aftermarket strat hardtail routing

[barber76]

Hi everyone. I didn't do a single warmoth build yet, but soon.
As one of the options I consider is a hardtail strat, I decided to align to myself warmoth routing options with some aftermarket fixed bridges.
I only considered 3-point bridges, for which warmoth routes free of charge.

First, I googled popular strat string spacings. They are, E to E:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Am.Std = 2 1/16 ~ 52.5mm
[*]Modern = 2 1/8 ~ 54mm
[*]Vintage = 2 7/32 ~ 56mm
[/list]

Second, I clarified distance between baseplate mounting holes, center to center, for warmoth routings. They are:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Am.Std 0.827 ~ 21mm
[*]Vintage 0.89 ~ 22.6mm
[/list]

Now to the bridges.

Hipshot 41060c:
E to E:                          0.416 * 5 =  2.08 - close to am.std.
Mount, center to center: 0.875                  - close to vintage
Verdict: order narrow spaced routing

Hipshot 41200MSS in modern spacing:
E to E:                          0.430 * 5 = 2.15 - close to modern
Mount, center to center: 0.89                  - exactly vintage
Verdict: order narrow spaced routing

Hipshot 41200MSS in vintage spacing:
E to E:                          0.446 * 5 = 2.23 - exactly vintage
Mount, center to center: 0.89                  - exactly vintage
Verdict: order vintage routing

Mannmade specify on their site mounting hole-to-hole 0.848. From only one chart I found on their site,  looks like their center-to-center is vintage 0.89 for all.

Mannmade 2200 Vintage hardtail:
E-to E:                          2 7/32          - exact vintage
Mount, center to center:  0.89 I guess  -exact vintage
Verdict: order vintage routing

Mannmade 2210 Classic hardtail:
E to E:                          2 7/32 - exact vintage
Mount, center to center:  0.89    - exact vintage
Verdict: order vintage routing

Mannmade 2220 Flatback Hardtail:
E to E:                          2 1/8    - exact modern
Mount, center to center:  0.89    - exact vintage
Verdict: order narrow spaced routing

Babicz FCH fixed 6 Original:
E to E:                          2 1/16              - exactly am.std
Mount, center to center: fits 0.80 to 0.92 - fits both am.std and vintage
Verdict: order am.std routing, but MAYBE narrow spaced will fit too

Babicz FCH  Z series fixed 6 Z series
E to E:                          2 1/16 - exactly am.std.
Mount, center to center: 0.831  - very close to am.std.
Verdict: order am.std routing - even though Babicz site for w/e reason marks this bridge as "vintage mounting"

Any comments/fixes/clarifications are much appreciated!

 

[stratamania]

Clarification.

As there are no posts on these types of bridges the dimensions post to post above are centre to centre for the screw mounting holes.

But well done for doing some research. Better to do that and start with parts that fit than ending up with something else. Other things to take into consideration can be the height of the base plates.

 

[barber76]

Clarification.

As there are no posts on these types of bridges the dimensions post to post above are centre to centre for the screw mounting holes.

But well done for doing some research. Better to do that and start with parts that fit than ending up with something else. Other things to take into consideration can be the height of the base plates.

Yes, centre to centre is what I meant, sorry.

As for the height of the base plate, guess you're talking thickness. I have no idea how to take it into consideration. I googled it on the forum, and most people are fine with 0.125, but there are complaints (for the similar builds), that 0.125 doesn't provide enough string height, so a few users were forced to use 0.175. So very contradictory data.
Babicz Z series bridge has 0.098 base plate thickness - smallest of them all - but its construction provides string height of 0.552 - more than max string height of 0.52 on a thick-baseplate hipshot !!

 

[BroccoliRob]

Hey, holmes, that post made my eyes fall out of my head and then my brain started crying out of the sockets and I had to tilt my head back like GI Joe taught me and scoop it all back in with a ladle. Nah, I'm just JK kidding. I like the narrow string spacing, but I don't get really into the exact fractions of a millimeter diffs, ya heard? I think my alternate picking is pretty tight so I don't need to move as microscopically further for each string change. Have you measured any guitars that had a spacing you like?

I think I need to lay down and take an ambien or five.

 

[stratamania]

Clarification.

As there are no posts on these types of bridges the dimensions post to post above are centre to centre for the screw mounting holes.

But well done for doing some research. Better to do that and start with parts that fit than ending up with something else. Other things to take into consideration can be the height of the base plates.

Yes, centre to centre is what I meant, sorry.

As for the height of the base plate, guess you're talking thickness. I have no idea how to take it into consideration. I googled it on the forum, and most people are fine with 0.125, but there are complaints (for the similar builds), that 0.125 doesn't provide enough string height, so a few users were forced to use 0.175. So very contradictory data.
Babicz Z series bridge has 0.098 base plate thickness - smallest of them all - but its construction provides string height of 0.552 - more than max string height of 0.52 on a thick-baseplate hipshot !!

Yes by the height it is the thickness of the base plate which gives a height from the body. So sometimes the 0.125 versus 0.175 thickness question comes up regarding Hipshot bridges for example and preferred saddle heights.

That, of course, is only part of the story as other things such as saddle design which on Babicz may be quite different means that a certain thickness of baseplate is only comparable between bridges of a similar design.


OK, if you wanted to it is possible to modify the original post.

Post to Post:  0.89    - exact vintage

would become...

Mounting holes centre to centre:  0.89    - exact vintage

 

[barber76]

Fixed.

 

[stratamania]

Fixed.

Excellent and a good post with all the info provided.

 

[barber76]

Don't trust my numbers on mannmade. Both their site and the only dealer they point to, are a mess when it comes to specs. They quote those 0.848 in some places as "hole to hole" and in some places "center to center", and the only pic they have states 0.89.  Go figure.  :dontknow: I suppose it is 0.89, otherwise it does not perfectly fit any of warmoth baseplate holes. And diff of ~1mm center to center, imo, is a lot.

 

[BigSteve22]

Don't trust my numbers on mannmade. Both their site and the only dealer they point to, are a mess when it comes to specs.

You'll find a lot of sites give half-a$$ed specs. I do a lot of careful research for my builds, and at times I still have to wait for the UPS man before being certain something will fit as expected. Kudos for putting that list together.

And diff of ~1mm center to center, imo, is a lot.

It is, and it isn't. Depends on the materials, the specific application, and how the tolerances stack up. In metal, 1mm, (~.039"), is significant. Wood, on the other hand, is a lot more forgiving. Getting holes centered more accurately than 1/32", (~.031), is difficult without a CNC, or at least a drill press. Even accurately placed holes can be moved off center if the bit strikes some variation in the grain. Given a three hole mount, if the center hole is referenced, the two outside holes will each be off by the same .039" from the center, which won't pull the bridge out of alignment. And the screws will most probably still look centered in the outside countersinks.

I'm not saying you should lower your expectations, or not look for a closer match. I'm just saying that in a pinch, it would in all likeliness work out. Just IMHO, YMMV.