Changing The Bridge On A Gretsch

Рет қаралды 11,349

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 82

@R3TR0R4V3 Жыл бұрын

Cracks/checking in the lacquer around the the heel of the neck joint/pocket are pretty normal on lacquered, set neck guitars. The wood still expands & contracts, but lacquer does not unfortunately. Gorgeous Gretsch!

@FranLab Жыл бұрын

That would seem to be a truism. I have several such guitars, but this one does look like the neck had been removed and reset at some point.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

@@FranLab , what year was your Gretsch made? Any idea? I'm no expert on Gretsch guitars but even "premium" makers like Martin and Gibson used filler on some of their 70's/80's and onwards acoustic guitars with set necks, because it was cheaper (back then anyway) than spending the labor and effort to really fit each neck snuggly and tightly to the body. In theory, modern guitars should benefit from automated machining practices that work to high tolerances, but still it doesn't always seem to work out that way. Construction standards for American made guitars went way down in the 80's for sure (the "Norlin years" for Gibson are infamous, but people still complain about sharp fret ends and poor setups and other silly problems on $4000, newly purchased,, Gibson electrics). Many of the so called legacy brand guitar and amp manufacturing companies have been through so many corporate buyers and sellers and investment firms, and subject to massive bean counting and stock pumping schemes, that you can't really count on anything from those zombie brands anymore. I watch a lot of videos from Canadian luthier Ted Woodford on KZbin, who does neck resets frequently on acoustic guitars and encounters numerous expensive guitars with lousy joinery and fillers. If you don't watch it already, I recommend his work and his channel highly. Plus, he usually gives a history lesson about the brand and model of guitar on his bench, and he's very funny in a dry manner. It doesn't seem very likely that someone had to do a neck reset on an electric guitar with a functional truss rod, unless it had a headstock break as Gibsons all too often do.

@aidaclarke8444 Жыл бұрын

Interesting, you use that cutter in the opposite direction from me. I always screwed into the threaded side and used the tool to help remove the burr

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Shhh, I pointed that out too, and somebody took offense.....

@aidaclarke8444 Жыл бұрын

@@goodun2974 Eh, It worked just fine this way. I've just never thought to use it the way Fran did. I can see some times when it could be the better option.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

@@aidaclarke8444 , A couple of times when I only wanted to remove about 1/8 or 3/16th of an inch from a threaded bolt, and I threaded the bolt in from the wrong side of the cutter, I ended up with a tiny little setscrew size peace stuck in the cutters that was then difficult to remove Because the little knob stuck in the cutters was too short to easily grab ahold of with pliers, unlike the longer piece that was left behind in France cutter's. But yes, if you want a cleaner cut edge without a massive Fur on one bolt then it makes sense to put it in from the other side Because the little knob stuck in the cutters was too short to easily grab ahold of with pliers, unlike the longer piece that was left behind in France cutter's. But yes, if you want a cleaner cut edge without a massive burr on the thread then it makes sense to thread the bolt in from the other side.

@motten Жыл бұрын

Lovely! Such a smart work around by modifying the posts.

@EdVanMeyer 18 күн бұрын

I had a Melita Bridge on a Japan Amber Maple 6120, replaced that with a Space control. I also have used Vanson Roller Saddle Bridges on 8 Gretsches of mine over the years.

@fuzzy734 Жыл бұрын

beautiful guitar! great job too!

@mikebarushok5361 Жыл бұрын

Using that crimper/cutter tool is much braver than I would be. I've had bad luck with them leaving the threads damaged and/or bending the screw.

@KeritechElectronics Жыл бұрын

Agreed, though it all depends on the tool itself. Cheap and flimsy... or the good well-fitting and reassuring. Mine looks more massive than Fran's, I use it for M2.5 ... M4. I never cut threads without screwing a nut first, and I'll also use a file afterwards to round off the edge.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

@@KeritechElectronics , You are in Europe where metric thread screw and bolt cutters are probably a dime a dozen and easy to find in a hardware store. Here in the US none of the tool and hardware store stock metric bolt/screw cutters, only SAE/Imperial. The only way we can get the metric version is to buy them online and hope that the brand we've ordered is of reasonable quality. Good quality electrician's pliers or crimpers that have the SAE/Imperial screwcutter built-in are easily available here but the thread-cutter sizes typically start at 6-32; but for electronics and guitar work one often needs to work with 4-40 or even 2-56....

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Mike, Fran inserted the bolt into the cutter from the wrong side of the tool. I know this because I myself have done it. See my detailed comment above.

@davidapharry4680 Жыл бұрын

Cool guitar and cool to watch you working on it, Fran. I'll take all you got of that! I hope you'll give us a little playing demo when the final tweaks are done.❤

@ScottfromBaltimore Жыл бұрын

I like the idea of marking the strings where they cross the saddles.

@andyhill242 Жыл бұрын

Well, that wasn't very easy but worked out well. Magnificent Engineering Solution Fran. I've always wondered what those holes on those multipurpose tools were for, and now I know.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Andy, Fran actually inserted the threaded post/bolt into the wrong side of the tool before cutting it. This is why she had a piece stuck in the tool when she was done. If you insert the bolt or threaded post into the side of the cutting tool with the labels on it (the threaded hole), the threads will be cleaned up automatically when you unscrew it from the tool after you have cut the bolt shorter. Luckily for Fran, she didn't need to use the cutoff upper end of the threads again, otherwise she would have had to file the cut end smooth and remove the burrs in order to thread anything onto the bolt. (Note that if you need to modify a bolt/machine screw by only cutting an 1/8th or 3/16 of an inch off of it, and you insert the bolt the wrong way before cutting it, you will find that you have a short stubby piece stuck in the threaded side of the tool, which will be difficult to grab with pliers and emove from the threads. If you use the tool property, the piece you don't need that's getting cut off will fall right out of the tool, and when you unscrew the piece that you want to keep and reuse, the threads will clean up automatically when you unscrew it from the tool).

@EEVblog Жыл бұрын

If it wasn't for the thumbnail I wouldn't have had any idea what this was about.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

You mean to say that you never heard of Gretsch guitars? They manufactured drums too. ( The classic, vintage Gretsch amplifiers however were built for them by Valco/National, up until 1969 anyway when Valco went bankrupt).

@ivan_emege 9 ай бұрын

In my experience, Tru-Arc bridge is the best thing for Gretsches with Bigsby.

@user-dj1gl5ix3m 6 күн бұрын

based upon what?

@Davidjb37721 Жыл бұрын

Have a great day. Thanks for sharing.

@scottthomas6202 Жыл бұрын

One of the things I like about Franlab is the variety of subjects, and how it's kept interesting, regardless of the subject. I have almost no knowledge of musical instruments...I can recognize them, and that's about it... To me, someone who can play an instrument or sing is amazing on several levels. Isn't camphor oil added to nitrocellulose to reduce flammability?

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Camphor is actually quite flammable ( It's a waxy substance distilled from a plant), and I'm guessing that it was probably added to Nitrocellulose in order to either increase its plasticity or make it easier to work into shapes, and then some of the camphor would evaporate and the finish would solidify. It's an interesting subject, one I will probably have to look up. As a weird aside, if I remember correctly the original HG Wells novel The Time Machine had the time traveler using lit camphor for illumination as a torch when he was poking around in the dusty old museum or perhaps in the tunnel where the Morlocks had hidden his machine..

@scottthomas6202 Жыл бұрын

@@goodun2974 I remembered something wrong from a physics class...a girl asked the teacher why ping pong balls all had the same weird odor, and I thought she said it was camphor oil, added to reduce flammability...

@dandean2345 Жыл бұрын

Gretsch management meeting.. so we have solid bodied version of the White Falcon and we need a name..any ideas ? ...anyone? "Penguin!" Brilliant!! that captures the elan and danger of an apex predator , everyone agree? Yes good..well ! Penguin it is then....lunch is on me

@fazergazer Жыл бұрын

Looking forward to the concert!❤

@123elvislives Жыл бұрын

Yes very interesting whereabouts did you get that bridge from and also with the original base of the bridge is that extendable

@titi64230 Жыл бұрын

Dream guitar

@rmy3918 Жыл бұрын

Great place for "LockTight" (after adjustments ) : )

@patm5086 Жыл бұрын

Have you ever watched the Canadian luthier who goes by twoford. He's great to watch and super knowledgeable

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Ted Woodford is awesome. His capsule history lesson of brand and model of the guitar on the bench is always interesting, and he does beautiful work. Plus he's quite funny in a very dry way. I can do basic Intonatation and height adjustments and so on, and I'm pretty good at shielding guitars and changing the electronics, but I would never attempt a neck refret or reset on a valuable acoustic. He does them all the time!

@user-dj1gl5ix3m 6 күн бұрын

@@goodun2974 no one asked or cares what you think. why are you compelled to insert your irrelevant opinion

@zemlidrakona2915 9 ай бұрын

As far as I know the Schaller roller bridge is for the same radius (12") as the Tune-o-matic . I would be surprised if it's any better for this application, but maybe there is something I don't know. There are a couple repo Mosrite roller bridges with a 9.5 radius. I ordered one but I haven't got it yet and in any case I'll be using it for an old 1960 Yugoslavian hollow body electric guitar, so it's not exactly the same application.

@BackToTheBlues Жыл бұрын

You've got a White Falcon! I'm jealous. The original bridge is a Melita bridge, invented by Sebastiano “Johnny” Melita, and was possibly the very first bridge available with separate string intonation, so somewhat clunky, but a step forward. I've got three Gretsches - two Electromatics and a Vintage Select Jet Firebird. I've always fancied having a Space Control bridge on it, as per the era, but the new ones, with a straight threaded bar and different sized roller saddles aren't the same as the old ones, which had the same sized rollers, but a curved threaded bar! More difficult to make I guess, but so much nicer looking.

@superuser13 4 ай бұрын

Two words, Bar Bridge! Little bit of a pain to get intonation correct, but the tone improvement well worth the trouble. and I would get rid of that two piece wood bridge riser and replace with single piece.

@murraymeadowfield3981 Жыл бұрын

Lovely guitar. Really fine work Fran.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Fran, *you inserted the threaded post into the thread cutter from the wrong side of the thread-cutting crimpers*! If you had Inserted the threaded bolt from the side with the labeling, the threads on the height-adjusting post would have been cleaned up automatically when you unthreaded it from the tool, and you would have a cleaner cut on the side of the bolt thst you want to use. The other problem that sometimes arises when you insert the bolt into the wrong side of the tool is that if you only want to nip a small amount, let's say 1/8 of an inch or so, off of the end of the threaded bolt, you will end up with a very short piece stuck in the threads of the tool that will be difficult to remove because there's not enough of a stub there for you to grab it with pliers and spin it out! Been there, done that....😖

@FranLab Жыл бұрын

How many times have you posted this comment in this one video? And for the record, it worked out just fine, so chill.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

@@FranLab , yes, it "worked", this time, but not as designed nor intended ---- which I thought would be apparent to someone with your engineering skills and experience. I posted the same comment to several other folks who had commented about the thread cutters in order to arm them against having an "oops!" moment with that type of tool. I've done it myself, and learned the hard way (a face-palm moment for sure😖). One person said he had poor results with this technique; could be a cheap tool, or could be he used it the wrong way around. I didn't mean to come across as being snarky; but when somebody as smart as you uses the correct tool to do things the hard way rather than the easy way, it bears mentioning. Like I said, I've done it myself! Peace.

@FranLab Жыл бұрын

For cryin' out loud. Just chill.

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

@@FranLab , I'll remember those words the next time you post a "Frant".

