Oh no..Something New

[ibmorjamn]

More further thoughts...

Have you done a bridge height mock-up?
My previous posts have been regarding scale length, but the neck shim idea brings to mind bridge height.
Fit the neck and get a level line across the frets to the bridge.
Circling back to my question regarding floating or decking, what is the height adjustment range, and would a neck shim help or not?

I am doing nothing at the moment. I am thinking about going to the hardware store and getting 2” wide frog tape ,a drill guide and a long drill bit for the claw holes.
I might do the layout today if I get going soon but tonight is back to work so I do have some ritual stuff to prepare for that nightmare.

 

[ibmorjamn]

When I say nothing I mean playing the guitar and messing around with my newly installed BFD drums. I have a song idea floating around in my head like a Trem. lol

 

[ibmorjamn]

Hmmmm….Might those replacement saddle screws and neck shim be starting to sound pretty good?
Don’t get me wrong please…That trem is dead sexy. So are the other parts…all of them.

Regarding the heel trussrod adjustment: The neck on my Strat has a heel adjustment point. I have to pull the neck to make adjustments (twice in 20 years…the body on my Strat doesn’t have the heel adjustment rout). I found it helpful to have locking tuners when I have had to adjust..just remove string tension, unbolt the neck, tweak the adjustment, reassemble, tune to pitch, check relief, rinse, and repeat as necessary.
I have been fairly lucky at this, and have only had to rinse and repeat once. I don’t know why that neck seems so stable, but I sure am thankful for it.

Good idea on the neck removal/ adjustment. Thanks.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Link?
Need this dimension "?"
View attachment 104424

Unfortunately, that is all you get from Gotoh, biggest complaint for most people about them is lack of install instructions. I did see that measurement somewhere but once I go to the hardware, reminds me . My old caliper bit the dust after about 25 years.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Actually, I could have bought a stock bridge (not in my nature to be stock) and yes screws shorter but besides going to the hardware store the grinder makes them shorter faster. lol
This being a scratch build I decided a 2 point is a good option for less resistance on the pivot. Logical, right? Or not. lol

Why not a Fender 2 point though? Same rout, yes? No choppy-choppy-hack-n-slash?
From your earlier link:

Still…the post bushings conundrum.

 

[fitz]

I initially plan to deck it for tuning and unison bend stability like the Harley Benton is set up , so dive only.

I'd definitely suggest doing a bridge height mock-up.
With the trem plate decked, make sure you have enough saddle height adjustment.
Neck shim might not be a good idea, and grinding the adjustment screws may not be an issue.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

I'd definitely suggest doing a bridge height mock-up.
With the trem plate decked, make sure you have enough saddle height adjustment.
Neck shim might not be a good idea, and grinding the adjustment screws may not be an issue.

Definitely. It might be good practice to know all of the factors in the equation, so that the math can actually be done, and obstacles can be avoided/overcome.

 

[fitz]

Definitely. It might be good practice to know all of the factors in the equation, so that the math can actually be done, and obstacles can be avoided/overcome.

 

[ibmorjamn]

I'd definitely suggest doing a bridge height mock-up.
With the trem plate decked, make sure you have enough saddle height adjustment.
Neck shim might not be a good idea, and grinding the adjustment screws may not be an issue.

On this Trem, I would not grind the screws. On those stock style or the Harley Benton is an option.

 

[ibmorjamn]

View attachment 104426

I will likely cuss more than twice, that’s how you get things done,
Measure 10 times is the new rule.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Why not a Fender 2 point though? Same rout, yes? No choppy-choppy-hack-n-slash?
From your earlier link:

Still…the post bushings conundrum.

Yes , probably true. I just don’t like the technology or lack of in that design but of course it was good enough for everyone on a million records.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Yes , probably true. I just don’t like the technology or lack of in that design but of course it was good enough for everyone on a million records.

Well…if you wanna be a “rugged individualist”, you could just do no choppy-choppy-hack-n-slash, and slap a Stetsbar on there(if the math works for the string height window), and build a Klon-wanna-be circuit -or something- inside the empty rear spring cavity…

I am, of course, kinda joking.

 

[GrooVey]

I have to pull the neck to make adjustments (twice in 20 years

I don’t sweat the truss rod heal access. All my builds have truss rod adjustment at the heel. Once I have the guitar set up to preference I never have to adjust again.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

I don’t sweat the truss rod heal access. All my builds have truss rod adjustment at the heel. Once I have the guitar set up to preference I never had to adjust again.

Agreed. It’s much less of a “big deal” than I thought it would be.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Link?
Need this dimension "?"
View attachment 104424

That number is 9 mm and those adjustment slots are 13mm .

 

[ibmorjamn]

I did not know when I bought the Trem the cavity would need to be opened up.
The few videos there are , this one needs to be translated but the dremel route on the opening of routed Trem shows it can be done on a painted body.

“how to install a gotoh vs 100n on a blank body”
The video link will not post here, it’s in Japanese.

 

[ibmorjamn]

StewMac has a drill template but it’s $70
I only paid $24 more than that for the body.
I did talk to Warmoth today about it.

 

[ibmorjamn]

There’s some good info here. One particular paragraph is worth taking note of.
“
Using a piece of tape as a base, I measured and marked the side-to-side hole locations and marked the 25͟ from the
bridge-side of the nut to the tape. This signifies roughly where the studs would go. There is room for leeway here
because your saddles are adjustable. You just want to ensure you don’t post your tremolo where your saddles are at the
25 ½͟ distance (the scale for a Strat) from the nut where the saddles are at 1 extreme end of their adjustment which will
hurt you later when you might need adjustment the other way to get your intonation right. I got the side-to-side
location by stringing a low and hi E string from the tuners down to the tremolo and moving it physically back & forth on
the neck until it measured centered (distance from the string to the edge of the neck both below the high e-string and
above the low (the big one) e-string.”

Gotoh Fender Floating Tremolo Install

Gotoh Fender Floating Tremolo Install: The following is the DIY laid out step-by-step. The actual work was done by a good friend of mine named Rod. Any questions or comments on the job will be forwarded to him. Thanks for checking this out. Rod is a gifted engineer and if you're lookin…

www.instructables.com

 

[ibmorjamn]

Some of the opening for the tremolo had some paint obstruction. It appears that it has about a 3/16” cap maybe over whatever wood.
Anyway the opening is easy to work on.
Many years ago I did extensive port shaping on an atv 4 stroke single, don’t fear.
I got it. Wood is much easier to work with.

The 2nd pickgaurd arrived today made by WD. Nice scratch plate.

It’s clear and fits perfectly. However it’s a 2 humbucker cut with standard controls(meh)
I have some plans for it.
I am going to pick up a 3rd pickgaurd with s,s,s, for an alternate.

 

[ibmorjamn]

I had an old style router , I need the newer smaller variable speed, that I picked up yesterday. It looks pretty handy.