Recessed or not.... L.R.Baggs X-Bridge... Custom Routing

[LoveRock]

Hi Folks.

Due to get the perfect, individual  guitar for me at an affordable price - I want a great Warmoth guitar.

What are your experience with a recessed tremolo?
The best Tremolo ever (IMO) is the MM Petrucci JP6. I owned this guitar for a time and sold it, because I couldn`t stand with the neck.
I am a Les Paul Fan and will order a conversion neck.

But I want the L.R.Baggs X-Bridge because I need piezo sounds and it looks very, very similar to the MM Tremolo of the JP6.
They must be the same.  And: on the JP6 it is recessed.

I would like to get it recessed, but I got the answer from Warmoth that its not possible to get a recessed route.
But they offer to fit this bridge for a charge of  45,- US$ ??? What will they do for this money?
The bridge fits my Standart Strat with no work on it. The Studs are the same....

What are your experiences with recessed, non recessed Standard Tremolo Types ?
Anybody experienced in order a custom route for the bridge?
Doing a route by hand includes a recessed route IMO.... ?!?! Or am I wrong?

THX for your help !

Kind Regards,
LR

 

[Cagey]

A recessed vibrato bridge isn't really necessary unless you use one of the variations of the Eiffel Tower that is the Floyd Rose monstrosity. But, you can recess others if you want them to sit even lower than they normally do. The Petrucci and L.R.Baggs bridges are just minor variations of the Wilkinson design, which are fairly low to start with, but you can recess them as well, which also can allow for a bit more range and perhaps a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Warmoth will recess for those, but it's an off-line operation done by hand, which is why they charge extra. Their bodies are machine-milled, so anything off the beaten path adds time due to special handling, and therefore cost. It's usually only $45, and for that type of work, it's probably a bargain. You can't buy/build templates and then route/drill it yourself that easily. Plus, if they screw it up, they start from scratch and you still get a perfect part. If you screw it up, it's your own personal (and very expensive) teaching moment.

 

[LoveRock]

Hi Cagey.

Thank you for your kind and professional answer.  :hello2:
This was the anwer I didn`t get from the sales support.
Warmoth support told me it would not be possible to do this.

Best part of your answer: "The Petrucci and L.R.Baggs bridges are just minor variations of the Wilkinson design, which are fairly low to start with, but you can recess them as well, which also can allow for a bit more range and perhaps a more aesthetically pleasing appearance."

That is exact the reason why I want this. For me, it´s worth the money and a fair price.

Would you recommend the 720 MOD in this case?
I also want the humbucker wood mount.

THX !!!!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

I don't know for sure whether the 720 mod is indicated for the bridges you're thinking of. But, on the Warmoth sales site there's a page where they describe the bridge routing schemes they offer, and at the bottom of the page it says this:

Ask us about doing these bridge routs by hand for you!

• Carvin FTG Hardtail
• Fishman Tele 101 Bridge
• Fishman Powerbridge Hardtail
• Fishman TOM
• Fishman TSV Powerbridge
• Gibson B-0510-010 SG Style TOM
• Gotoh 510 TS-RS1 2-Hole Tremolo
• Gotoh 101
• Hipshot Tremolo
• Hipshot Flat Mount SB 5105-010
• LR Baggs TOM
• LR Baggs X Trem
• LR Baggs Hardtail
• Schaller 494 Stop Tail Piece w/ Fine Tuners
• Schaller STM Model 451, 452 or 453

Please keep in mind that Warmoth does not stock or special order these bridges.

Each manufacturer may offer different variations of these bridges or change their specifications. For this reason you must send the exact bridge you plan to use to us for dimensional verification.

This custom feature is $45 extra.

You can see the bridge you're interested in on the list, so I don't know why support would say they can't do it.

Keep in mind I don't work for and have no affiliation with Warmoth, so they have the last word about what they'll do, not me. But, it would be worth a phone call to verify what's possible and what's not, and whether or not the custom routing will include any neck pocket modifications that may be necessary.

Edit: In review, I think I know what the problem is. They'll cut for the L.R.Baggs X bridge, but it doesn't say "recessed". That may be the sticking point.

 

[stratamania]

The 720 neck mod is for rear routed bodies, so you end up with the fingerboard closer to the body as there would normally not be a pickguard used in this situation.

It's slightly angled and should not make a difference to the trem, but that's why it's angled.

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/NeckPocketPop.aspx