of how you adjust the intonation forward before locating the bridge for scale. The few times I’ve used this kind of bridge I was just lucky enough not to have run out of adjustment!
I like this subject matter and the high quality Japanese made hard tail bridge.
It should be noted, however to nonprofessionals that the use of hand tools and hand held screw drivers is the preferred method for learning how to do new skills and for working on fine instruments and guitars in general.
Electric drills, etc., move fast and are far less predictable than hand tools (screwdrivers). The slightest movements can be detected by your fingers when using a hand held screw driver. Power tools are relatively impersonal and have been known to lead to problems even in the hands of experts. Caution is advised when using electric drills on guitars.
Nonpowered tools are best to use on guitars in most cases.
I myself will carefully use a de walt lithium palm sander on guitars for quick and controlled removal of material. Slip ups are less quickly detected and the palm sander is unforgiving. Best results are from hand sanding and making and using 'sanding blocks'.
Power tools save time but can remove or destroy material quickly and before detection. With hand tools you are directly in touch with the guitar. It is always best to be in direct touch with your workpiece. It is not that power tools do a better job. Mostly power tools save time and that is the primary motivating factor for choosing a power tool for a job.
With guitar work I advise taking plenty of time and exercising patience, taking extra time to think and plan.
Thanks. I like using string to line up the bridge. I've messed it up trying to use a straight edge. As you said, having it look centered is more important than having it be at a perfect center point. I even use string on both E strings at the same time so I can really get it right by eye.
I like this idea.
Thanks!
Thank you! Very much appreciated!
Thanks👍
Guitars are hodge podged together. Seems like after millions of units made. for Close to 100 years. There would be a serious engineering way of constructing them.
The same could be said about grammar and spelling.
This is the one and only! I say so after seeing perhaps all the other brij positioning tutorials. There are certainly other real good vids on topic. This is same good but it's the ONLY one that acknowledges and makes allowance for the fact of low E fatness. The string reveal is poor on just about every one of my cheap kijiji sourced guitars. I refinish them as hobby. Repositioning the bridge will now become a major part of all my upcoming projects. It takes time and it's finicky. Exactly what hobbies are for. Thank you thank you for posting this !!!!!!
my favorite perfectionist!
Mine too!
Good video
this is good stuff..........Thank you Chris
My pleasure!!
Can you make a video about installing a jazzmaster bridge?
You do beautiful work and really appreciate your attention to detail!
Thank you very much!
really well put together! nice filming
Thanks you.
Thanks again for very useful information. 🙏😃
Glad it was helpful!
What if I'm using a vintage style 3 saddle tele half bridge for humbucker bridge position? The saddles set back into the base a little. Do I measure from center of 12th to the saddle or stop at the bridge front base? Thanks
12th fret to where the string will come into contact with the saddle.
Very detailed explanation 👌
I've never seen the ground wire hole drilled into the pickup cavity, only angled directly into the control cavity. Any practical reason you do it differently, or is it just personal whimsy?
In this case, it's a shorter distance.
Excelentes videos, muy agradecido contigo ❤️
Hey Chris, why the note to never use a tape measure? Just used a tape measure to measure for a bridge on a bass about an hour ago and I'm curious why that is verboten? Thanks,.
The cork sniffers say a tape measure is not de rigueur.
@@HighlineGuitars Ha ha! My tape measure is very fancy. It has many numbers and little lines on it. It'll do.
I expected you to use a drill press, how do you avoid the grain making the drill bit wander off a little when you drill the pilot holes?
I pray to the God of wood.
If i have a guitar where I need to have the bridge a little bit closer to the pickup is it alright to sacrifice a few milimeters of adjustability of the saddles?
Shirt rules, bruv. Thanks for the vid!
Thanks ! 🎉
wouldn't you want to send her this saddles so you have equal potential to adjust them both forward and backward?
No! In almost all cases, intonating the strings requires moving the saddle back, which increases their scale length. You never have to move the saddles forward. Therefore if you position the bridge with the saddles centered, you risk not having enough rearward range of adjustment to intonate the strings. This is especially true with the wound bass side strings as they need more rearward adjustability.
@@HighlineGuitars thank you.
@@HighlineGuitars what would you say as far as importance goes for tone priority. Saddles, picknups, nut or tuners? Which order would you replace? And pots and bridge I guess too. How about graph tech compared to bone? Thx a mill.
Hi there. What size of drill bit did You use pls?
1/8"
Should put the link to the other parts. Where is Part 11?
Here's a link to the play list: ruclips.net/p/PL7TLAFxVOtrX6jjM8aTLehuo2odgQH6Rw
@@HighlineGuitars I found part 11 but it says when starts to talk part 12
@@HighlineGuitars needed part 11 of Oak kitchen tabletop to see the end of the bridge install
@@daniloreyes2 Oops. I gave you the wrong link. This one is correct. I think! ruclips.net/p/PL7TLAFxVOtrX6jjM8aTLehuo2odgQH6Rw
I was a bit distracted by the T-shirt, so I had to restart the video.
Every time I watch these videos I put on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack in the background.
15:20 He said naked. I hope the RUclipss doesn't kill his video. ;-)
Not likely. Their systems have improved.
A transfer punch would be more accurate
I used to hear radio through my old chinese guitar, probably wasn't grounded
Are you sure it wasn't the ghost of the dead slave who made the guitar?
Anybody gonna cry that he's not using a drill press for, Or is that me 😅