Opinion on Wraparound Bridge with T-Style Guitar

[zakkybagis]

Hi All

Since all of my guitar are string-thru guitar ( strat/tele ) ,
I am thinking to build my next guitar with with stoptail ( Gotoh Wraparound bridge ) ,
Angled 25.5" Scale Neck bolt-on,
H-H Pickups,
12 Inch Radius Straight neck

I have not decide the wood combination yet,
I'm heading to Black Korina Body direction ( with maple/ziricote neck or full rosewood neck )

I was hoping perhaps anyone can share their experience with this construction ?
I mean, generally in terms playability and wood resonance.
I understand many things will affect the tone, such as wood combination, pickups, and amps.

Thanks
Zakky

 

[Strat Avenger]

Personally, I don't see the appeal.

 

[zakkybagis]

Personally, I don't see the appeal.

why so ,
tone-wise ?
aesthethic-wise ?

I was inspired by something like this

MA EVO Dry Satin Black

MA EVO

www.mansonguitarworks.com

Joe Duplantier USA Signature San Dimas® Style 2, Ebony Fingerboard, Satin Gray

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www.charvel.com

 

[Hendrix]

I got a Black Korina Body + rosewood neck combination build. It is the most prolonged sustain guitar out of more than 10 Warmoth I have built.

I think the Gotoh Wraparound bridge looks better on Carved Top Telecaster Body, as this one I designed on their site.



Or ref to this one post here

 

[Waraxe]

I have a gotoh wraptail bridge on my VIP build.

It's a Carved top.

A few things:

The bridge has a 14" radius. Getting a 12" neck radius will conflict with that.

It's a sweet bridge! Great for palm muting, and a nice height above the body. Incredibly adjustable too. Locking studs as well.

All guitars have a specific tone and resonance, based on the materials used to construct it. It's hard to comment on your choices and particular pieces of wood.
I can say that all 3 of my warmoths are very resonant and tuneful. Moreso than all my other guitars.

My chambered alder/all maple necked strat is somewhat scooped sounding with a looser low end than my......

Alder body/mahogany-ebony necked tele, which is very balanced and solid sounding, compared to......

My chambered mahogany/ all maple necked VIP. This one is middy, tight on the low end, decent highs, and a whole lot of notes jumping off the fretboard. Very defined maybe? No hiding with this one!

It's really the luck of the draw.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Maybe others know better, but to me its normal to use a larger string radius at the bridge than the fretboard radius. I would set up my guitar so the bridge is angled down on the side of the high e to get good play-ability, and have disproportionately higher action on wound strings, especially the A and low E strings when I use regular 10-46 string gauges. If it turns out that 14" bridge radius is too large you can use a file to slot the bridge saddles on the highest two strings to get the action you prefer.

Overall I prefer to have a flat mount hardtail bridge because its easier to adjust and there's no need to mess around with filing the saddles. Also most flat mount hardtail bridges use stainless steel saddles which are more durable. AFAIK, the wrap-around bridge normally has plated brass saddles and they located on a single intonation adjustment screw. Overall the flatmount bridge gives me more confidence the saddles won't move or introduce any unwanted vibration.

 

[zakkybagis]

I got a Black Korina Body + rosewood neck combination build. It is the most prolonged sustain guitar out of more than 10 Warmoth I have built.

I think the Gotoh Wraparound bridge looks better on Carved Top Telecaster Body, as this one I designed on their site.
View attachment 59082


Or ref to this one post here

Thanks for the feedback,
I'm curious on what fretboard wood you put on the top of your rosewood neck ?

 

[zakkybagis]

I have a gotoh wraptail bridge on my VIP build.

It's a Carved top.

A few things:

The bridge has a 14" radius. Getting a 12" neck radius will conflict with that.

It's a sweet bridge! Great for palm muting, and a nice height above the body. Incredibly adjustable too. Locking studs as well.

All guitars have a specific tone and resonance, based on the materials used to construct it. It's hard to comment on your choices and particular pieces of wood.
I can say that all 3 of my warmoths are very resonant and tuneful. Moreso than all my other guitars.

My chambered alder/all maple necked strat is somewhat scooped sounding with a looser low end than my......

Alder body/mahogany-ebony necked tele, which is very balanced and solid sounding, compared to......

My chambered mahogany/ all maple necked VIP. This one is middy, tight on the low end, decent highs, and a whole lot of notes jumping off the fretboard. Very defined maybe? No hiding with this one!

It's really the luck of the draw.

Thanks for the feedback,
please educate me a bit about this bridge radius and neck radius,

so if the bridge radius is 14" ,
which neck radius that would be more convenient ? lower ?

 

[zakkybagis]

Maybe others know better, but to me its normal to use a larger string radius at the bridge than the fretboard radius. I would set up my guitar so the bridge is angled down on the side of the high e to get good play-ability, and have disproportionately higher action on wound strings, especially the A and low E strings when I use regular 10-46 string gauges. If it turns out that 14" bridge radius is too large you can use a file to slot the bridge saddles on the highest two strings to get the action you prefer.

Overall I prefer to have a flat mount hardtail bridge because its easier to adjust and there's no need to mess around with filing the saddles. Also most flat mount hardtail bridges use stainless steel saddles which are more durable. AFAIK, the wrap-around bridge normally has plated brass saddles and they located on a single intonation adjustment screw. Overall the flatmount bridge gives me more confidence the saddles won't move or introduce any unwanted vibration.

