Which Hardtail Bridge for Stratocaster Body with Superwide Neck?

[SuperWideHeaven]

Hi there,

in following post Stratamania wrote that the superwide neck expands to 60.53 mm at the 22nd fret and showed a photo of the neck heel overhang.
https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=33909.msg469149#msg469149

Does anybody know a "top-loading" hardtail bridge with 2 7/32 string spacing?
(It shouldn't be a bridge with adjustable string spacing).

Best regards,
Bernd

(my posts were edited, since I was able to find the superwide neck heel specs)

 

[DuckBaloo]

The vintage style Fender hardtail (2-7/32” spacing) is probably as wide as you want to go to still work with pickups. It’s  the size I would use. Fender, Callahan and some others make them as well. But I think some of the modern “wide” 2-1/8” bridges will be fine as well and open up your search.

Whoops. I missed the part about wanting a top loader.

 

[Rick]

On a strat with a superwide neck I use the gotoh trem blocked with a tremelno.  The spacing is 2 1/16.  Much better than the wide trem and there's no string fall off.

Indeed open your search .  Gotoh makes a bunch that will work.

 

[SuperWideHeaven]

[edited]

 

[Cowbell Fever!]

Schaller 3D-6 top loader, adjustable spacing. Nice bridge too.

 

[SuperWideHeaven]

[edited]

 

[bostjan]

There are also individual (single string) bridges, which could be made into whatever string spacing you desire, but they'd be more costly and more fuss than the Schaller that Spud mentioned.

If you are worried about the pole pieces lining up with the wider spacing, you could use rail pickups, although the pole piece alignment is mostly aesthetic.  If you are going so wide that you would extend outside of what even a rail pickup would cover, you could either go with piezo pickups under the saddles or route a spot for a seven string pickup in the bridge.  For that matter, you could get a seven string super-wide neck with a paddle headstock and just plot everything out for six strings.  That way, you could get a 2" nut and even 3" at the bridge, but that seems like a lot of extra effort and well beyond what would be practical to play.

 

[SuperWideHeaven]

[edited]

 

[Cowbell Fever!]

Oh, well the joy was short-lived. Just read the first negative review about the Schaller bridge in german language, which says:

The string ends are firmly anchored in one place on the back of the bridge. If the individual string riders of the bridge are now adjusted to a wide string spacing, the strings no longer run straight over the riders and there is a possibility that they will jump out of their guide when the strings are hit hard.

So the Schaller 3D-6 bridge isn't the right choice for my setup anymore.

@bostjan
Thanks for your tips. Are the individual single bridges you mention the ABM 320?
https://abm-guitarpartsshop.com/ABM-GUITAR-PARTS/Single-Bridges/Guitar/ABM-3210/ABM-3210c-Chrome::230.html?language=en

You gotta do what is right for YOU! :icon_thumright:

 

[SuperWideHeaven]

[edited]

 

[TBurst Std]

You do know that the super wide aspect ONLY applies to the width at the nut.
The vintage spacing, while wider, will still present the E and e strings close to the fret ends once you get high up on the neck.  The same as a normal nut width neck.

When choosing a bridge saddle spacing, what should be considered is the distance between the strings at the right hand engagement.  And know the wider you go with a *fender style neck, you distinctly encounter the possibility of running out of fret width higher on the neck.

That’s regardless of choosing super wide or a 1 5/8

 

[BroccoliRob]

Oh, well the joy was short-lived. Just read the first negative review about the Schaller bridge in german language, which says:

The string ends are firmly anchored in one place on the back of the bridge. If the individual string riders of the bridge are now adjusted to a wide string spacing, the strings no longer run straight over the riders and there is a possibility that they will jump out of their guide when the strings are hit hard.

So the Schaller 3D-6 bridge isn't the right choice for my setup anymore.

lol i think that guy is overly worried about the strings. i mean, how would you design a a bridge with adjustable spacing that DIDNT result in very minor angle differences from the stringing holes?? i m willin' to #trust that the german engineers @schaller designed it so the string don't pop out of the rollers becuz if not theyd never hear the end of it online and I sure ain't heard any reports to this effect. that dude just needs to get his levels checked


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[SuperWideHeaven]

[edited]