Need help with tune o matic mounting

[Donniebrasco14]

Hey guys i am working on my custom build guitar. I have a tone pros tune o matic bridge and tailpiece and i am trying to get a rough idea of how far the bridge should be away from the tail piece. Right now i have it at 1 3/4". That is from center to center of the posts. Keep in mind this is just on my drawing plans. I will adjust intonation perfect when i have strings and tail piece on. I know where i want the tailpiece for the guitar. Just wondering if there was a "proper" distance in between the 2.

 

[akio]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

Okay, first of all, you have to place the bridge first, referenced off the nut, before you can worry about the distance to the tailpiece. To do that, combine this page with this diagram. Good luck.

 

[Donniebrasco14]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

so is it common practice to have the treble side of the bridge at 2 1/16" away from tailpiece. I am in blue print stage so no mounting anything yet. I just like to have properly scaled plans before i start building things.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

Once again, the bridge placement is most important. If you have scaled plans, then mount your bridge in the right place for scale length - and forget where the t/p is to go until you know for sure where it is going to be approx right.

Then if you want to go nuts, figure out with trigonometry how far the t/p would need to be behind the bridge so any back angle to the strings on the rear side clears the bridge. Then see if your desired location works.

And then finally.....when you build the guitar for real, be prepared to change things based on the real construction rather than an insubstantial plan.

 

[Donniebrasco14]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

Ok thanks for the info

 

[Donniebrasco14]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

I also have seen guys mount bridge after strings and tail piece are on.Raising it with washers and adjusting bridge slightly to the perfect location. I wanted to try this method as it seem the most accurate to correctly tune and intonate guitar. That is why i am trying to locate tailpiece beforehand. If there is a better way i am all ears. Just seems like a lot of guys do it this way and thought maybe there was a standard distance between the 2.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Need help with tune o matic mounting

Certainly physically mounting the bridge once you have the whole guitar made and know yes.

But arbitrarily placing a t/p without knowing anything about where the bridge has to sit for the scale length.....hell no!

If you are making something like a LP or tele type clone then you generally already know typical scale position......and with any Gibson you'd already know the typical T/p rearward offset. So there would be less issue as you can simply place according to an existing measurement and know you'll be ok.

If this is a completely original idea you have then you'll want to play it more by ear as you build. Especially if its a guitar where the neck has a back angle to allow for the 15mm of TOM clearance needed then flat plans and 3D guitar don't equate.
Of course your final t/p location will be entirely based on how the physical neck+body you make in reality go together. Les Pauls had their t/p studs drilled after the neck was set in. This was to make sure the strings followed the neck line and not necessarily the maple join being the centre of the guitar. Indeed a quick look at old 50's bursts shows about 3/4 of them off centre.


So in reality it is fruitless to obsess over milimeter accurate plans - its only a bit of paper after all.