Glue -Set Moved a Touch!

[Rob]

Gluing this 64 Martin copy bridge turned out to be a bigger job than makinging it. Came up with a bracket that needed to have the hold down piece shoved under two shimmies at both sides of the guitar. Got the " Original Tightbond" ok after the exchange from Tightbond III.
Was worried aboutprotecting the brige and made mistake of making a rubber template . Had the front cornerpoints marked on the wings of the bridge with arrow marks. Had it perfect then when I tried to push the tight hold down piece under the shimmies Inever noticed at first that the high - E side moved back my guess 2- 3 32nds. Having read some people think that its better to be a little longer or flat on the final 12th to center bridge placement and since it was already setting where it didn't want to move I left it.Will try to give you exact measurments when the hold down bracket comes off at 4pm EST Thursday.. Will verfy the middle nut to twelth fret and middle 12th fret to middle saddle measurment and middle 12th low-E to middle saddle and middle 12th to saddle high -E and have the experts tell me if I can ive with it.
Iknow they say a staraight edge down middle of board should clear front of bridge but mine hits about 1/32" down front of bridge from clearing it.Hope that should be ok can you tell me. Iknow my good GUILD doen't clear the bridge on a straight edge.-nanccinut

[William F.Eden]

Sounds like a total disaster to me.Bill."""""""""""

[Rob]

Here are the bare bone facts. The overall center total scale length to middle of saddle is over 1/32nd over Gary's 25-5/8" measuremnt.Nut to center 12th is 12 and (12and1/2 /16ths). Down center board the center12th to center saddle is 12 14/16ths or 1and1/2 16ths longer High E center12th to saddle touch point is12 -13 16ths . The 12th fret middle on low E to touch saddle point is a bit longer an center at12 14/16th.There is a intonation of about1/16inch from the high E to longer low -E length.The front touch points distance of the bridge is1/16th longer on high - E side than low -E to body meeting 14th fret.
What should Icheck for with my needle meter when I string it and should I try to make a new ivory saddle with a shorter distance on high -E SIDE TO 12TH fret and even the middle saddle area.I know I am talking (Jerry -rig 101) but if it helps short of pulling bridge sounds like a plan.-nanccinut

[David Houchens]

Personally, I would remove the bridge and glue it again. Why not use the bridge pin holes for alignment? If its a new build, mark the bridge location and clamp the bridge and drill the outside two. Use two cut off pins to locate and glue and clamp. On dreads I double the nut to 12 fret distance and add .125" (1/8) for the high E.
It sounds like your not gonna have a lot of saddle height with the fingerboard straightedged at 1/32 below the bridge. How tall is the bridge?

[Rob]

Hi Dave.
The bridgebutting up against back /middle of saddle appears to be about11/32 high.What should the saddle height be on High - E ,middle and low -E ? It appears to be 5/32nd saddle height on high E while middle and low E to top of the string seem to be 7/32nd above bridge.In comparing my Guild it appears to be sitting high all accross the slot.What can Ido with Yamaha 440 needle tuner up the fret board to see how things are intonation wise?
Since it moved back a touch on high - E then will check in tune pressure how close Iam to your high - E PLUS 1/8TH INCH and let you know.Can a trust rod adjustment if its short help this and what way do Iturn allen key ,tighter or back off?
Thanks for tips! -nanccinut

[Mike Kolb]

I'm with David on this... sometimes mistakes happen and we just need to stop and correct 'em. Remove the bridge and reglue it. All the shenanigans and small compensations won't make up for the bridge being in the wrong place. Chalk it up as a good learning experience and reglue the bridge.

[Rob]

Hi gang -Got the bridge off last night and better part of glue build-up .Will take the bridge into work and run over belt sander to get it completly clean. Also rechecking Gary's 25-5/8" center scale marks and the all important front corner to( body meeting 14th fret) marks to make sure the bridge goes on square this time.You were correct it was the only thing to do to make right. If all goes well the strings should be back on Tuesday night. There may now be a bit of middle fret B- string area buzzing due to some soundboard material being pulled off with the glue.It was just clearing frets before and now is sitting lower for sure. Which way do I adjust the rust rod if Irun into this problem on the re-string which I am sure is going to happen ? Thanks in advance for the tip on this final set-up .-Rob AKA-nanccinut

[Dave Anderson]

Rob, I don't think I would use a belt sander on your bridge. If you do be careful to not take any bridge wood off. It needs to match the top radius. See if you can Carefully remove the top wood that came off with a very sharp chisel and glue it back on the top. You need a good gluing surface. If you want more relief in your neck turn the truss rod counter clockwise.Remember the truss rod is designed to counter string pull.It's not meant to adjust action.

[Rob]

Thanks for tips -Rob AKA-nanccinut

[Rob]

The gluing went well with the corners right on their square marks so should intonate pretty good using Gary's measurements.of middle nut to saddle length with the saddle in the slot to get an exact measurment. Dave you said you use nut to 12th and add 1/8inch on high E. Do you just let the slot angle do the rest which should be longer than 1/8th inch on low -E side? I know the middle measurmwnt will be right on Gary's measurment so will let you know with the string pressure back on if that changes. Hoping it won't which will make it right on for this amature.
What can I check with my tunner to see how things are up the fret board? Thanks in advance for any tip here!.-ROB.

[John Cadd]

I have a Requinto guitar and if you measure carefully you will notice the bridge is slightly tilted .This is a Mexican instrument made when the maker was about 15 years old.When you hold a square at the nut you see one side measures almost 90 degrees.The other side is way off that. The string lengths are exactly the same both sides.This is a really compensated nut. It plays in tune.Never gives any trouble.The maker is very famous now.Even his mistakes work out just fine. It also sounds really nice.

[Rob Mercure]

I'm a bit late coming to this - haven't been online mush as we were without power for five days - but first of all Stewmac makes some nylon "bridge pins" for gluing up that are useful for preventing slippage without glue bonding to them. Secondly ditch the belt sander and use a utility knife blade as a scraper - this works well and I can get a silky smooth finish on a non-porous hard wood, such as lignum vitae so glue is an easy removal if not actual finishing of any wooden part that works well with a scraper. Scrapers are just underutilized as abrasives have impoved but I learned while whittling with a pocket knife that just a blade is sufficient for finishing in most cases (rather than run around with a dozen grades or paper, s.wool, or S.Brite in my pocket - a Shrade 3OT with a rounded pen blade was my primary tool).

Rob

[Rob]

Thanks-We have the old axe back together till the pick-up goes in later this month and the new glue job held fine. Thanks -Rob. Action a bit high but think there is room to drop the saddle height . If anyone knows the proper two -Estring above the slot heights for this 64 D-18 Martin replica bridge that may just confirm my hunch it is a bit high in the 16" radius ivory saddle! Also a tiny bit of downward angle off the nut to first fret which looks like it may also be a touch high. On the good side other than finger pain it plays Willie Nelson tunes great with ( Earnie Ball ) light guage installed -Rob