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 Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?

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jonhope

jonhope


Posts : 145
Join date : 2008-11-15

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PostSubject: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeMon Dec 29, 2008 6:33 pm

I am after a bit of advice from the technically savvy guys and gals out there (especially TV - as always Very Happy )

I know a lot of us suffer with rattles with these bridges and I have been reading about the various tuneamatic style bridge options for Gretsches.

My question is - is it worth upgrading the stock Hot Rot Adjustamatic and, if so is there a best upgrade option?

I know of the Tonepros AVR-II but I have found this this which is a collaberation between Tonepros and Graphtech - is this better than the AVR-II (its certainly more expensive!)

Then there is also the Pigtail bridge which is even more expensive Shocked

there is also the Faber ABR

On top of all this the Hot Rods fretbaord radius is 9.45" whereas these bridges all appear to have a 12" radius - therefore causing a mis-match betwen the two and ultimately a compromise in having to raise the action Question Question

I have also read Mr TV talking about Mr Setzer having his bridge saddles "drilled" - am I right in thinking this is not a feature on any of the above mentioned bridges?

Another option would appear to be a rocking bar bridge which gets rid of any potential rattles (just being a big chunk of solid metal) and increase sustain. The downside is a lack of intonation fine tuning. There is a member of the Gretsch Pages forum who is making these with accurate radiuses - he will do them in any radius you want but most Gretsches are either 12" or 9.45" radius fretboards - this ensures the bridge and fretboard are perfectly matched. There still remains the issue of intonation but the users of these bridges (and there seem to be quite a few) report pretty accurate intonation across the strings as long as string the guitar with 11's (not a problem for me as I like heavier strings!) - what I don't know is how many of these people venture high up the neck on the fretboard where intonation issues will be more apparent!!

Ok - the upshot of this long ramble is that I know I am being very picky about what is essentially a inconsequential detail but any advice would be greatfully recieved (even if the advice is to stop worrying so much and just play the damn thing lol! )



cheers
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webelvis

webelvis


Posts : 428
Join date : 2008-09-07
Age : 31

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeTue Dec 30, 2008 5:57 am

I have Graphtech saddles on the Bridge of my Peavey JF. I bought them, because my strings always broke, this stopped after installing the Graphtech saddles, plus the guitar sounds a lot better to me now!
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ruger9

ruger9


Posts : 317
Join date : 2008-05-28

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeWed Dec 31, 2008 6:37 am

In one of my Dan Erlwine books, he says the ABR-1 bridge rattle can me tamed by taking a screwdriver and bending the retention clip down in between the saddles- every saddle. It doesn't take much. I've never tried it, but my bridge doesn't rattle.
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tvthewiredturtle

tvthewiredturtle


Posts : 3645
Join date : 2008-04-20
Age : 59
Location : so cal.

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeThu Jan 01, 2009 12:23 am

tvjones taught me this:

for rattle,
your friend is clear silicon and super glue gel. a pinhead dab to each side
of the wire at its insertion with the superglue gel... and a quick dab of silicon to the underside of each saddle screw after intonation is adjusted.

I personally prefer massaging a Gotoh ABR-1 with a few files and the goop I mentioned above. The brass saddles may not sustain like titanium or get that
plinky plank of drilled alum. but the notes are solid and twangy with brass once you
have filed each saddle to the neck radius, smoothed them and cut the grooves clean,neat and lubed.

ps.
I've posted lengthy threads on most all the bridge apps for a gretsch including differentiations on saddles, they should be here somewhere..
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ruger9

ruger9


Posts : 317
Join date : 2008-05-28

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeThu Jan 01, 2009 8:04 am

Does anybody make an ABR-1 or TOM that would match the neck radius of the Hot Rods/SSLVOs?

Somebody over on the GDP is making "Tru-Arc" bar bridges, with radius to match the necks... but I've always shied away from bar bridges, afraid they would intonate well enough for all the higher-up-the-neck jazz chords in the BSO stuff.
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tvthewiredturtle

tvthewiredturtle


Posts : 3645
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Age : 59
Location : so cal.

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeThu Jan 01, 2009 10:12 am

ruger9 wrote:
Does anybody make an ABR-1 or TOM that would match the neck radius of the Hot Rods/SSLVOs?

Somebody over on the GDP is making "Tru-Arc" bar bridges, with radius to match the necks... but I've always shied away from bar bridges, afraid they would intonate well enough for all the higher-up-the-neck jazz chords in the BSO stuff.


now that I looked at the pigtail site, you can buy radius saddles for a TOM
in 9, 10, and 12... its there for the taking.

Once you install em', use the goop to stop the rattles and you are set for life!
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jonhope

jonhope


Posts : 145
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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSat Jan 03, 2009 5:06 pm

tvthewiredturtle wrote:


now that I looked at the pigtail site, you can buy radius saddles for a TOM
in 9, 10, and 12... its there for the taking.

Once you install em', use the goop to stop the rattles and you are set for life!

