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neck to box angle

I want to build a GBG using the bridge and tail piece used in a Les Paul, well that style. With a les paul the neck angles back something like 14 degrees, or their abouts. My understanding is the bridge is high so then the strings will be to high off the frets, so the tilt back of the neck will fix this.

Am I on the right track here is this the thinking or it their something else going on that I am missing. Tilting the neck back with a through neck will add a element of complication to things.

Cheers Ron.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 26, 2012 at 2:56pm

; ), just wanted someone to say it outloud, lol. I have had musicians and music store owners tell me that the higher bridge is louder, when asked why I get the same answer, I don't know it just is. LOL. Point being, a flat neck to box can be just as loud, you just have to build it right.

By the way I am not partial to either one, both have there place.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on April 26, 2012 at 3:10pm

:D Nope with all else being equal the one with the angled neck.. And therefore greater tension... And break angle from bridge to tail..
Will always be louder
And have a better, more woody tone..
NOTE.. We are talking specifically about bridges with a separate tailpiece, so the bridge pushes down on the soundboard. Integrated designs like a flattops with the pins etc are therefore the string tension is trying to pull them off the soundboard, and are an entirely different beast

The downside is this...
It's marginally trickier to build, that's all

Tell you what..
I will do a build blog soon and show you all my little secrets.
You save up two boxes the same..
And then take te Pepsi challenge :)

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 27, 2012 at 8:14am

No need I get it. Would like to see your secret tricks though. The down pressure from string angle is one reason I make my tailpiece like I do, get the string closer to the bridge, better angle. Its all geometry. Here is a new thought, do you think the length of string behind the bridge effects the sound? hmm, that you could only get with a high bridge (longer) if i make any sense.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on April 24, 2012 at 10:01pm

Depends on other things too...
If we consider the strings the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle, and the plane of the soundboard the adjacent side and the height of the bridge the opposite side then we can use simple trigonometry to calculate the desired angle.

Desired angle (in radians) = sin (bridge height/ string length from join to bridge)....

= tan (bridge height / length of soundboard from neck join to saddle)

Because I often do 24 frets clear of the box I get less bridge height from a steep angle than a lot of you guys who join at fret 14 or whatever an have the saddle right near the box end..

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Permalink Reply by John Davidson on April 27, 2012 at 10:56am

You guys can use your math if you like but it makes my head hurt!

With a mason's level, or any straight edge that's long enough to reach from nut to bridge, I can measure the string height across the neck and make neck angle, or bridge/nut, adjustments as needed.

If the neck angle is correct, laying the straight edge on the frets from the nut should just miss touching the bridge.

John