Tl1 bridge placement

[tim keogh]

i have a problem with the position of the the tl1 bridge.
I can't match the distance from nut to fret12 with fret12 to bridge. Even with the saddle wound all the way out the string length is too long. The neck is solid in place and the the bridge is pushed forward as far as possible.
It seems as if the hole for the bridge pickup is in the wrong place by about 5-10mm.
Any ideas?
Tim

[wokkaboy]

Hi Tim,
seems to be a common problem in the TL kits. I had to route out the bridge pup route on an alder TL-1A model so the bridge sat closer to the 12th fret and could be intonated.
Looks like you have started the finish on the body.
Have you got a router or a friend close with one ? Just need to replicate the bridge cavity shape and route about 5mm closer to the neck side

[tim keogh]

I think your rite. Re-routing seems the only option

[wokkaboy]

Tim an easier option is to get longer screws for the bridge saddles. There is about 3-5mm compensation for the low E string, maybe can you please post the distances -> nut to 12th fret and 12th fret to both E saddles wound fully forward

[patwhit14]

i have a problem with the position of the the tl1 bridge.
I can't match the distance from nut to fret12 with fret12 to bridge. Even with the saddle wound all the way out the string length is too long. The neck is solid in place and the the bridge is pushed forward as far as possible.
It seems as if the hole for the bridge pickup is in the wrong place by about 5-10mm.
Any ideas?
Tim

Hi Tim,

I am having the same issue with my TL Kit which is my first kit guitar that I am putting together.

I was wondering what your solution was to this issue, did you end up routing the cavity to better fit the pickup, or did you end up getting longer screws for the saddle?

Also, can I ask - did you body have pre-drilled holes for fitting the bridge? Mine had three pre-drilled holes (which should be 4?) and only one of them appears to be in the correct spot.

[patwhit14]

Tim an easier option is to get longer screws for the bridge saddles. There is about 3-5mm compensation for the low E string, maybe can you please post the distances -> nut to 12th fret and 12th fret to both E saddles wound fully forward

Hi mate,

When you say there is 3-5mm compensation for the low E string, does this mean that the saddle for the low E string should sit 3-5mm further away from the neck than saddle for the high E string?

[Simon Barden]

Patwhit154, you probably haven't noticed that these posts are from 2016. Wokkaboy still looks in occasionally but he hasn't posted since 2019, so I'll try and answer.

The thicker the string, generally the further back the saddles will sit when you set them up for intonation, so the high E and B saddle will sit further forward than the low E and A string saddle (assuming you have the 3 barrel saddle type bridge). The higher your action, the more the string tension changes and the further the saddles will end up. The amount of final compensation required will also depend on the string type and make, (as some makes have round cores on the wound strings, some hexagonal cores, and some have slightly thicker cores and thinner windings than others) and the string material used. These all affect the amount of intonation that is required, so there is never a single value of how much the saddles will need to be moved relative to each other on any guitar.

But the low E and A saddle will always sit further back, and that's why the bridge has a shorter intonation screw on that saddle than on the other two.