Cool stuff

cheers
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ruger9

ruger9


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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSun Jan 04, 2009 6:47 am

I might give the pigtails a try. I know the Setzers are 9.45", but what's the stock bridge on these... 12" right? That's what everybody's complaints were about, the mismatched radius. I haven't owned mine long enough to notice any problem with it, but I like my action a little higher than most people. In the future, I'd still like to give to pigtails a try to make sure I'm not "missing anything"...
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tvthewiredturtle

tvthewiredturtle


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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSun Jan 04, 2009 10:50 am

ruger9 wrote:
I might give the pigtails a try. I know the Setzers are 9.45", but what's the stock bridge on these... 12" right? That's what everybody's complaints were about, the mismatched radius. I haven't owned mine long enough to notice any problem with it, but I like my action a little higher than most people. In the future, I'd still like to give to pigtails a try to make sure I'm not "missing anything"...

If youre a travis style rockabilly picker or use the "nashville claw" style (sounds like
kung fu) you gotta have the low side a bit higher, and having 11g strings makes it that
much harder to stay shred guitar low on the fretboard.

I actually like the older fretboards, while I dont like the older v neck I think I got
lucky with my Jan 99' SSU. If I remember the specs (wish I had an actual brochure
still) my neck is like 14" radius with a very very soft V neck...I enjoy the 9.5 necks I
have had on other setzer models but the frets suck on such a curve. Which is why
tvjones has to refret all setzers guitars with the fattest, twangiest stainless steel Dunlop
6105 fretwire (exactly like my 91 strat). Why the hell doesnt Gretsch do a Setzer signature EXACTLY like the artist plays!! grrrr... really chaps my ass, especially when
folks like Andi believe they are getting the exact guitar Setzer plays and endorses.
(sorry Andi, its as close as you can get straight from a manufactured line).

I am having my friend from the custom shop at fender refret my 99' since my frets
are really worn. Since this is going to be so invasive, I'm going to have him bi-radius the
fretboard so that the lower neck is 9.5 and the upper is stock, along with the 6105 fretwire. Back in my shred years I use to play custom shop yamaha pacifica's that used
a warmoth built bi-radius fretboard with large frets and it was a dream to play.
Open chords, blues bends, thumb overs, pedal steel double stops,etc are a breeze with
the 9.5, but it becomes significantly harder to nail inside chords, hammer ons and moving
bassline chords and sweep arpeggios with a blues neck. the super flat fretboard with
the ABR-1 spacing is perfect.

I got off on a tangent but I just wanted to affirm how you use your bridge radius with the
newer neck radius. Its not a bad deal if you are a guitarist that uses the nashville for
a multitude of playing styles. You can also put your 12" abr-1 in a vise and take a little off
the top of the outside E strings so they sit lower on the fretboard. This is what I did so
I can get a "feel" of the 9.5 curve but not have to deal with that oh so gibson style neck feel
the newer gretsches have.
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ruger9

ruger9


Posts : 317
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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSun Jan 04, 2009 11:51 am

Well, I play 10s, and like I said I like my action a little higher than most people. Not sure if that'll help or hinder the mismatch raidus', but I'll live with it awhile & see if I develop any complaints...

If I decide down the line "sumpin' just aint right", I'll give the pigtails a try.

Alot of people's complaints with the mismatch seems to center around string buzzing. Like no matter how they set the relief, action, etc, they can't get the buzzing to stop & blame the radius. I don't know if it's my relief, or my action, or what, but I have a minimal of buzzing on my hot rod.
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tvthewiredturtle

tvthewiredturtle


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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSun Jan 04, 2009 12:20 pm

Most of that string buzz sadly is not from mismatched radius of bridge to fretboard.. its a manufacturing
flaw that I have found on 2 setzer hotrods and 1 6120SSL I had. Its a hump on the fretboard where
its joins the body around the 14th fret. I've seen it high side and low side and its just sickening.
If you pick your guitar up, and eyeball from the butt of the guitar up the fretboard to
the peghead...set your line of sight along the outer edge of the fretboards high E (same for the low E)
and all the fret edges should follow a straight line. Since they never dress the frets perfect there will be
some minor "in-out" action happening in this line of sight (worse in winter) but if your line of sight follows
down the fretboard toward the body and you see a slight "bump up" where the neck meets the body
on the fretboard..you've got the dread production model and there is no cheap cure. sometimes theres even
a twist and thats even worse!!

If you never play up past the twelfth fret you can take a fret level and grind down the frets a bit
Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? FretFingerboard_Levelers_Detail2
but most of those guitars made are really bad and will buzz no matter what.
This is why you've seen them step up their game on late 05' models and made the fretboard "float" more exactly to vintage specs. I've heard alot of early '04 models suffer from the dreaded hump at the 14h.

Glad we dont have any buzz...we'll fretboard buzz that is. Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil drunken drunken
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Andi

Andi


Posts : 1467
Join date : 2008-05-16

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PostSubject: Re: Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade?   Setzer Hot Rod bridge upgrade? Icon_minitimeSun Jan 04, 2009 1:25 pm

tvthewiredturtle wrote:
especially when folks like Andi believe they are getting the exact guitar Setzer plays and endorses.
(sorry Andi, its as close as you can get straight from a manufactured line).

I knew before I bought that I wasn't getting the exact replica. Don't bother me none, I love my guitar just the way it is- at the moment. I'm sure once I get better at playing it I'll find things I want to change but for now I'm perfectly happy. I get buzzes frequently but I know that's a player defect, not an instrument defect.

sunny
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