Telecaster, which hipshot bridge?

[Duke318]

Hey all.  I'm going to be using a hipshot bridge with my new warmoth telecaster, and I'm wondering if I'm going to need the .125 or .175 thickness hipshot bridge.  I'm not using the 720 neck pocket mod, just the standard options.

 

[tfarny]

Are you using the hipshot telecaster bridge? There is only one thickness as far as I know, but two hole patterns and either 3 or six saddles. That is a great bridge.
if you are using the hardtail strat bridge, then as I recall you want the thicker one.

 

[Cagey]

I went through some rigmarole with a Hipshot hardtail bridge that I documented a bit here. That was a Strat, though, so I don't know if it applies, or if we're even talking about the same bridge.

Never did figure out for certain what was going on there. No 720 mod, no angled pocket. Just a regular ol' Strat body where everything measured out properly. The only thing left was the bridge being short, and that was with the .175" base. I ended up having to route the pocket to get it to work.

 

[Duke318]

Damn that's bizarre.  Does the 720 mod work with the pickguard or no?

 

[Cagey]

I think the pickguard will need to be modified.

 

[tfarny]

A tiny little neck shim would have solved the problem, wouldn't it Cagey? My own guess would be that you had a slightly angled neck pocket by accident from W.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, but I don't like shims. I want things to fit. It's not like I'm building 100 guitars a day; I can afford the time to do it right if it's within range of my skill/tool set. If not, then it's a judgement call. Either buy the tool(s) and/or learn the skill or hire it out. In any event, it needs to be done right. Shims are for compensating for inaccuracies, and as such are always a compromise.

Don't get me wrong - I know not everything is perfect - but when it comes to neck joints you want to get as close/tight as you can.