Bridge options for GS-2Q

[RobG]

So after finishing all the body work on my GS-2Q kit I’ve run into a little problem. When I glued in the neck I checked the scale and it looked spot on, but now doing my final set up I can’t get it to intonate right. I think what has happened is I’ve glued the neck into the pocket a little too far forward towards the bridge) making the scale just a little too short. When trying to set the intonation I have to wind the saddles all the way back towards the tail piece and can only get a couple of the strings to intonate right. I need to move the saddles back further on some of the strings but it’s hard up against the back of the bridge. So my question to the brains trust is what can I do about this? Do they make a bridge that has a few more mm of adjustment that’ll fit this guitar? This site has been an amazing source of help and inspiration so thanks again to everyone


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[Simon Barden]

The Nashville-style TOM bridge that comes with the kit has a fairly wide range of travel, so you'll need a more drastic solution. The Gibson 'harmonica' bridge has a much wider range of adjustment than the Nashville TOM, but Kluson replicas of them are very expensive. I haven't found a low-cost copy of one.

Plugging the existing post holes and re-drilling is one option, but isn't to be undertaken lightly, especially as it will mar any finish you already have on the quilted top.

Which means that a less conventional approach may be needed. So you could consider using an adjustable saddle wrap-over bridge, and not use the stop-tail. You'd need to plug up the stop tail holes, or find some suitable chromed M8 screw that you could fill the post holes with.

I bought one of these for my GSJ-1 kit and it's affordable and has lots of saddle travel. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This style should be available more locally to you if you look around. The bridge is compact height-wise, so shouldn't be any higher than the kit bridge.

I had first thought that you could use the above bridge just for its saddles and still use the stop-tail, but then realised that it's held in place by string tension, so you'd need to wrap the strings around it and drop the stop tail.

You could modify that wrap-over bridge in the manner of a Tone-Pros locking bridge if you can drill a small hole in the bridge each side of the post notches facing backwards, tap them and fit grub screws that locks the bridge in place on the post. Alternatively you could set it up, then use a small drop of CA glue on each post to hopefully hold it in place. This should still allow you to adjust the bridge height if needed by breaking the glue bond.

[RobG]

Now that may just work. I’m going to go see if I can find one near me


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[ThatCluelessGerman]

Can you measure how much more travel room you need?

I mainly use these kind of roller bridges for my builds, they have additional room to adjust on the mounting holes:
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/40001...archweb201603_

I am sure you can find a roller bridge exactly like this on Amazon.

If you are more than, say, 2-3 millimeters off from the farest position, these won't help you out, I'm afraid. But you can check, maybe it helps =)

Edit:
Here are better pictures:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01...FC6PDGYK&psc=1

You have a bit of adjustment room on the mounting holes.

[RobG]

I don’t need much maybe 2mm


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[ThatCluelessGerman]

Then the roller bridge from above could help.

[RobG]

I don’t think I’ll get enough adjustment out of that roller bridge but they do look interesting.


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[Simon Barden]

From the photos I can see you have an ABR-1 style bridge, so a Nashville style will give you maybe 1-1.5mm more travel, but seeing as you've got the E, A and D saddles all fully backwards, you will probably need more than that. TCG, how much rearwards travel can you get on the roller saddles with respect to distance from the centreline of the string post (which I note also allows for some overall adjustment? RobG looks to manage about 4.5mm on that bridge and probably needs another 3mm.

[RobG]

Yeah I reckon you’re right. I’m going to order a cheap wraparound bridge and see if that can get it right but short of that do I have any other options short of filling the holes and drilling new ones further back?


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[Simon Barden]

Forget my wrap-over bridge suggestion. I've just compared a kit TOM bridge with my replacement wrap-over, and the wrap-over post hole centres are about 10mm wider apart, so it would never fit in the bridge position (though it would at the stop tail-piece position which is way too far back to use).

My only other thought is to use an M8 to M4 bridge adapter, something like this https://www.thomann.de/gb/goeldo_bri...pter_m4_m8.htm, fill the holes in the bridge with epoxy, then drill them out for the 4mm posts at the front of the hole position, which will move the whole bridge back by a couple of mm or so. The kit bridge holes are about 6.2mm in diameter, to fit 6mm posts, so in theory, you'd get 2.2mm of rear travel.