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Hey guys and girls, say a guy (Okay, it's me), moved his X-brace too far back and now the bridge will sit in a spot where the outer bridge pins are too close to the inside edges of the X-brace...now, my thought is to make another bridge, just a bit wider from front to back...the saddle slot will stay in it's normal place, but the pin holes will be just a bit (1/8 to 3/16") further back to buy some room between the X-brace legs...am I overlooking something, (such as the break angle over the saddle or something like that) that makes this a dumb idea? I'd change the neck join at the body by a bit, but it's finished and would be more trouble than I'd care to take. Can I get some wisdom from you who've been there or somewhere close? TIA.

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Larry, I did that on one of my eary guitars. In fact when I drilled the holes for the pins, I went straight through one of the x's. ARRRG.
I think your fix is a pretty good one providing there is enough break angle to make sure the strings don't buzz on the saddle.
Another idea. How about a pinless bridge? They're simple to make and I think they might actually give a bit more energy to the bridge itself. Then you could keep everything where it should be and you'd be set.
Good luck Paul

Larry I think Paul's idea of a pinless bridge is your best option, their not hard to make and will avoid the problem all together. That's what I'd do...

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

If you go with a bigger bridge, be sure your brigde plate is long enough for the new pin location. However, Paul has an excellent suggestion. You could use either an Ovation bridge or the Elliot/Doolin bridge

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

I like the pinless bridge option for this as the break angle is maintained. I did one on one of my early guitars for a similar reason to you. I've since re-topped that guitar (it had a Sitka top) with WRC and gone back to a pin bridge. If you use a pinless bridge and D'Addario strings you can see all the pretty colours of the ball ends!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I think the pinless bridge is a pretty elegant way to avoid your potential problem, and it really won't be a problem anymore if you go this way. Many ways to skin a cat.

Question; do you still need the bridge plate if you go the pinless bridge option? What would it do to the sound?

The only other consideration is that the more forward your X is, usually the more easily the lower bout can move. In your case, since the body is already together and has finish on it, the best thing you can do is either use a pinless bridge or put a bridge on there with the pins moved back. Whichever is easiest for you. That said, the pinless system that Mike Doolin and Jeff Elliot use is brilliant, but much less traditional looking if that is a consideration.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Thanks for all the quick replies guys...that's why this forum is worth the money! (Wait, everyone's paying the hundred a month right? right?)...Yes, the traditional look is important in this case, so looks like the pin bridge will be my fix, but I might try making a pinless and see about using it on my next guitar which will be for personal use. Anyone know of a good tutorial on making pinless bridges? Thanks!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com