Hollow body builds with Archtop(floating) bridge

Hi guys,

has anyone out there built a hollow body, either a GR1-sf, an ES335 style or an ES175 style and used a floating bridge.
I have been planning to use one on my GR1-sf, but have found with the standard neck, I don't have enough rake to put more than about a 5 mm bridge base under a standard tune-o-matic bridge.

While I do have a plan I am not optimistic that I can achieve a decent bridge without reverting to the original bridge post set up.

So what options are there and what have others done to get a floating bridge setup on one of these.

Cheers PK

hey PK,
on my 175 the neck was already set and I had very little clearance. however I found that a sorkin bowtie bridge was just the shot. It works well with my bigsby and there havent been any tunign issues etc.

cheers,
Gav.

Tks Gav, I'll have a look for one. All the bridges i have seen stand about 20mm high which is about 5 mm too high

PK

How about making one up? I had one on a Hofner that was 'misplaced' about 25 years ago. I met a bloke who was building acoustic guitars, and he fashioned a bridge for me. It has no height adjustment, though.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...pspp13xg5o.jpg

Tks Swanny,

I am fiddling around with that idea. Basically a reshaped acoustic bridge.
I've also been trying to find the measurements off a sorkin bowtie bridge, Bigsby also make a gold acoustic style low line bridge, but $70USD is a bit too rich for me so close to Xmas.

Cheers PK

Hey, Gav,

I've sourced a Sorkin Bow tie. for just under $50. hopping it is low enough to put the strings at a reasonable height. the other issue is it's silver and not gold, there is a Bigsby gold bridge, but could not find any specs for it, and it looks a little thicker than the sorkin. a can of spray paint might get that issue sorted lol

Cheers PK

You could always have the base of the bridge gold plated, just to blend it in a bit. Leave the rest silver...

Hi Stan

it's all good found a gretch/bigsby bridge in gold. down side is I'll have to build another hollw body so I can use the sorkin bowtie.... LOL

PFFFTTTT. can't win a trick with this thing. bought a gold bigsby bridge, a little higher than the Sorkin Bow tie, but at least it's the right colour. Their is a pock mark in one of the bridge slots.
See pick below. looking for ideas on how to manage this.

Cheers PK

Hi PK, I know it's a pain and will delay the build but I'd ask for a replacement from the bridge supplier. Send them a photo and they may let you keep the damaged one you have !

Tks Woks.

It's an ebay purchase from USA, so sent an ebay-email to em, can't attach pics to that, but put my email addy in the note, hoping they will contact me that way then I can maybe sort it.
It's supposed to be a bigsby bridge but unlike the sorkin it has no branding anywhere. more like sold a $10 dud for $50.

Cheers PK

so PK you think it was damaged in transit ? Was it well packaged ?

who knows what the quality would be like from an ebay seller, I usually look for sellers with at least 98 or 99% feedback

Hi Woks, No I think it a casting bubble. not damaged in transit.

Cheers PK

Hi

Woks so you can see where I have been going with this. these are all the bridges bought for this beast.
The Sorkin Bigsby fits(bt is silver). the gold 'Bigsby' fits, but has pit in the Low E bridge, the other two are wooden based and are just too tall.
The gold roller bridge is the floating fail option.the cute thing with the roller is the bidge posts are on 6mm.
I would have put the roller bridge on top of the Sorkin base but the sorkin posts are 1/2 mm out for a standard LP style bridge.
The is one final option there is a flat gold LP plate available, I assume the post spacing is standard.


Cheers PK