callaham hardtail saddle height adjustment with tele deluxe body

[apson]

This is my first guitar that came in more than one piece.  I wanted a tele deluxe and couldn't find one I liked for less than $2k (and apparently bill nash won't take custom requests anymore).  Anyway, I am virtually there...except it appears that my warmoth vintage modern cbs strat neck (warmoth finished) + warmoth tele deluxe body (warmoth finished) + the callaham stainless hardtail isn't quite workable out of the box.  I got it strung up and let it rest for a few days but it appears that the normally supplied callaham saddle height adjustment screws aren't quite long enough for me.  I wanted to check in here with some more experienced builders to make sure I wasn't crazy.  Looking at the neck relief/truss rod setting it appears to be nice and I'd rather not disturb it just until I have more adjustment available in the bridge.  The thing plays beautifully...but I need a few more hairs (at the most) on the saddle height adjustment screws.  I've ordered some longer ones from callaham but I wanted to come in here to make sure something else wasn't wrong - or that I hadn't overlooked something really basic.  I have been utterly spoiled at how well this whole thing worked out - and feel a bit guilty even bothering you folks with this.  Nevertheless, I will never buy a guitar in one piece again  




** in case someone is searching: hard tail rather than hardtail **

 

[JaySwear]

that definitely doesn't sound quite right, but it could be that the screws really were a fraction of a fraction too short. i'm curious, as i always wanted to put together a tele deluxe

OH and before somebody beats me to it. pics or it doesn't exsist  :toothy12:  don't tease me with a nice tele deluxe, and then not show me pictures

 

[mayfly]

Sounds like a real nice guitar there!

Sounds a bit funny - a photo of the bridge and where the strings are in relation to the body would really help us figure it out.

 

[tfarny]

Hmmm. I have one of those bridges and no problems with it. A pic would help, as would a measurement of your relief at the 8th fret (distance between top of fret and bottom of low string) and the nut height.

 

[apson]

I need to find my feeler set but my relief at the 8th fret is in the neighborhood of 1/16" on the low e.  The angle at the neck pocket appears perfect with a strait edge - like amazingly perfect.  If I run my aluminum ruler from the 12th fret down to the bridge it just looks flawless - it just seems like the neck pocket needs to be 1/16" less deep?  I'm not shimming it.  I just figured my saddle height screws needed a few more hairs.  I'm going to find my feelers and report back with some specific relief numbers.  Thank you!

 

[mayfly]

Wow!  that's a nice guitar.

Not sure if it's just me, but the neck seems to be a bit high - the fretboard overhang is supposed to be flush with the top of the pickguard and from your pics it looks like it's 1/16 or so above that.  This would account for the problem - but I find it hard to believe that W would make that kind of slip.

In any case, yea, longer screws are what you need to make it all work.

 

[apson]

My neck pocket is about 9/16" deep (maybe plus a 64th) and my neck depth at the 16th fret is 15/16" - which one of those sounds too big?  This isn't worth sending anything back for shaving/routing is it?

 

[apson]

BTW, thanks for complimenting the guitar!  It's nothing fancy compared to some of the amazing things people show on this forum but one has to appreciate its simplicity!  With the fralin P-92s it sure is a riot to play!  I'm going to build another with real 70s wide ranges...I just need one more.  I recently put a set of old ones in my friend's bill nash tele deluxe and it is quite dreamy...

 

[tfarny]

Nice axe. That neck does look a touch high but it could be the angle. Mine are not actually flush, but that looks like it's sitting up just a bit.

1/16th relief is huge though! 1/16th - That's .0625! If you have never done it before, I highly recommend going 'no relief' and getting your nut slots down to exactly the height of your first fret - any fret imperfections will stick out but you'll be shocked by the kind of action you can get. I go for .005 in relief - basically, just a hair of daylight between the top of the fret and the bottom of the string. Definitely less than the thickness of your high E. The only reason I can see for 1/16 relief is if your a big slide player or you just like really high action. Getting your neck straight may give you the space you need to not buy new saddle height screws.

 

[Red Rocks]

FYI Vintage Modern have about .050 more room between the fret board and the body then Warmoth Pro necks. Not exactly sure why. By the way that's a really awesome build. :icon_thumright:

 

[blue313]

I had the same issue on my Fender-Am Strat.  The longer screws were definitely the ticket.

 

[apson]

Thanks Blue313 - I'm glad I stumbled onto the right path.  I feel a bit silly - when I was measuring relief I wasn't fretting anything.  Is the standard when measuring relief to fret 1 and 12 or 1 and [22/etc]?  I've read both about fretting 1 and 22 on the D string and measuring at 12 and too 1, 12, and 8 respectively.

I had the same issue on my Fender-Am Strat.  The longer screws were definitely the ticket.

 

[tfarny]

1 & 22. so, 1/16 is your action? wow, nice and low.

 

[RobR]

vintage modern neck and a compound radius = taller fretboard... longer bridge adjustment screws will take care of this.... great looking build!