I actually go the other way. I take guitar kits that use Tune-o-matic bridges and make them string thru. I made up a jig that I use my router on and clamp the neck in place and reduce the angle to almost zero. I take measurements and adjust each neck due to quality of the kit. I just like the thru body setup and have now changed almost all my kits.
Bigsby used to sell a shim to use when mounting one of their tailpieces on a Tele with a Jazzmaster / Jaguar bridge. They probably still do. It’s not too tough to make one either.
What I want to see is a Les Paul with a fender, hard, tail bridge. I think it would stay tuned better because you can adjust each one of the saddles which is a pain in the ass on the Gibson bridge.
I cut a negative shim from my heel (after removing a tiny wedge from the front/bottom tip of the neck), this allowed me to keep the break angle without raising the neck with traditional shims. What's a 'negative shim'? It's what I call the space left after removing a shim's worth of material. The only problem with introducing a break angle is there's now too much wood in the foot of the neck, and it pushes the scale out of alignment, so a tiny wedge needs to be removed to bring the last fret back where it needs to be, and then it's a case of re-drilling new holes, re-string and play!
Fender has made those in the past. They call them Troublemakers(Tele). Squier also had a P90 Strat with a wraparound bridge they came out with last year I think. I think they even used literal Epiphone parts on it.
Great video ,I'm glad I asked you about it. Thanks Brad. Take a look a Rick parfitt's telecaster or Francis Rossi' guitar's .I think there's some videos on TH-cam of there ones.
Best to build it from scratch. For me though, as someone who started out Gibson, I always shim a Fender neck. It’s part of the setup for me. Otherwise the strings are too close to the top/pickguard. A shim at least brings it up to “acceptable clearance”.
Take a look at The late Rick Parfitt’s Tele. No bridge at all just a stop tail. Francis Rossi’s Tele was later converted into a Strat formation with that bridge and stop tail (Status Quo)
I like the fixed radius of the TOM bridge. Another option would be to drop a Fender Mustang/Jag/JM bridge on top of your Tele bridge plate. The Mustang/Jag/JM bridge has a much lower profile and would require much less customization than a true TOM. Admittedly, I haven't tried this or measured for this so there might be issues with the strings hitting the back of the bridge if it's a string-thru, but it's worth considering. Hmmm... Maybe I'll try it out on a Squier Tele; that's why we buy them, right?
Great video, thank you! I have a Telecaster Body, a Gibson SG style neck/headatock, and a tuneomatic bridge. After watching this, I’m now wondering what kind of challenges I may face mixing a fender body with a Gibson neck. And I’m totally open to using a different style bridge if anyone has an idea that will better suit what I’m trying to accomplish. BTW this Tele body I have is routed out for P90s. Thanks
If you switch to a flat bridge type you will just need to sand the heel of the neck to remove the angle and it should work fine. Otherwise you keep the angle and the raised bridge, but the pickup heights will be quite high haha.
A similar, but different question... I have a Bicentennial Firebird that I attempted to put on an earlier Vibrola complete with lyre plate. The strings were way off the fingerboard and the bridge decked...was this due to the neck angle being too straight?
Could be. Was the action on really high at the bottom of the board? Some combination of shimming in a bit of neck angle and tightening the truss rod a bit are likely what you need.
Interesting topic. Now I have the urge to build one myself. I think I will try to add the angle to the neck pocket. What would be the best method of doing that to a Tele body that already has the traditional pocket routed?
You could build a hinged router box, and mount a handheld router on a couple of rails that ride on the box. Set the box to the desired angle and go. Or if you have a pin router, or drill press that will run at a high enough RPM for a router bit, make a hinged sled and mount the body on that and cut in the angle that way. I've used both methods many times, they will both work well and are both pretty straight forward and easy enough.
This is a great woodworking question. A lot of people prefer using an angled jig to route the pocket at an angle. I personally thing it would be easier to add a small extension to the heal of your neck and put the angle on that. If the pocket isn’t deep enough it’s easy to route it down a touch. It’s really all a matter of preference.
I actually go the other way. I take guitar kits that use Tune-o-matic bridges and make them string thru. I made up a jig that I use my router on and clamp the neck in place and reduce the angle to almost zero. I take measurements and adjust each neck due to quality of the kit. I just like the thru body setup and have now changed almost all my kits.
Bigsby used to sell a shim to use when mounting one of their tailpieces on a Tele with a Jazzmaster / Jaguar bridge. They probably still do. It’s not too tough to make one either.
What I want to see is a Les Paul with a fender, hard, tail bridge. I think it would stay tuned better because you can adjust each one of the saddles which is a pain in the ass on the Gibson bridge.
You can get better raised bridges, like the Babicz system, which have individual adjustability.
I did exactly this when adding a bigsby to my Tele. Glad you have confirmed my approach. 👍
I hope it worked well for you.
