Do you think this is feasible?

dodgechargerfan

dodgechargerfan

CanadianGary
Administrator
I’ve been staring at the bridge of the Ampeg and wondering about possible solutions.

I grabbed this bridge from Musiclily as an experiment. I chose it because the mounting holes should line up and the whole thing will fit in the bridge plate of the Ampeg.

The question though is does stringing it like this make sense? This is just a short piece of string to show the path through the bridge.
IMG_4514.jpeg


I mean, I should just try it, but I’m wondering if anyone sees any glaring idiocy that I don’t yet see.

Keep in mind, the string is run through the vibrato bar at the tail - much like a Bigsby is strung.
Then the strings would run through that little hole on the back of the bridge, kinda like a top loader.
Then it has to come up through the middle of the saddle. I can see this as being the finickiest part.

I don’t like these saddles for the vibrato, but if the overall concept works I can swap in some rollers. Maybe.
I’m worried about the strings catching in that through hole and maybe even the saddle springs.

Tell me I’m crazy.

My goal in all of this is to get some radius into the strings and have better intonation. I got the straight bar bridge pretty close in terms of intonation, but it could be better and the radius will be a big improvement in playability.
Playing very flat strings against a radiused neck feels weird.
 
I don't think that would work well if you plan to use the vibrato at all. Shot of the full front of the body?
 
What you might could do would be to get six Tele style barrel saddles like these: https://www.kluson.com/kluson-brass-6-saddle-set-for-fender-telecaster-details.html

Then use a Dremel to notch the back of the bridge where the strings pass through, like on this Mastery:
masterybridge.com

M9.1 - Mastery Bridge

Made especially for Bigsby B5 users that have a standard Tele (3) wood screw, shortened hardtail vintage footprint. Strings glide smoothly over our patented hard chrome-plated brass saddles without pinching. Includes three 18-8 stainless steel oval #6 screws. Has string through body holes as...
masterybridge.com masterybridge.com

that will only work if the saddles lineup right though, which I am not sure sure they will. you need something like this conceptually though. A saddle that the strings will "glide" over (like the original bar bridge) and an unobstructed string path between the saddle and the tailpiece. The more angles and points of contact you have between the saddle witness point and the ball end of the string, the more there is for the string to get hung up on when you try to use the tremolo.
 
actually depending on how much you want to spend and your mounting area that mastery would probably do just what you need.
 
sorry for the barrage of posts. I just looked at the other thread. The picture that you found that had the original six saddle bridge… Unless the entire bridge apparatus rocked back-and-forth when you use the vibrato, I would imagine that the tuning stability on that thing was pretty poor. that may be why whoever had it before put that bar on there in the first place....
 
smurfco said:
Unless the entire bridge apparatus rocked back-and-forth when you use the vibrato,
Click to expand...

That’s exactly how the original works. Good eye!
It’s supposed to roll on a bar under the bridge plate and the edges tuck under a set of rollers on the side.

Burns series one Bridge_02.jpeg


Burns series one Bridge_01.jpeg



smurfco said:
What you might could do would be to get six Tele style barrel saddles like these: https://www.kluson.com/kluson-brass-6-saddle-set-for-fender-telecaster-details.html

Then use a Dremel to notch the back of the bridge where the strings pass through, like on this Mastery:
masterybridge.com

M9.1 - Mastery Bridge

Made especially for Bigsby B5 users that have a standard Tele (3) wood screw, shortened hardtail vintage footprint. Strings glide smoothly over our patented hard chrome-plated brass saddles without pinching. Includes three 18-8 stainless steel oval #6 screws. Has string through body holes as...
masterybridge.com masterybridge.com

that will only work if the saddles lineup right though, which I am not sure sure they will. you need something like this conceptually though. A saddle that the strings will "glide" over (like the original bar bridge) and an unobstructed string path between the saddle and the tailpiece. The more angles and points of contact you have between the saddle witness point and the ball end of the string, the more there is for the string to get hung up on when you try to use the tremolo.
Click to expand...

That might work! I might even look at figuring out a way to get it to fit into the rollers described above - once I find the right stuff for rollers. I have a few ideas there. I just have to track stuff down and try it.
The original saddles have slotted sides so that the strings can be “side-loaded” into the saddle.


Thanks for the feedback.
Most importantly, thanks for saying the roller bit out loud. I had heard that the rollers were needed but I didn’t understand how it all fit together until you said what you said and I looked at the pics of the original. It all clicked in my head at that point, thanks to you.
 
I think the plate has holes in the bottom for the strings go up under the saddles.

The Wild Dog has a much bigger plate that does that.
The deluxe has the smaller plate shown, but might have the same.
 
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I got a couple of plates from a guy in Sweden who had a machinist make some a few years ago.
I was in the process of making my own, but I’m glad I got stalled.
The way the string holes are drilled is not the way I was going to do it.
What the machinist did is a lot better, I think.

IMG_3832.jpeg


So, I have to remove and re-install the roller that is under the bridge plate because I think made it a bit too long and it binds up.
I’m going to try to get to that this weekend and get this guitar back into playing condition.
 
If the guitar requires that much thought and effort to get it to where you might/maybe like it then the non crazy approach would be to sell it and get something you like. Just sayin’.
 
Dew Knot Humps said:
If the guitar requires that much thought and effort to get it to where you might/maybe like it then the non crazy approach would be to sell it and get something you like. Just sayin’.
Click to expand...
Oh, I already like it.
I just wanted to get the original vibrato system back together again.

It came to me with a solid bar bridge that allowed almost zero break angle, but it played fine.
I just figure it could be better.
 
I bought a guitar once because, I felt sorry for it. Does that make sense? No but, someone had to do it.
 
dodgechargerfan said:
Did you save it or put it out of its misery?
Click to expand...
I sold it to a friend to give as a gift to his granddaughter. Thread is from 2014 which is in the period where we lost photos here. I added pics I found in the last two posts.

Before - Sold

Birthday present is here. Should of taken a close up of bridge. My first question was, will this bridge work? Don't mind filling holes, and drilling new ones, but if I don't have to, that's better...
markweinguitarlessons.com
 
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