Non-PBG RBX Style Bass Guitar Kit RBX-20 from DIY Guitars

[Simon Barden]

I'd mark the bridge position first - as you don't want to drill a hole and then find it's not under the bridge!

[Alkay]

I'd mark the bridge position first - as you don't want to drill a hole and then find it's not under the bridge!

Hahaha thanks Simon, yes I will do that. Might give it a go tomorrow after some sleep. Thank you.

[Alkay]

You can now measure the bridge, and mark with a thin felt-tip (or anything that will put a mark on the metal) at the half-width point of the bridge at the neck-end and tail-end of the bridge. You can now put the bridge down on the body so that the middle is sitting on sitting on the initial centreline. You know the scale length of the guitar, so you can measure roughly 34" (or whatever the scale length is supposed to be) from the nut to the bridge saddles position, and move the bridge so that it's roughly in position with the saddles in mid-adjustment position. I'd use the Stewmac calculator (on their website) to work out the exact length away from the nut that the top G string saddle (in it's mid position) should be from the nut. Mark the top and bottom position of the bridge on the guitar with pencil.

Hi Simon,

This is probably going to open itself up to other comments hahaha but I can't find the calculator you were talking about for the G string?

I have found the Conversion calculators page but nothing in relation to saddle position for each string. Thanks.

[Simon Barden]

http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator

It says fret calculator but also tells you how far to position your bridge away from the nut using the screwholes (not the saddles as I thought, the guitar option gives more bridge options). Select bass guitar and 34" scale. Pick any number of frets as its not important here.

For a 34" scale and a Fender style bridge, it says have the bridge screw-hole centreline 35" away. A nice easy number!

Now if you haven't got a Fender style bridge with your kit, you'll need to tell us, or else try and compare the details of your one to a Fender style one. You should be able to find the dimensions online.

[Alkay]

http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator

It says fret calculator but also tells you how far to position your bridge away from the nut using the screwholes (not the saddles as I thought, the guitar option gives more bridge options). Select bass guitar and 34" scale. Pick any number of frets as its not important here.

For a 34" scale and a Fender style bridge, it says have the bridge screw-hole centreline 35" away. A nice easy number!

Now if you haven't got a Fender style bridge with your kit, you'll need to tell us, or else try and compare the details of your one to a Fender style one. You should be able to find the dimensions online.

Ok thanks Simon I found it. I don't know inches. I'm only metric.

A = Finger board side of nut to crown of 12th fret is 431.5mm
Therefore scale length: A x 2 = 863mm

Input:
Number of frets: 24
Scale length: 863
Selected millimeter radio button
Selected bass from the drop down combo box
Selected calculate

Output:

Bridge placement for 863.000mm scale length
Distance indicated is from the fingerboard face of the nut, to center of rear-most row of mounting screws. (I think this means the rear saddle adjustment screws for each string on the bridge and not the screws that fix the bridge to the body?)

Fender style bass bridges: 888.382mm (± 0.5mm)

So I think it means the rear of the bridge where the saddle adjustment screws are?

I forgot to attach bridge pics, I'm not sure what sort it is:



Cheers,

Alkay.

[Alkay]

Ok epic brain fail. Apologies, it means the center line screw holes on the bridge where it's screwed to the body as you said. It's late ok that's my excuse hahaha.

[Simon Barden]

I can work in both metric and imperial (but mainly metric), but standard scale lengths are normally defined in inches, so it's easiest for me to reference them that way. UK rulers and measures have both scales on, so it's not really an issue for us, whatever scale's used.

1" = 25.4 mm, so 863+25.4 = 888.4mm (without laser measuring and cutting tools you're never going to position it better than ±0.5mm anyway. As long as you've got at least 25mm of movement on the saddles from above the fixing screw position to their maximum forwards position (whilst still on the screw thread) you'll be fine.

[Alkay]

I can work in both metric and imperial (but mainly metric), but standard scale lengths are normally defined in inches, so it's easiest for me to reference them that way. UK rulers and measures have both scales on, so it's not really an issue for us, whatever scale's used.

1" = 25.4 mm, so 863+25.4 = 888.4mm (without laser measuring and cutting tools you're never going to position it better than ±0.5mm anyway. As long as you've got at least 25mm of movement on the saddles from above the fixing screw position to their maximum forwards position (whilst still on the screw thread) you'll be fine.

Ok thanks Simon,

34" inches = 863.6mm on google.

So I'm in the right area I think. I'll put the screw holes that fix the bridge to the body at this length?

[Alkay]

Ok thanks Simon,

34" inches = 863.6mm on google.

So I'm in the right area I think. I'll put the screw holes that fix the bridge to the body at this length?

Actually I think that I am wrong.

I should position all of the bridge saddles in the center of the bridge(so it's 34" or 863.6mm) before it's installed and use that as a guide where to place the bridge on the body.

That way I have equal travel in both directions if sharp or flat for the intonation on each string.

[Simon Barden]

Your G string should be the furthest forward saddle, and that should end up at or just slightly further away than the 34"/863.6mm scale length. On some heavier string sets, experience has shown that it may need to be a bit further forward than this. So if first you set your G saddle fairly far forward. with say 5mm of screw still poking out the front and locate that around the 863 mm point, then check how much adjustment behind that the other saddles have. All the other strings will have their saddles staggered back from here, with the bottom E having its saddle furthest back. Anything over 25mm should be fine.

Hopefully you'll find that the mounting screw-hole centres should be about 25-26mm back from that G saddle position as well - which will tie-in with the StewMac suggestion as well.