Thanks for the feedback,
I agree that flat mount hardtail bridge its easier to adjust,
it just i currently have 3 guitar , 2 with flat mount hardtail and 1 with tremolo ( suhr HSS )
all equipped with KTS Titanium Saddles

im thinking about building my 4th guitar from warmoth,
with this wraparound bridge, to get different tone/flavour

 

[Strat Avenger]

Maybe others know better, but to me its normal to use a larger string radius at the bridge than the fretboard radius.

The string radius does not change between the last fret and the bridge saddles, so the bridge radius should match the fretboard radius (or in the case of a compound radius, the radius at the last fret). Obviously there can be slight variations, such as a player preferring the action of the low E or high E a little higher than the rest of the strings, but generally the radius of the bridge should match the radius should match the fretboard radius.

 

[stratamania]

generally the radius of the bridge should match the radius should match the fretboard radius.

I am assuming for a straight radius as mentioned in this post where the bridge radius would generally match. For compound radii, it would be that the bridge should have a greater radius.

im thinking about building my 4th guitar from warmoth,
with this wraparound bridge, to get different tone/flavour

From a point of view of functionality, the 350 mm (slightly less than 14" radius) for a straight 12" radius neck will have a marginal difference in terms of the arc at the bridge. It could be dialled in if needed with nut files but you may find it does not need much.

 

[zakkybagis]

So If my understanding is correct,

With 14" Bridge Radius,
it would be safer to go with
14" inch Straight Neck Radius
or
Compound Radius ( say 9.5" - 14" )

right ?

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

If you search you may find it is common and often recommended to have a 14" string radius on a Les Paul with 12" fret-board. Eg:

A 14" Schaller bridge on a LP Studio (12"?)

Hello. I want to put a roller bridge before installing the tremolo I bought. This one I believe has the right measurements for direct installation, but the radius is larger than that Les Pauls have (to my understanding). Is that fine? I read the regular ToM is 12" like the neck.

www.mylespaul.com

(This is what I was trying to explain in my previous post)

For a Warmoth compound radius fretboard, you can use a bridge with a string radius that is almost completely flat (more than 16"). However it typically doesn't exist and you may need to cut the saddles yourself. Otherwise a flat-mount hardtail bridge has better adjustability.

 

[stratamania]

So If my understanding is correct,

With 14" Bridge Radius,
it would be safer to go with
14" inch Straight Neck Radius
or
Compound Radius ( say 9.5" - 14" )

right ?

No.

For a compound radius of 9.5" - 14" you would need a bridge radius of around 16".

You could go with a 14" straight radius, but a 12" radius neck will also work.

 

[Hendrix]

Thanks for the feedback,
I'm curious on what fretboard wood you put on the top of your rosewood neck ?

The Rosewood neck I bought from the show cast got Ebony fingerboards, and this bright tonewood should balance the warmer tone of Korina and Rosewood.
Also, Ebony is very smooth, fast feel like maple, but in the dark near black colour and No need finish.

I have a not finish thread here : https://unofficialwarmoth.com/threads/double-f-hole-strat-with-wrong-hole.27517/

The Rosewood neck + Ebony fingerboards is the one on Red Carved Top Telecaster Body, it feel too "darker tone" on Mahogany Carved Top Tele, should be too dark for single coil pickup , but work well and long sustain for Korina body + H-H Pickups , the bridge PU is Seymour Duncan JB Antiquity , work well on this guitar , Neck is seymour duncan full shred, which I don't like , not sure what to change yet .



not finish photo here

 

[Rick]

If it floats your boat go for it, but the flat mount regular tele or strat bridges are easier to adjust. It's taken me 6 months to get the wrap around bridge just right. Takes less than a month of playing to get the flat mount perfect. More futzing with the wrap around.

 

[DuckBaloo]

A 14" radius bridge with 12" radius fretboard isn't a deal breaker. The difference is slight and PRS intentionally uses a 12" wraparound bridge with a 10" radius fretboard. And, as JohnnyHardtail notes, some people set up their adjustable bridges for a slightly flatter radius at the bridge.

That said, there are dozens and dozens of 12" radius wraparound bridges available aftermarket since that's the size Gibson (and PRS) uses. There is no reason to commit to the 14" Gotoh, which was (almost certainly) originally spec'ed for Hamer.

 

[Waraxe]

Thanks for the feedback,
please educate me a bit about this bridge radius and neck radius,

so if the bridge radius is 14" ,
which neck radius that would be more convenient ? lower ?

Uhhhhh.........14?

Lol.

They should match on TOM style bridges, and any other bridge with non height adjustable individual saddles (like a strat).

I did the standard 10-16 standard compound radius on my first 2.

Because of the gotoh bridge radius, I went with a 14".

It works perfectly.

 

[Strat Avenger]

No.

For a compound radius of 9.5" - 14" you would need a bridge radius of around 16".

You could go with a 14" straight radius, but a 12" radius neck will also work.

Maybe if your fretboard went all the way to the bridge, but it doesn't. Whatever fret you adjust your string height (typically the 12th), that radius needs to match your bridge radius. It is a non-issue with bridges that have individually adjustable string saddles.

 

[zakkybagis]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback