Intro and Questions

[CJT1775]

Hello all, long-time lurker that just registered. Recently getting back into playing guitar after a 12 or so year hiatus.

I’ve always been attracted to the idea of partscasters and custom guitars, and am starting to plan my potential first build. I’ve been eyeing a roasted swamp ash H-X-H Jazzmaster body in the Screamin’ Deals section. The body is routed for a “Narrow Strat Flat Mount” bridge, however after some attempted research, I’m still not sure how this is different than regular strat-style flat mount. Is it really narrow? Would it bar me from using a 1 3/4 nut width or “super wide” neck?

Also, with a narrow flat mount, are there any Bigsby options available that wouldn’t require modifying the bridge mount drilling?

Pardon my ignorance, like I said, just getting back into the guitar world after quite some time. Thanks!

 

[stratamania]

Hello long time lurker just registered and welcome to the forum.

You can use the neck mentioned with a 1 3/4" width neck. It is only the width at the nut that varies. The heel is the same as a 1 5/8' or 1 11/16".  What the narrower bridge gives you is more space at the edge of the board so you are less likely to have an E string slip off the edge.

The superwide neck also widens at the heel, so perhaps a narrow bridge spacing would be less useful.

https://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/Superwide_WarmothPro.aspx


On the Bigsby as I don't use them perhaps someone else can advise.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Welcome to the forum! The simplest path to a Bigsby would be to contact Marc Rutters and have him make you a 3-saddle half bridge for that route with the “Bigsby Mod” which offers relief for the strings to pass over. It looks a little something like this and is pretty darn sweet...

http://ruttersguitars.com/bridges

 

[Cagey]

Fender bridges are sometimes categorized as "vintage" or "modern", which speaks to their string spacing. The "vintage" spacing is a bit wider, which you might want on a "super wide" neck. Typically, "vintage spacing puts the low/high E strings pretty close to the edge of the fretboard, which can present playability problems for some players. It's a small difference, but it's definitely noticeable. One might have the tendency to push/pull those strings off the neck. You wouldn't have that problem with a wider neck. Fender necks are normally 2 3/16" wide at the heel, while the wider one Warmoth offers still has the 2 3/16" heel, but a 2 5/16" wide fretboard.

Bigsby tailpieces are pretty much stand-alone units, so they won't often affect bridge mounts, but they can put the strings up a bit higher off the body so you might want a taller bridge. TOM-style bridges are popular, but Schaller makes a roller saddle version of essentially the same bridge.

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

The difference is the string spacing. 

Vintage flat mount 2.25 spread (more or less)American Standard flat mount 2.125 (more or less).  I think that Warmoth call's them 2.08, and that may be.  I've seen them called 2.1 and 2.125 as well.
Narrow Spaced flat mount is like the American Standard, but with "vintage" stamped saddles, and more or less the same spacing. 

Vintage Telecaster is 2.125 (more or less).
My experience - The "vintage" flat mount, aka the vintage hard-tail Strat bridge is a touch too wide for my tastes.  The nut width wont matter all that much (just a little).  A wider nut will make things worse as far as strings close to the edge of the fretboard.  You'd want to use this bridge with the "vintage width" nut which is 1-5/8.  A better choice for the more modern 1-11/16 (which I also prefer) would be either of the two other choices that Warmoth offers, spaced at 2.125 or 2.08 (as they say).
So lucky you, narrow spaced is the way to go.  Narrow spaced route is the same as "vintage" except the string thru holes are just a little bit bigger to accommodate the slightly different string offset.  That means either the Narrow Spaced, or Vintage bridge will work with that route.  The American Standard has different mounting hole, and string hole spacing.

 

[CJT1775]

Awesome, appreciate all the info and advice. Just need to smooth talk the Mrs. now, and start ordering stuff.

..... and come back with the many questions I’m sure I’ll have  :icon_scratch:

 

[rgand]

Welcome to the forum, LTLJR. Good to have you onboard. I would like to add to VB's post. He started a thread here on Bigsby upgrades offered by Callaham. I strongly suggest you get some or all of them. Callaham also offers bridges cut down to allow the strings to get to the saddles when using a Bigsby.

This is on my JM. That's a Callaham bridge. The spacing is 2-1/16"

 

[bagman67]

I have a vintage-spaced Hipshot hardtail (.430" between adjacent strings, or 2.230" E-to-E) installed on my green Tele that I unthinkingly installed, and it happens to accommodate the modern-spaced string holes, but the E strings are really uncomfortably close to the edges of a 1 11/16" Warmoth neck.  I actually like the feel of the part, so I picked up the modern-spaced version but I haven't had a chance to install yet.  My advice is:  If you're not already accustomed to and comfortable playing vintage-spaced strings, go modern.

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

+1  on what Bagman67 said
And to Bagman...  I hope you don't have to plug, redrill holes.  I know they wont be seen under the bridge, not the biggest deal to do, but still, it would be nice if the holes all lined up.

 

[BroccoliRob]

Yo them Bigsbys look as classy as a flashy lassie with a brassy chassis. They don't BLAZE the #divebombs as hard as I need but if you want to get your subtle wobble on some chords they do. It. Up. I've been practicing my new song all weekend and having something with a Biggs might have made for a nice change of pace for my consciousness since I haven't even taken a single nap. Once you realize you don't have to sleep, your mind opens to an infinite array of possibilities unrivaled by even the hardest of hard lemonades.

 

[bagman67]

+1  on what Bagman67 said
And to Bagman...  I hope you don't have to plug, redrill holes.  I know they wont be seen under the bridge, not the biggest deal to do, but still, it would be nice if the holes all lined up.

Actually, I have the devils own time loading new strings because they are slightly off alignment for the intended narrow-spaced part.  So it will get better in that way, as well.

 

[musicispeace]

Thankfully I have not fallen off the cliff clutching onto the high e string with my "vintage" spaced bridges but I am aware that its close to the edge. Just another reason I am not wedded to "vintage" anything.