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Old 03-02-2010, 03:59 PM
naccoachbob naccoachbob is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nacogdoches, Tx
Posts: 666
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Received my bridge setting jig from Kenneth Michaels Guitars yesterday. UPS broke it in shipping, but I was able to glue it back together and brace it. Did not knock it out of alignment, which was crucial.
After measuring with Bill Cory's instructions from his book, then measuring with Ken's jig, I came up about 1/4" off in bridge placement. However, I measured, remeasured, and measured again, and they both came out in the same spot. The jig is better for me since it squares up the bridge with it's appropriate distance from the 12th fret. I could do that on my own, but it would take a lot of time and a lot of frustration.
Here's the jig. My picture of it while on the guitar did not come out.



You can read about how it works on his web site. But basically, set the bridge at the end, lining up the center of it with the "V" notch. There's an indexing pin in it that fits the saddle. Secure the sliding carriage up to the bridge and strap it in. Then secure the jig on the neck in the fret slots provided, and velcro it on. Several diamond shaped holes on the jig show you that you are centered on the fretboard. Once set up, drill 2 holes thru the saddle about 1/8" diameter for pins, and 2 in the bridge pin holes of 3/16". This insures that the bridge will be in the same location when you come back to glue it in.
After clinching the location for the bridge, I put bolts down the larger holes, and put in the little pins, then tape around the bridge. Then sanded down the location to bare wood. It might have been better to mask off the bridge's location in the first place, before putting down the finish, but I didn't. Didn't have the jig, and other reasons. I left about 1/8" or less of the finish up under the bridge, so that there's no evidence of bare wood.

Along with that jig, came a bridge clamping tool. It's very similar to those at some of the big vendor stores. Here it is:



I put wax on the 3/16" bolts so they wouldn't stick to the glue. Inserted them thru the previously drilled holes along with the pins in the saddle slot.
Then used wing nuts and washers inside the body to secure them and tighten them up. The 2 bolts on the outer part of the jig are for holding down the wings of the bridge. I put scrap wood held by tape on the bridge wings to protect them, then tightened up all the bolts. The best thing about this clamp is the ability to clean up glue squeeze out easily, as there's no clamp in the way.
By the way, notice the red rag all balled up behind the guitar in this last pic. I got a bunch of those from an auto store. Be careful............until they are washed, they will bleed red on anything they touch. You can guess how I found out about that. Almost had a red spruce top!
I guess I gotta lay this thing up for 24 hours for the glue to set. But there's still a bit of cleaning up on the fretboard between now and then.
I measured from edge of bridge to edge of guitar on both sides. If there was a difference, my poor ole eyes can't see it.
Sooooooooooooooooooo close!!

Thanks for looking,
Bob

Last edited by naccoachbob; 03-02-2010 at 06:00 PM.
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