BGD - 70's LP Custom

WezV

Finally about done with this one.

Its had a refret with some  jumbo jescar fretwire.  I have replaced the brass nut with an unbleached bone one.   We decided to go with a chunkier tune-o-matic rather than a period correct one, since two of them have collapsed on this guitar, but its been aged to match the guitar.  Original pickups and plate are back w here they should be.  Pots and switches have all had  a good service

Its now playing really nicely and sounding much nicer than it did

ICBM

That's a very steep neck angle on that one. Not surprising it eats bridges... I had a '70 Deluxe like that. Strangely I had a '73 later which was much lower.

Nice job on the re-refret. I've never seen tangs cut away that far before!

WezV

It didn't strike me as that high, although clearly in the higher range.   I will measure later and confirm the actual angle.  

One reason for the collapsing bridges is spending the last 20 years gigging in a metal band.   The last bridge has been bent back most of the way and seemed to be coping okay, but it made more sense to upgrade to something a bit beefier.  

ICBM

WezV said:

It didn't strike me as that high, although clearly in the higher range.   I will measure later and confirm the actual angle.

It could actually be the shaping of the top as well, that varied a bit back then! The problem isn't so much the neck angle by itself, it's that the bridge is too high - anything above about a quarter inch from the body to the underside of the height wheels is too much, for me... that one looks even higher.

WezV

ICBM said:

Nice job on the re-refret. I've never seen tangs cut away that far before!

The worst bit about that was the glue used in the last refret had filled the gaps.  I had to clean it out with a dremel and dental bit 

guitars4you

Very rarely do I see such a job where upon completion it has not seriously enhanced the guitars playing performance - I've had to long a love/hate relationship with LP's , yet such e-frets makes them so much more like able as far as I'm concerned - Great job

clarkefan

For some reason I can't click on the buttons, so have a written wow! Such a great looking guitar! Great job sir!

WezV

ICBM said:

WezV said:

It didn't strike me as that high, although clearly in the higher range.   I will measure later and confirm the actual angle.

It could actually be the shaping of the top as well, that varied a bit back then! The problem isn't so much the neck angle by itself, it's that the bridge is too high - anything above about a quarter inch from the body to the underside of the height wheels is too much, for me... that one looks even higher.

the quick and dirty neck angle check - reference surface is 1.1 degrees towards the neck



Neck angle shows as 3.3 degrees the other way - so a total of 4.4 degrees on the strings.  It would  be slightly less if measured on the board

For those that don;t know, 4-4.5 is a fairly standard number for this measurement.   This neck angle is bang on spec for any period after the introduction of the tune-o-matic.   Don;t know what they currently build to, but last time  i cared it was about 5 degrees on the standard and 4 on the custom shop stuff.  I build to 4.3


as ICBM rightly says, other factors can affect actual bridge height, like the carve, but also fretboard thickness and  fret height.... before we even talk about set-up

This one sits just ever so slightly above 1/4" with an action on the low e on 0.07" (1.8mm)  - it could stand to go a fair bit lower, but that is not how its wanted.  The string is catching the back of the bridge at the moment  .. final set-up and measurements will be done after the 10-56 strings turn up




The bridge pickup ring is quite low, and increases the illusion of the high bridge, but its really not that high by any reasonable measure