Neck - Bridge issues

[sandman_thedog]

Hi all,
I'm hoping someone can help me out with a suggestion about an issue I'm having.

Build thread is here: http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...?t=4329&page=4

Anyway. All put together and wired up, had a play and sounds pretty good, was very happy. I thought I would let it sit for a day or so, and then start tweaking the intonation.

Got the nut and neck not bad using the methods on here (neck is a little tricky... seems a fraction high, but nothing too bad).

When I went to intonate.... no go. Can't get it right.

Measured up, and the bridge is slightly out. I measured as per instructions on here - and it seemed pretty good ( I think it says it should be within 3 mm).

Now, with the neck glued in - it's out. I'll let the pictures do the talking....

[sandman_thedog]

Measurement from the start of the nut, to the 12th fret.
around 31.1 cm

Measurement from 12th fret to the bridge



Around 32 to the middle.


To the thin e string



I can almost get the thin e to work.

Now.
The neck is as far in as it can go:






And there's no extra space here - the neck pickup is as far back into the hole as it can go.

[Andy40]

The LP copy's are pretty spot on to intonate. Your scale length looks right

does it play open chords in tune? or not Is it just out at the 12th? sharp or flat?

Also is the neck straight, ie the same amount of fretboard either side of the Eand e strings?

[sandman_thedog]

So, my question. I'm stuck really. I'm not sure what to do here.

I thought there is only 2 ways to fix this.

Take the neck off (really don't want to do that, as it's glued in. That will be a nightmare for me, my skills are a bit rubbish) - knock a bit off the bottom and side so it can be pushed in a fraction further.
However, then I run into trouble with the pickups - I can't push them any further back as is, so would have to take them out, chisel out some space, etc.

I don't think my skills are quite up to that.

So then that leaves with with the only other thing I can think of.

Take out the bridge, somehow try and pull out the bits hammered in - plug up the holes with dowel, and redrill about 5 mm closer.

But - then I think I'll end up gouging the top to buggery, have to fill in the top of the dowel perfectly, and have to try and colour match the top/ink etc without it looking completely different, and like a patch job.

In short - I'm stumped.

Neither of those options are particularly attractive.

So, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance....

[sandman_thedog]

It's flat at the 12th.

the gap at either side of both e's is pretty much identical

[sandman_thedog]

It's marginally out as you move up the neck (5th, 7th 9th etc), but gets worse as you go.

[Andy40]

Just checked the measurements on my LP1-SS. It was 313mm to the 12th and 626mm to the edge of the bridge (not the saddles).
the saddles are pretty much in the usual position of LP's

[Andy40]

did you replace the nut?

[WeirdBits]

From your initial pics it looks like the high E is actually pretty close.

Wind the high and low E saddles all the way forward (make sure all saddles slope away from the nut) and then post pics of full scale measurements for both E's along the path of the strings. That should give us a better idea of the situation.

[sandman_thedog]

no, the original nut.
OK, I'll take those measurements. Mine is the same as yours Andy. 626 to the start of the bridge.

Half of my saddles face the other way weirdbits. I'll take it apart now, turn it around and then take the measurements.