Righty Guitar with a lefty Trem

[ChrisPBacon]

Hey guys I am beginning to amass the parts for my dream strat build, and I have some questions about the hardware. I want to do a lefty trem system (like SRV/Hendrix) and one of the things I fear is that If I buy gold hardware from different places, the golds will all be slightly different. That's beside the point, but if you guys know that this won't be a problem feel free to give me a heads up.

So here are my questions:

Getting a lefty trem bridge, Would I just be able to put a right handed arm right into that bridge? Seems to be what Stevie did. Looks like Hendrix put a left arm in the righty bridge too but I could be wrong.

Can I get gold screws to adjust the action on the bridge for a strat? I ran into this problem a couple of times. On the High and low E string, the two screws on either side of the saddle seemed to be a little to short to get the action high enough. After playing with the truss rod, intonation, and going down a gauge or two in thickness, the problem was solved, but I still almost ran out of screw. (These were on vintage style saddles btw)

Thanks for the advice in advance guyus and If you could give me any additoinal tips for my first build let me know!
Keep on rocking guys!

 

[Cagey]

I don't think I've ever seen gold saddle height adjustment screws, but maybe I just haven't paid attention.

As for lefty trems, I'm not sure what SRV did, but Jimi didn't play left-handed guitars, he just played left-handed. He strung up a righty guitar upside-down, as lefty's were pretty thin on the ground back in those days. Not that they're exactly common now, but compared to then...

 

[swarfrat]

I've never seen gold plated saddle height screws either. They're pretty tiny and have a socket in the head. You might possibly be able to source them in Titanium Nitride coating - which for something as small as a saddle screw might look ok.

 

[ChrisPBacon]

Alright, thanks for the advice on the adjustment screws. I’ll be just fine if they aren’t gold, it’s probably not going to be noticed by myself let alone others. So Could I put on a right handed bar into a lefty bridge? I would  imagine it’s possible. Anybody have experience doing something similar?

 

[Logrinn]

I might be wrong, but I don’t think there’s any problems using a right trem arm in a left trem bridge. The problem is getting a left trem bridge in a body routed for a right trem bridge, if that is your plan. If you’re thinking of making something like SRV’s guitar, I mean.
:icon_scratch:

 

[Cagey]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

 

[Fat Pete]

I might be wrong, but I don’t think there’s any problems using a right trem arm in a left trem bridge. The problem is getting a left trem bridge in a body routed for a right trem bridge, if that is your plan. If you’re thinking of making something like SRV’s guitar, I mean.
:icon_scratch:

This. Hopefully, if it is a standard right-handed body, you're already aware that the routing is not symmetrical and would need to be a custom job.

 

[swarfrat]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosy, Even in space!

Sorry - I used to watch Curious George religiously with my son before work in the mornings.

 

[TBurst Std]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

Decades ago, Chrysler did that on some of their autos.  Surprised I never encounter an AMC that used it LOL

 

[BroccoliRob]

I might be wrong, but I don’t think there’s any problems using a right trem arm in a left trem bridge. The problem is getting a left trem bridge in a body routed for a right trem bridge, if that is your plan. If you’re thinking of making something like SRV’s guitar, I mean.
:icon_scratch:

This. Hopefully, if it is a standard right-handed body, you're already aware that the routing is not symmetrical and would need to be a custom job.

Big time this. My friend todd had to do all sorts of chiseling to make a lefty bridge work on a right body and now it looks like garbage, lol.

 

[ChrisPBacon]

Thanks so much for the heads up guys, I already ordered my righty body with a lefty trem route so we ought to be good on that front. Have y'all got any tips for me as this is my first build?

Some other questions now that i think of it

-I have an American Special Strat with the triple Texas Specials currently and it has a funky Nut Width compared to the modern 1.650. I looked at the specs and it says it's a 1.6875 which if my math is correct, is the same option as the 1-1/16 nut width option. Is this the case? is 1-1/16 the former standard nut width?

-I want to have either the neck or bridge pickup turn on independently with a push pull knob. I know that there is a lot of mojo and science in potentiometers, but would opting for a push/pull switch on a pot affect tone? (I imagine not)

Thanks for reading guys!

 

[Rick]

Nope does not affect tone.

 

[aarontunes]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

You can get reverse threaded light bulbs. There's a train station in New York (Grand Central?) that is outfitted with them to this day.

The reason for this was that back in the day stealing light bulbs was a thing, so many public spaces began using reverse threaded bulbs to deter theft. I guess there are enough places still outfitted with them that they are still produced, though I doubt you could get them at Home Depot.


I only know this because I just listened to a podcast about a few weeks ago.

 

[swarfrat]

Now that is sinister...

I wrote a note left handed to slip in my son's lunch today. My writing left handed doesn't look any better than his.

 

[BigSteve22]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

As in the extractor retaining screw on S&W revolvers...

 

[Rick]

1 and 11/16ths

 

[rgand]

The only time I've see something reverse-threaded has been when it needed to be due to the rotational direction of what's attached or the attachment point. Even then, sometimes the retainer is just locked rather than reverse the thread. It's never to accommodate left/right handedness. Otherwise, clockwise tightens, counter-clockwise loosens.

As in the extractor retaining screw on S&W revolvers...

I think my '41 Plymouth had those left handed lug bolts (not nuts) on one side.