Official Luthiers Forum!

Guys I've made a big and need some advice, when making my guitar I made the bridge to plans glued it on and drilled the holes, what I didn't take into account is the reduction in scale length from 25.4" to 24.9" and now with a 1/8" gap at the nut they run over the edge of the fretboard as I see it I have four options.

1. Is to make the bridge pin hole slots in the right position to force the string to go the right way
2. Plug the two outer holes and re drill

These 2 would make an uneven spacing unless I moved all the bridge pin hole slots over to compensate

3. Plug all the holes and re-drill
4. Take the bridge off and make a new one and plug the holes in the bridge patch and re-drill

Help

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Do not just move one bridge hole - you'd have to move them all.

Double-check your nut and bridge spacings - if they are correct, making the scale length shorter should give you the opposite problem (it increases the amount of extra fretboard that sticks out underneath the outer strings).

Also check that your neck is the right width....

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

I would take it off and make a new one ....

But as Eric points out ... I would say that the fingerboard is not really the right width at the 20th fret end ... you shouldnt have had that much overhang by changing the scale a 1/2 inch.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Yeah that is on my mind too John. The difference in scale length is not very much and I can't imagine that it left you with strings hanging off the neck. Something else is up so I think that we need some more information.

Regarding the bridge and holes if you have to plug the bridge should come off first and don't plug through the bridge into the top and bridge plate or the bridge will never be able to be removed. Remove the bridge, if necessary once we know more, plug the top and either plug the bridge off the guitar or make a new bridge.

But again I feel like we need more info to be giving you good advise.

John,

I think you need to establish just what the problem is here first. What is the fretboard width at the nut and at the 12th fret, and what is the width( centre of hole to centre of hole) of the outside two bridge-pin holes on the bridge. How do these measurements compare with your original plan.

I suppose what I am pondering here (like Erik) is did you make the neck/fingerboard the right size.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

The discrepancy is at the bridge the holes are marginally out, and I'm trying to remove the bridge as we speak, I guess that's the problem of starting classes halfway through a build where the teacher pull the figures out of his head and me not checking the plans hey-ho live and learn

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

It's off now no damage to the top

Thanks Dave for the fish glue dunno if this is correct procedure, but I plugged the hole with cotton wool which I saturated with water covered the top with cardboard then stood a clothes iron on it, I had to walk away as I kept fussing and looking at it, after the first five minutes I was able to hammer a stanley blade under one corner which was then enough to get a chisel under and then a knife and got half way before it was too cold then repeated it for the other side.

I'll rub the top back a bit plug the holes and give it a few more bodying coats, Then remake the bridge and re drill.

Not the total disaster I was worrying about.

John

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

John,

The procedure sounds about right but the words "I was able to hammer a stanley blade under one corner" raised my eyebrows slightly Carefully using a thin pallette knife that you keep dipping in hot water is a good way. A chisel sounds more risky - but fun Heat and some moisture is what you need. Sounds like it came off OK - well done.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave it's an old repairman's trick that I heard about protect the top with rags and beer cans and hammer stanley knife blades under than I read it in Rik Middleton's book and assumed it was almost a bone fida technique and I thought with the steam from the cotton wool and heat from the iron it'd make it even easier I've plugged the exiting holes now, Shame my other bit of wenge isn't as pretty but'll probably be stronger as it has less of the figure but hey. Like I said will gently rub it back and read the plans and not expect miracles from a harassed teacher how does a fantastic job! So I'll nekw the new bridge a tad bigger to hide it all too.

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes