Adjusting a Tune-o-Matic Bridge - Guitar Setup and Maintenance

The second step of setting up the neck of a guitar is adjusting the bridge to get the proper string action, or height between the strings and the frets. In this case, Dave Johnson works on a Tune-o-matic bridge.
Read more about this step: nashville.mi.e...
Read the full series: nashville.mi.e...

[@chaoticus06]

Cool video. I didn't learn a thing about lower/higher action adjustments...

[@PrestonA04]

Me either

[@Snowy0123]

How to only talk about bridge adjustment but not actually do anything... there, I fixed your title

[@sweetwood5913]

He raised the thumb wheel at the 3:00 mark?

[@bill9989]

@@sweetwood5913 But here's a tip. Don't use a guitar that doesn't need adjustment. If you have to, mess it up before the video and then make adjustments. Furthermore, assume your audience are idiots. It's not insulting. So for example if the treble side also needed adjusting (as mine does) I could see how you raise or lower that side. AND describe how you turned the ring on the low E side and on the high E side. Clockwise to raise or lower? Counter clockwise? Same regardless of side and perspective (position of the guitar)?

[@thedisciple1764]

What about the actual tailpiece itself? Very few videos mention anything about where to set that. Do you screw it all the way tight to the body? Do you set it to a specific measurement, etc.? Please advise.

[@pxr0583]

You should raise the tailpiece high enough so the strings going from the saddles to the tailpiece do not touch the back of the bridge (which can happen if the angle is too steep). Some prefer the tailpiece tight to the body (they say it increases sustain). You CAN do that, but you may have to "top wrap" your strings (ie thread the strings into the front and then back over the tailpiece).

[@davidclapp134]

@@pxr0583 Do you keep both sides of the bridge level though?

[@pxr0583]

@@davidclapp134 No. You may need to adjust depending on the string height you want. The treble side is usually a little lower. See him raise the bass side up a little bit at 3.00 min. on the video to get the low E from 4/64ths to 5/64ths.

[@davidclapp134]

@@pxr0583 Ah thank you

[@isabellarose5544]

@@pxr0583 I’m so confused what’s 4/64ths? I use metric system

[@fishernate1]

Well crap. I have a cheap schecter with TunoMatic Bridge and I was adjusting the action with the flat head screws....not the thumb wheels. Will that cause problems or does it not matter?

[@soklog1]

I did the same thing

[@pavelazgyn9871]

me too

[@brucelivolsi]

It appears that the screws above the thumb wheels turn the wheels, as well. I just did it.

[@jrworsham8270]

I didn't you make any adjustment to the bridge, I heard you talking bullcrap but you did not make any adjustment, you need to change the name of your video... To talk about bridge adjustment.....🧐

[@DissonanceEngineer]

1:38 he accidentally plays the riff from Loser by Beck lol

[@nordicparanormal4775]

Haha yes 😆

[@MrMd5555]

Rumor has it beck was adjusting his tune o matic bridge on his les paul when he wrote that riff.....

[@LifeDigitized]

What's your feelings on bridge wrapping?

[@gokhanayvazoglu6295]

Can I check fretboard radious with radious gauge on any fretboard?

[@VladimirTisma]

@MI Guitar Craft Academy Nashville Did you actually just say that tune-o-matic bridge is easy to adjust, becase he only has 2 screws to adjust, and there is not much you can do about each string?

[@tokk3n-hj4xg]

I found that the saddle on the G,B,E have been filed to low. I found this on the nut as well.

[@christineblack4654]

my action is at 0.5 mm at the first and last fret. sweet low action. plays crazy fast and easy.

[@joakobm60]

But what happens if just the g string action is too high

[@MrTradisrad]

Next time you change strings mess with screw the tiny screw above where the g string sits...righty tighty = raise it...lefty loosie is what you want to lower it.

[@tokk3n-hj4xg]

I think he mentioned filing the saddle to bring the action lower.

[@theostragonidis7548]

@@MrTradisrad What are you talking about, the screws on the back adjust the intonation, not the action?

[@bappandi007]

What's 464s? I don't understand what he's saying.

[@lifeispainihate]

4/64 inches

[@caniswolf3394]

@@lifeispainihate AKA 2/32" or 1/16" .....'nuff said.

[@billyb4u812]

I’ve never heard of checking 12 fret string height with a capo. That adds confusion to what Gibson recommends which is 6/64ths at the low E and 4/64ths at the high E.

[@jameslodge6355]

You didn't even show us how to adjust the bridge

[@ryner5171]

i wan lower action in a lp style guitar but wn i do tht my intonation is not correct .help me out .....

[@codybranham5257]

sheriff sheriff you have to adjust the saddles. There should be a screw on the inside of each saddle that moves the saddle forward and backward. look up how to intonate a guitar and it will make more sense.

[@jamescarpenter4777]

You dont put a capo on when doing action height

[@TheGeekosDen]

I hate my tune-o-matic. I can never get it right. Always something is buzzing or the sustain of the note does not sustain for long enough... and I have all the tools necesarry to do the job... ehh

[@christianleetrager4605]

WTF! The thumb wheels! Which way to turn them???? F*&^

[@rgf425]

Great video .. Some of you should take your guitar to a luthier if you can't figure out what he's demonstrating . Dang

[@bikebasics1008]

He just mesured the string height 😂

[@Blue_Cinema]

My thumb wheels won’t move, one side is way higher then the other and it’s causing fret buzz

[@ellsworth1956]

did you loosen your strings

[@donaldjames4437]

3 in 1 oil is pretty cheap

[@jpeterman57]

There is a tiny lock screw on each side of the bridge on some of the newer models. 1.5 millimeter I believe. Loosen both before adjusting a wheel.

[@cosmofuriati3314]

You still failed to show how to adjust the action, though. Blah-blah-blah crap!

[@ss_whole]

Wow, rambled on for almost 4 minutes and didn't tell us how to adjust the bridge

[@msean100]

Sorry ahole have no idea how adjust a les paul or fender. If it doesnt have a kahler or floyd in it no idea how to a just or tune it.

[@Falconryder]

It's two screws. If you need further help, set the guitar down and call a luthier. Buttoning your shirt is more complicated for chrissake.

[@theostragonidis7548]

@@Falconryder He has a point. He mentions when some of the strings are below the radius that this could be a problem, so the solution here by assumption, is to file down all the saddles, which isn't mentioned in the video. Tuneomatic bridges are retarded.

[@CCCL350]

Wtf, what about the string through guitars??

[@JAF2991]

The title says Tune-O-Matic bridges

[@uno1industries]

Learn to read cuh

[@DougHinVA]

too much talking and he could have done all this in about 1 minute, easily.

[@aifrmedia]

Let me save you all some trouble: Too much talk. Not enough showing. Bad video.

[@davebelton1717]

C

[@EugeneLopez-tp5hb]

another babbling video

[@samhutch7679]

Lmao this one was not helpful...