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Hi all! My name is Lee and I'm brand new to the electric guitar making world
I'm trying to make my second guitar which is a neck through Firebird inspired design, but I've forgotten to include a neck angle to accommodate the tune-o-matic bridge, so the neck and fretboard is flat with the body. Does anyone know of another bridge I could use without having to go string through? Should I try and router the tune-o-matic bridge into the body? Is the guitar unsalvageable at all?

Cheers!
Lee

You can rout in the tunematic but that always looks like a mistake to me and makes adjustment difficult. Any top load bridge such as this should work.
https://www.allparts.com/SB-0190-010-No ... _3221.html

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Good on ya Brian! Thanks mate I'll check out the top loaders. Starting to think that going through the body might not be such a bad idea, might give me a better sound anyway
Cheers again!
Lee

Is the fretboard flat on the body? If so, even a top load bridge will give you problems. On a Fender style neck/bridge setup (which is basically what you've done since there's no neck angle), the top of the fretboard is 3/8" above the body. If you're using a standard thickness fretboard (1/4"), and it's resting on top of the body, it's 1/8" too low, and you'll have a very difficult time getting good action because the saddles won't adjust low enough.

This is one way to do it. After that you learn not to do that again.


No one else notices and it's fun to play. But you will learn to account for bridge height on future builds. Did that on my first bass as well. Didn't learn the first time.

You might get away with it using a hardtail fender type bridge.

Cheers guys, think I'm gonna go a fixed hard tail bridge and string though, might get a bonus and salvage a better tone!!

I sure don't have a problem with the looks of that.

It's not like one is adjusting the bridge height all the time so it's all a matter of string height preference. I don't have a picking string height preference...if it's a good playing guitar doesn't take long to feel it out. Now a guitar that I have to sit funny with or have to use a strap...probably why I've never messed with V's.

Nice looking ax Jim!

Not to high-jack but we got a look at one of the early prototypes of the V some years back. The guy who had it, it was the final prototype before G*bson went into production with the V, died after keeping it under his bed and unplayed for 40 years. He was not a player but did some electric work at the G*bson plant and the story was that G*bson could not pay in cash so they traded him this guitar. He didn't know what to do with it so under the bed it went for 40 years.

His family brought it forward and it was placed on the market initially for $100,000.00. It was also in like new condition, cream colored, etc. It eventually sold for around $69,000.00 and is now in a private collection.

There's some history of your very cool V for you. Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Thanks Hesh. Cool facts.

you could try a fender Jag type bridge it has some up and down adjustments this might help.

you could try a fender Jag type bridge it has some up and down adjustments this might help.

Al

I've used two of these Schaller 3-d bridges.
Love 'em.
They come with a riser block if more height is needed.
They are made for a flat neck angle and are too low for an LP type angled neck.

http://www.lmii.com/products/mostly-not ... ce-bridges

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

That was the only tune-o-matic bridge I've ever used and because of the V plate a fender style bridge wouldn't do. Other than that I like a bridge that I can adjust each string and have more flexibility. The fender style with string thru would rock on that axe.