#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Hard tail bridge location help.

Hey everyone.... TRYING to do my first build and I might have jumped in the deep end too soon. At any rate I decided to do a hard tail bridge set up. I've never even owned a guitar with a hard tail bridge before ..... and I'm wondering where to position the bridge on the box. I'm using a 25.5" scale and I understand the measurement is from the string side of the "nut" to the bridge. ....now here's my dilemma !!!..... on a regular bridge on an acoustic guitar the measurement seems obvious.... but on a hard tail set up where do you measure to from the nut??? to the saddles where the strings exit the hard tail where the set screw Allen screws are ?? the edge of the bridge { screw holes } where it's secured to the cigar box ?? am I making any sense ??? What I'm trying to get across is I have a starting point, that being the nut......but where does the 25.5 inch mark end ??? Thx in advance. Rickyboy

1 member likes this

Attachments:

31_098_01_Image_4__40607.1418163175.1280.1280.jpg, 222 KB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 25, 2016 at 2:21pm

If you screw the saddle blocks ALMOST all the way forward,the point where the string last makes contact with the blocks before going to the nut will be your measuring point,intonation adjustments will almost certainly be towards the rear,but leave a small bit of adjustment to go forward,just in case you mess up measuring

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rickyboy on April 25, 2016 at 5:10pm

Thx for your quick reply and help with this....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on April 25, 2016 at 4:04pm

What Darryl said... I set my bridge back about 1/8"-1/4" back from max length and set the bridge so the saddles were at scale length...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rickyboy on April 25, 2016 at 5:11pm

same goes for you too .... thx for the help and suggestions.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on April 25, 2016 at 4:34pm

Now that you have it in place don't forget to adjust it. Plenty of how to's on youtube and real easy to do. This way your strings will be in tune all the way up your neck.