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Message 159
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| Subject: | Re: [RESOGUIT-L] bridge inserts | | Date: | Saturday, October 1, 2005 08:23:02 (-0700) | | From: | Richard DeNeve <richard_d13132 @.....com>
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--- "laruepork@netzero.com" <laruepork@netzero.com>
wrote:
> Richie, love yer post (all the others too).
> I still don't have my danged bridges dialed in. They
> are STILL way too low after two fixit's by others.
Sounds like you cut that board off twice, and it's
still too short!
Here's the Q.
> How can I measure, and what do I measure from, to
> trim/cut/sand new ivory tipped maple bridges from
> Paul. And, how can I tell if the bone nut I had
> luthier 1 intstall, is cut right, or too low, or too
> high? Before or AFTER I try and change my own
> bridges.
There are a couple of ways to do it. Unfortunately,
you will need a couple of tools (you were reluctant to
get started down that road). With the guitar set up
and in tune, measure as best you can the amount by
which the top of the current inserts in too low. The
new inserts will have to be this much higher than the
old to fit properly.
Disassemble the guitar. With a sheet of sandpaper
(about 180 or 240 grit) on a flat surface, like on a
large sheet of newspaper on a kitchen table, sand off
the bottoms and tops of the new inserts until they are
the desired height above the old ones. Use a full
sheet of sandpaper and long light smooth strokes for
the sanding. If the new inserts are about 1/4 of
their height in ivory, try to maintain that proportion
as you sand, removing 3 times as much from the bottom
as you do from the top. (More ivory should increase
treble response or brightness.) Try to maintain the
tops and bottoms parallel to each other, and check
them often against the height of the old ones. I
would recommend that you leave the old ones in the
slot until you get the new ones to the height you
want. Often inserts are broken in removing them, and
this would lose your height reference.
Once the new ones are at the right height, remove the
old ones and try the new ones for fit. They probably
will be too thick for the slots. Dump the dust from
your sandpaper, and sand the sides of the inserts.
Add a bit of extra pressure to the bottom of the
insert, to make it a little thinner than the top. Try
for fit every couple of strokes, so you don't overdo.
If one end fits into the slot lower than the other
end, add a little extra pressure to the thicker end.
Once they fit most of the way into the slot, you can
tap them home with a small beater. Use a small block
of wood on the top of the insert to distribute the
blow over the whole top. Tap straight down to avoid
snapping the insert off. And use a small block of
wood under the center of the spider to support it.
(Tools, tools, tools.)
I like to use a tension screw in the hole in the
spider to make sure I get the inserts in the right
place, and as close together as I can and still leave
room for the screw head. But not everyone has a hole
drilled in his (her?) kitchen table to accommmodate
the shank of the screw. If the inserts are too far
apart, there will be insufficient support for the
sides of the slots holding the two center strings. If
teh inserts are too close together, you can shave them
back with a sharp knife, or file them back, until the
screw fits.
Once the inserts are where you want them, tip the
spider over and sand down the top of the inserts so
that they are straight all the way across. At this
time, you may tip the spider forward or back, or both,
to contour the inserts' tops with a slant or
round-over. Sand parallel to the length of the
inserts; sanding perpendicular to them may snap them
off. Light pressure, a little at a time. I like to
slant the top of the inserts down in back, so that the
strings are supported by the groove at the fretboard
end. Rattles are less likely this way, but sound will
be a little brighter than from a rounded top and
string groove.
Harbor Freight (usual disclaimers) sells a set of
small diamond coated jewellers' files. The triangular
file is good for starting notches for the string
slots, and the tip of the round file can be used to
round out the channels for the biggger strings.
Again, go slow. I would not recommend tryiong to cut
the ivory with a knife blade. Uou will likely chip
the knife blade, and certainly will chip the ivory.
N I'm fired up to do this. I don't have any
> real tools, though. N don't wanna buy any, cuz, if I
> do, I'll be in deep doo doo when I buy one tool,
> then another
> Oh, and, how the HAYALL 'am a phool like me' gonna
> tell how to file down the proper side of the nut (if
> I replace it again)
Sand it as you did the bridge inserts, a little at a
time. Slant the top slightly downward toward the
tuning pegs. The end of the groove should be AT (not
behind) the very front of the nut. If you round off
the string grooves in the front of the nut, you will
get buzzes. Other than that, the angle at the top of
the nut doesn't matter much. Since the angle of the
strings differs for each tuner location, you cannot
easily slant the top of the nut for each string.
> or the bridges, not to mention
> how do I calibrate and measure degree angle of
> slope, to create that string slope that's required.
> Ya know, I mightas well go out whole hog n empty
> both barrels. Uh, how do I get the old nut out (if I
> have to)
I have found the beat way to remove a high reso nut is
to remove the strings (duh), then lay a block of wood
with a flat end square against the nut, on top of the
frets. Tap it lightly with a small hammer. (More
tools!) And listen! After a couple of taps you will
hear a change in the sound, as the nut becomes loose.
Quit tapping, and lift the nut up out of teh slot.
Probably a small amount of neck wood and some glue
will stick to it. Sand this off, again long smooth
gentle strokes. You want to remove junk, not bone.
> and what do I do to put it back in?
Clean out the slot (if there is one) carefully to
leave the bottom flat. Add a very small bead of glue
like titebond to the front bottom edge of the nut, and
press tightly back in place. If you needed to dress
up the slots in the nut, you can sand down the tip of
the nut 1/32 of an inch or so, to get a new surface
for the small strings, and enough in deepening the
slots for the larger strings to obtain a new surface
for them, too.
The angle of the strings to the fretboard is not
normally critical, unless you use a capo that rests of
the fretboard. Then the nut should be high enough to
make the strings parallel to the fretboard.
> Skwirrels got it easy. They go bonk out, and fetch
> back when yer walkin by. <smile>
> Twangingly Thrilled In ForsakenValley
>
Indeed! Good luck.
Dick DeNeve
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