Take a look at Steve Morse's Tele from his days with the Dixie Dregs. He installed a Tune-o-Matic on it in order to have room for all those pickups.
God to see you do relaxed Brad!! Been following you for a long time. You’ve helped me a lot with building, finishing, etc.
Thx!
Glad I could help!
I cut a negative shim from my heel (after removing a tiny wedge from the front/bottom tip of the neck), this allowed me to keep the break angle without raising the neck with traditional shims.
What's a 'negative shim'?
It's what I call the space left after removing a shim's worth of material.
The only problem with introducing a break angle is there's now too much wood in the foot of the neck, and it pushes the scale out of alignment, so a tiny wedge needs to be removed to bring the last fret back where it needs to be, and then it's a case of re-drilling new holes, re-string and play!
Fender has made those in the past. They call them Troublemakers(Tele). Squier also had a P90 Strat with a wraparound bridge they came out with last year I think. I think they even used literal Epiphone parts on it.
That’s cool. I know Kiesel made a bunch like that as well at one point. Not sure if they still do.
They make the Jim Adkins signature
Very informative Brad. Thanks, I always enjoy your videos and your knowledge!
Thank you Tom
Great video ,I'm glad I asked you about it.
Thanks Brad.
Take a look a Rick parfitt's telecaster or Francis Rossi' guitar's .I think there's some videos on TH-cam of there ones.
Thanks Mark
Best to build it from scratch. For me though, as someone who started out Gibson, I always shim a Fender neck. It’s part of the setup for me. Otherwise the strings are too close to the top/pickguard. A shim at least brings it up to “acceptable clearance”.
And it helps you get nice low action at the heal. I also shim.
Take a look at The late Rick Parfitt’s Tele. No bridge at all just a stop tail. Francis Rossi’s Tele was later converted into a Strat formation with that bridge and stop tail (Status Quo)
Yeah Rick’s had a very interesting setup.
I like the fixed radius of the TOM bridge. Another option would be to drop a Fender Mustang/Jag/JM bridge on top of your Tele bridge plate. The Mustang/Jag/JM bridge has a much lower profile and would require much less customization than a true TOM. Admittedly, I haven't tried this or measured for this so there might be issues with the strings hitting the back of the bridge if it's a string-thru, but it's worth considering. Hmmm... Maybe I'll try it out on a Squier Tele; that's why we buy them, right?
Yeah, that’s certainly one reason.
The answer is usually yes if you have enough budget.
Yeah pretty much
Thanks for the video Brad
Cheers Dan
On a flat top guitar u need a 2 degree neck angle. Either on the neck heel or in the neck pocket...
I was thinking about this the other day but didn't know how.
Hopefully this was helpful.
Super cool. Thanks.
Thank you
Great video, thank you!
I have a Telecaster Body, a Gibson SG style neck/headatock, and a tuneomatic bridge. After watching this, I’m now wondering what kind of challenges I may face mixing a fender body with a Gibson neck.
And I’m totally open to using a different style bridge if anyone has an idea that will better suit what I’m trying to accomplish.
BTW this Tele body I have is routed out for P90s. Thanks
If you switch to a flat bridge type you will just need to sand the heel of the neck to remove the angle and it should work fine. Otherwise you keep the angle and the raised bridge, but the pickup heights will be quite high haha.
Thanks mate.
Cheers
Remember that Tele's and Strat's are flat top guitars where as LPs are carved and does make a difference in how a Tune-O-Matic would fit.
True, but tunomatics are also used on flat top guitars like the sg.
Build it and we will come 🙂 Be a cool project
It would be a fun one. I’m not a huge fan of those bridges, but it would look neat.
A similar, but different question...
I have a Bicentennial Firebird that I attempted to put on an earlier Vibrola complete with lyre plate. The strings were way off the fingerboard and the bridge decked...was this due to the neck angle being too straight?
Could be. Was the action on really high at the bottom of the board? Some combination of shimming in a bit of neck angle and tightening the truss rod a bit are likely what you need.
Interesting topic. Now I have the urge to build one myself. I think I will try to add the angle to the neck pocket. What would be the best method of doing that to a Tele body that already has the traditional pocket routed?
You could build a hinged router box, and mount a handheld router on a couple of rails that ride on the box. Set the box to the desired angle and go. Or if you have a pin router, or drill press that will run at a high enough RPM for a router bit, make a hinged sled and mount the body on that and cut in the angle that way. I've used both methods many times, they will both work well and are both pretty straight forward and easy enough.
That is a good question. I would like to know that one myself.
This is a great woodworking question. A lot of people prefer using an angled jig to route the pocket at an angle. I personally thing it would be easier to add a small extension to the heal of your neck and put the angle on that. If the pocket isn’t deep enough it’s easy to route it down a touch. It’s really all a matter of preference.
👍
Anybody know a bridge or saddle replacement for a strat with wider intonation!? Don’t mind doing large mods
You’re just trying to increase the intonation range? In what direction?