Wizard's first build attempt

Wizard · 2009-10-31T14:59:27+00:00

Bought the wood. A 3m stretch of Alder planed to 46mm supposedly; actually 50mm: Cut out 5 blanks. This one has a large knot ... so am using this as my first attempt: Using a circular saw & jigsaw got the first rough cut. Then smoothed with belt sander:

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Normal bit. The tip helps locate and centre the bit in the existing hole so I don't enlarge the hole off centre. Really, it's not difficult. Practice on some scrap if you're nervous.

I'm not nervous; makes perfect sense ... will try it tonight.

It's effectively the same method I use for making all holes on my drill press.
Measure very accurately, mark a dot with a koki ... then make a hole using a bradawl.
Hold the piece to be drilled loosely under the drill press and let it find its own correct position with the drill bit hunting for the hole already created.
Works brilliantly.

In fact it would be a problem with a Forstner bit as it won't have a shaft to do the hunting.

Wizard

New question.
Why are nuts glued in at all?

If the nut is a very tight fit in the slot, then the enormous pressure of the strings will keep it in place.
A violin bridge isn't glued to the body - it's held in place by string pressure.
Was also thinking this might solve the slide guitar problem discussed elsewhere - just have bridges of different heights and swap them when required.

It's obviously not this easy else it would have been done already.
What am I missing?

MikeM

My high end Washburn's nut is not glued in ?

Heath

can't say i have ever seen a glued in nut

Wizard

Tailon. wrote can't say i have ever seen a glued in nut

MikeM wrote My high end Washburn's nut is not glued in

That settles that then ...
?

Renesongs

I had such a hassel removing the original nut from my strat when I replaced it with the graphtech that I swore blindly that I for one won't glue down a nut. you got to be careful though mine pops out when I change string I have learned that dogs love chewing little bits of plastic found lying around.

AlanRatcliffe

Rene's right, glue keeps the nut in place and stops you from losing it. Many guitars the nut will easily pull to one side or another without a spot of glue. Also fills any gaps or imperfections between nut and shelf. But superglue or epoxy are too efficient and make removal a nightmare.

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Normal bit. The tip helps locate and centre the bit in the existing hole so I don't enlarge the hole off centre. Really, it's not difficult. Practice on some scrap if you're nervous.

Used this approach.
Needed a normal 10mm bit.
Was very easy - it naturally self-centred.
Tuners now installed !!
?

Wizard

I bought the Hamer for sacrificial and learning purposes.
I allocated the morning to dismantling it.
Took me about 15 minutes - a lot quicker than I thought.

Insights:
a) The sum of the parts:
The Hamer is a cheap guitar definitely put together with cheap components.
Plywood body, cheap tuners etc.
But overall (to my hands and ears) it was actually very playable and sounded very good.
The bridge I pulled out looks better than the Mighty Mite one I bought though; and the soldering etc seems high quality.
Maybe they were careful to spend where they needed to and skimp where they needed to.

b) Then took the "loaded" pickguard and ceremoniously placed it onto my new strat body.
It initially wouldn't go on - snagging on something.
Discovered the "proper" body routing (rather than universal) leaves a lot less space for things, so needed to tie up wires neatly and carefully to fall into their designated channels.
Then confirmed that the body rout for the 5 way selector switch and knobs is slightly off position - so doesn't sit quite right.
Will need to rout out a little more to accomodate the error.

Reinforces my greatest learning to date - double check the accuracy of the routing templates; and clamp them properly so they don't slip !!

c) Strat tremolo bridge.
I'm not sure I understand how this works.
Prior to dismantling the Hamer I had noticed that it didn't really have any tremolo action.
I assumed it was a rubbish bridge, which inspired me to buy a new one.
I then learned that the 6 screws holding the bridge down are not supposed to be screwed all the way in; as this is what provides the rocking action.
I unscrewed them a bit and tried to retune.

I couldn't.
Every time I tuned a string tighter, it would just apply more tension to the trem block springs and tilt the bridge further.
Carried on until a string snapped; I abandoned the exercise and I decided to dismantle the Hamer.

How are these trem bridges supposed to work?
Is the tone block supposed to "float", with the tension of the strings balancing the springs?
Or is the tone block supposed to rest against the body in neutral position?

d) I am really liking my colour scheme so far.
The pearloid pickguard with white controls against the light wood looks great !

Gearhead

The vintage Strat bridge with the 6 screws is supposed to bottom out with its faceplate onto the guitar top while the tone block is still not touching the rout. There is a chamfer right underneath the 6 screws that allows it to rock so it should not really matter how tight the screws are. You adjust the number of springs in the back cavity AND the depth at which you screw in the claw to make sure the bridge does not float.
Imho the tremolo action on a normal Strat leaves so much to be desired in the tuning department that it is worth blocking anyway. Wedge between tone block and back of the rout gives stability, and you have more sustain to boot.

Wizard

Gearhead wrote Imho the tremolo action on a normal Strat leaves so much to be desired in the tuning department that it is worth blocking anyway. Wedge between tone block and back of the rout gives stability, and you have more sustain to boot.

Would this give the same effect as a hardtail?
Or would the tone still be influenced by the whole toneblock / springs in some way?

Are there alternative tremolo systems for strats? (while still being faithful to being called strats)

Manfred-Klose

Are there alternative tremolo systems for strats? (while still being faithful to being called strats)

Maby this?
http://www.kahlerusa.com/home.html

singemonkey

My Pacifica has a Wilkinson Trem which is supposed to be smoother. It certainly does a great job. I think this one is similar:

http://www.whamster.com/viewProduct.php?ID=220

Wizard

Gearhead wrote The vintage Strat bridge with the 6 screws is supposed to bottom out with its faceplate onto the guitar top while the tone block is still not touching the rout. There is a chamfer right underneath the 6 screws that allows it to rock so it should not really matter how tight the screws are. You adjust the number of springs in the back cavity AND the depth at which you screw in the claw to make sure the bridge does not float.

Thanks Gearhead - this info has helped me to figure it out.
I want this build to be a faithful Strat - so will learn how to do the adjustments

Wizard

Here's a mockup of what it looks like so far, with tuners attached; and loaded pickguard loosely resting in the cavity.
I like the light wood colour, but know it will darken once oiled.

AlanRatcliffe

There has been a lot of talk about the tuning stability of the "Synchronised" Trem, but set up properly there is nothing wrong with it (unless you do the whole whammy bar, motorcycle noises thing). Nine times out of ten, the issue in Strats with tuning problems is the nut or the string trees.

It was originally designed to lie flat on the body until used, and the six screws are there more to stop the bridge moving forward than provide pivot points (that's the job of the chamfer on the underside).

Tighten the six screws until they kiss the baseplate - any more and the bridge will lift. Then back out the middle four screws a touch, so they just lift off the surface (this lowers the friction and helps the trem get back to the zero point in use).

There are two ways to set up a Synchronised Trem - flat or floating. Flat allows the best transfer of vibration and tone from the bridge to the body and vice versa, floating makes the trem a bit more flexibility with the ability to raise pitch slightly for vibrato that both raises and lowers the pitch., but you end up with a little less tuning stability and a slight sustain loss. Most players like the bridge to float.

Setting the bridge up is a simple matter of tightening the trem claw screws until the springs give you enough pressure to counteract the pressure of the springs. For initial setup, it's easiest to tighten them up quite a bit and then string and tune the guitar. Then loosen them until the bridge starts lifting a little. Leave it that way for floating or tighten them a little again so it comes down against the body for flat setup.

I set my own bridges up for flat, but tighter than usual as I don't use the trem. Three springs is perfect, less and tuning stability does become a problem, more and you start getting more "spring ring".

Wizard

Thanks Alan - an excellent and easy to understand explanation.
The initial setup seems easy to follow.
I like the streetwise suggestion of raising the inside 4 screws slightly.
The problem with the Hamer was then clearly that the trem claw screws weren't tight enough.

I also don't plan on using the tremolo, so will follow your setup route.

Next step is to rout out the bridge cavities.
Bit nervous about this one.

AlanRatcliffe

You could go hardtail for this, your first effort. Hardtail bridges are inexpensive.

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote You could go hardtail for this, your first effort. Hardtail bridges are inexpensive.

How significant is the tone difference between a locked down trem bridge and a hardtail?

AlanRatcliffe

Still a Strat tone, but a bit punchier with less "air". The springs of a trem do still add something.

« Previous Page Next Page »