@user-dj1gl5ix3m 6 күн бұрын

@@goodun2974 @goodun2974 no one asked or cares what you think. why are you compelled to insert your irrelevant opinion

@PhillipKeller-p8u 11 күн бұрын

I just bought a Melita bridge for my black Penguin that came with a bar bridge. Wish I had seen this video first.

@bobpockney Жыл бұрын

Rather ignorant of guitars but I notice that the outer strings are a ways off centre of the lower pickup, although more central on the upper pickup. I guess this is the outcome of the radius change you needed. Great job.

@jcrt1 Жыл бұрын

Are those jeweled control knobs originals?

@FranLab Жыл бұрын

They were on it when I got it.

@k4vms Жыл бұрын

Hmmm….what did you use to “file” the saddles ? Do you have a set of Nut Files ? Ricky from IBM(now guitar Tech)

@Desertlifeinthesonoran Жыл бұрын

Just when I thought Fran couldn’t be any cooler!

@-jeff- Жыл бұрын

Nice Axe. When you get it tuned up play us something!

@jeg1972 Жыл бұрын

I've got a Gretsch (not a White Falcon)... I was putting off doing mind, but I might do that now!

@PanzerAce760 Жыл бұрын

I have a Gretsch I've considered throwing a roller bridge on. However, I don't use the bigsby enough to warrant the cost yet.

@hirampriggott1689 Жыл бұрын

It's Malcolm Young's stolen Gretsch White Falcon.....the one used on the Back in Black album.

@luiscoelho4151 Жыл бұрын

Beautifull Guitar 🥰

@57dent Жыл бұрын

Excellent video Fran, although I was hoping to hear you play it at the end!

@tbonky Жыл бұрын

Just a sample of Fran jam please?

@joshhescock4202 Жыл бұрын

Nice guitar. You have played in the video.

@crackthefoundation_ Жыл бұрын

Beautiful, I keep stopping myself from picking up a Casino or es355 clone....

@emidioteixeira_ Жыл бұрын

Isn’t this Bridge eletrically grounded?

@ManOfSdeel Жыл бұрын

Bigsbys just look like they're ready to fly, I don't think any other vibrato looks as nice.

@jeremybaker195 Жыл бұрын

Fran you should make a fallow up video after some time to let us know how the bridge is workin out for you. Specifically the string spacers. If they move over time with use of the Bigsby. I'm also a little Gob smacked over the 2 piece bridge base. I thought the ones like that at least had a thin piece of metal band between them. I'm sure you know the ones I'm talkin about. I'll keep my eye out for the fallow up video.😉😁👍🖖 Also I didn't know the vintage necks were not a 12" radius.

@rogerfranklin83 Ай бұрын

Are you still happy with that bridge 1yr later? I was thinking of doing thr similar swap with my Gretsch.

@FranLab Ай бұрын

It does its job well as a rocker bridge... the one thing I wish is that the individual intonation heights could be adjusted.

@rogerfranklin83 Ай бұрын

@@FranLab when you cant do that. Eg....floating bridge you just get th intonation on both E strings? I have a 2005 white falcon 6136t but I took the bigsby off.

@KeritechElectronics Жыл бұрын

Its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness... Lovely work, though I realy don't like how the stopbar's supports are not fixed on the guitar body, the only thing holding them is friction and a single pivot. The way I see it, it will move under the strings if you hit it by accident and BAM! you're in for tuning and intonation setting. The original was held in place to some extent with those saddle thumbscrews. Still, an absolutely beautiful guitar :)

@goodun2974 Жыл бұрын

Having two separate pieces of plastic under the bridge, to hold the posts, is pretty weird. I'd prefer a single strip spanning the underside of the bridge. Perhaps they did it this way so that splaying the plastic strips at an angle would allow for changing over to a bridge with slightly different hole spacing, but its adjustability appears somewhat limited.

@KeritechElectronics Жыл бұрын

@@goodun2974 that's how I'd do it - a single plate with lined bottom so as to avoid damaging the soundboard, with custom-matched stud spacing for the new bridge. Rock'n'roll solid!