73mm Nashville T.O.M on Gretsch

HHwarner

Iv been asked to replace the Nashville Bridge on my mates Chinese made Gretsch. Was looking to keep cost down as he is a bit skint so was looking at Gotoh. Yep that will do he says. Took the old one off to measure and its got 73mm hole centres. Gotoh are 74mm. The only one I could find was a Kluson bridge made specifically for the Epiphone Sheraton 11 at nearly double the price of the Gotoh. Does anyone know of any other makes spaced at 73mm. Seems a bloody odd thing for the Chinese to do using non standard spacings when everything else is spaced at 74mm on the Chinese market????

GluedtoMusic

How precisely are the body anchors spaced, and how well does everything fit together? If the body holes are slightly further apart (say 73.5 mm) and there was enough play in the bridge to still fit you may get away with it the other way.

HHwarner

I guess it was drilled to a jig. It’s pretty much cock on. 6.2mm hole diameters and measured with a vernier hole to hole 79.2mm. Posts are 5.9mm dia and wound right in measuring over posts I’m getting 78.9mm. It’s smack on position wise. So with 0.3 diametral clearance between the posts and holes I don’t reckon a 74mm bridge will go without a bit of fettling. Chrome plated so not easy to machine etc

rlw

I've done this the other way and its a pain - fitting a 74mm bridge to a Sheraton.  Had to have the holes filled and redrilled BUT the bridge covers all the work very well.  Could just have made the holes a bit bigger and prayed.....

There was a Schaller at one time but that was v expensive.

What about trying to find a decent Sheraton bridge?  You could have mine but its gold................

thermionic

The gold will come off with a bit of metal polish I suspect...

rlw

thermionic said:

The gold will come off with a bit of metal polish I suspect...

..or just breathing on it a bit hard....

HHwarner

When I was given the Gretsch to replace the bridge, I noticed a very loud humming when the volume controls were turned down. I checked all the wiring as I assumed it was a bad earth. Everything seemed good ground wise. New Bridge grounded nicely. This week Iv been asked to replace the cheap chinese pots for CTS, disconnect the Bridge PU and remove selector switch as its not being used and is in the way of my rather enthusiastic Rhythm player. Iv done this and even with new Pots and re-wiring, the buzzing continues. It sounds like a bad earth but again everything checks out fine. Could it be the nasty Chinese Pickups?

Wiring diagram here, although not the usual layout its not rocket science: https://i2.wp.com/daftparagon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/wpc_077d_edgecastcdn_net_00077D_gretsch_support_schematics_wiring_Tone-Pot-Circuit_pdf-2.jpg

Im a bit tempted to completely re-wire it to remove the Master volume also now as its not required. make things as simple as possible. Have the Pickup on the end terminal and the guitar Input on the center of the Volume pot. Id left the harness pretty much as is just in case he wants it reversing.