Can Warmoth Please Start Carrying This Bridge?

[Chris_Lohmann]

The above image is that of the modern (5 mounting hole) string-thru-body hardtail Strat-style bridge made by Gotoh. It's basically a carbon-copy of the modern string-thru-body hardtail bridge that Fender puts on their current American Standard Hardtail Strats. This is my preferred type of bridge and I would really appreciate it if Warmoth would add it to the list of bridges that they can rout for and start carrying it in stock. I can't understand why Warmoth doesn't already carry/offer it. They carry/offer other Gotoh products. :icon_scratch:

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[Kostas]

I second that. I have a tele body already routed for the Gotoh standard tele and I'm thinking of cutting the tele bridge to make it like the above bridge.
This bridge has the same routing like the one W sells? http://www.warmoth.com/hardware/bridges/pdf/Gotoh_Standard_Tele_Diagram.pdf
I have searched on the net to find a modern type (no vintage saddles) hardtail to fit exactly the standard tele dimensions & routing but I couldn't find any.

 

[stubhead]

What exactly is it that you want them to do? They'll already drill the string-through holes, and all you have to do is drill for the screws that hold it on....

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/options/options_guitar_bridge_routing.cfm
Scroll down to "Flat Mount/Hardtail Bridge mounting" - it's the third option, six 3/16" holes. They can't carry all the different bridges out there. Do you not own a drill? :icon_scratch:

 

[Chris_Lohmann]

stubhead,

Read what happened to me when I ordered my Mockingbird.
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4106.0

I did ask for the "string-thru-holes only" option and they drilled the mounting holes for the "Narrow-Spaced Strat" bridge anyway. I think it likely that that mistake would not have happened had Warmoth carried the bridge shown above in stock and had been able to rout for it specifically. I hope that, if Warmoth were to carry (and be able to specifically rout for) the bridge shown above, mistakes like the one made on my Mockingbird can be avoided in the future since I, for one, have plans for more builds using that bridge.

To date, I have ordered five guitars from Warmoth. So far, I have completed two of those five (the other three are still works in progress) so I'll thank you to please not patronize me by posting links to Warmoth's website and whatnot as I am VERY familiar with the options that Warmoth currently offers!

 

[Mr Real Nice]

What exactly is it that you want them to do? They'll already drill the string-through holes, and all you have to do is drill for the screws that hold it on....

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/options/options_guitar_bridge_routing.cfm
Scroll down to "Flat Mount/Hardtail Bridge mounting" - it's the third option, six 3/16" holes. They can't carry all the different bridges out there. Do you not own a drill? :icon_scratch:

Dude, come on.  Not everyone wants to drill their body, especially without a drill press.  Granted, it's probably not too difficult, but that's really not the point.

Also, of course they can't carry all the bridges out there, and if this bridge was something unusual or uncommon, I would understand, but the simple fact that it's basically a carbon copy of a modern Strat part makes it an obvious choice to add to the lineup.  +1 here.

 

[Nando Vallart]

+1 (because of my height perhaps +2  :icon_biggrin

 

[Chris_Lohmann]

Kostas,

I'm sorry. I got so irritated by what stubhead wrote that I completely overlooked your post.

I have a tele body already routed for the Gotoh standard tele and I'm thinking of cutting the tele bridge to make it like the above bridge.

I would recommend against that. If you "cut" the Tele bridge, to what will you mount your bridge pickup?

This bridge has the same routing like the one W sells?

I'm not exactly sure which bridge you're referring to here. I will say that the bridge shown in the first post of this thread does not match any routing options currently offered by Warmoth. If your guitar has already been routed for a Tele bridge, your best bet is to stick with a Tele bridge since the bridge shown above is a hardtail Strat bridge and would not be compatible with a Tele bridge rout.

 

[Mr Real Nice]

Just for further reference, here's a pic of what the rout looks like:

 

[Kostas]

Chris,

I have a tele body with a beautiful quilt top and I'd like to hide as little wood as possible. I'm thinking of cutting the tele bridge and make it like in the pic. This way it would be compatible with the routing, it would look more modern and will hide less wood.

 

[DanDeTora]

Warmoth used to sell/route for a similar style bridge. Can't remember if it was a Gotoh or not though. When I built my Strat way back in '95 that's the bridge I got.

 

[Chris_Lohmann]

Chris,

I have a tele body with a beautiful quilt top and I'd like to hide as little wood as possible. I'm thinking of cutting the tele bridge and make it like in the pic. This way it would be compatible with the routing, it would look more modern and will hide less wood.

That's an interesting concept. I've never seen a Tele bridge pickup mounted directly to the wood like that before.

 

[David]

+1 from me

 

[kreig]

all in favor , say yea

yea

 

[ironfist]

I think that string-thru-body holes are sufficient, although it totally sucks what happened to Chris_Lohman's mockingbird body.  If you're going to pay a lot of money for a body, it sucks that it has errant holes that had to be plugged, regardless whether or not the new bridge covers them up (although much better if it does).  Warmoth customers are a picky bunch - that's why we come to Warmoth in the first place!

Drilling your own mounting holes isn't that hard, but it sucks having to do it with a hand drill.  I've done it with 'okay' results, although I would've liked a drill press.  What you can do is take a tiny dowel rod and cut it into six pieces.  Put the odd hardtail bridge on the guitar, and stick the little dowels through the holes in the bridge down into the string-thru holes in the body.  Provided the dowel is a snug fit, this should keep the bridge in place and let you drill holes using the bridge's mounting holes as a guide.  I never used the word "holes" so much in one paragraph.

There are a ton of good hardtail bridges out there.  One of my favorites is made by Mighty Mite (ducks thrown object), and it's really affordable. 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Chrome-MIGHTY-MITE-Hardtail-Guitar-Bridge-Strat_W0QQitemZ350092537279QQihZ022QQcategoryZ41407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I've never used one on a Warmoth body but I've played other guitars with them and they're very nice.  I also think that Might Mite's cast bass bridge is every bit as good as the TK5 Warmoth offers, at half the price. 

 

[stubhead]

Mighty-Mouse! err...Mighty-Mustang! err... Mighty-Mite! :hello2:

 

[Kostas]

I think the specific Gotoh bridge has been suggested for two reasons:
1) Warmoth already carries Gotoh products
2) Gotoh products are affordable but of high quality and are been used by many guitar companies, either low cost or pricy companies.

I'd like to see this bridge by Warmoth for two reasons:
1) I can't drill holes, bridge holes have to be calculated exactly and have to be drilled with accuracy. I wouldn't touch none of those "pricy" fancy tops bodies I usually order and I don't think I can do the job like a CNC machine does. I don't even have the tools to do it...
2) This hardtail and some modern tremolos like the 510TS-FE1 have solid steel saddles that I prefer from the vintage saddles all Warmoth bridges have (except the Fender standard).

It's not hard to watch the market and freshen the products they carry every couple years. The Fender standard is 20 yrs old tremolo, the Wilkinson is 10 yrs old. There are newer, different (better IMO) tremolos out there. And for the majority of customers, it's essential to buy the body routed. That's why Warmoth routes almost all showcase bodies...