Mismatched Fretboard/Bridge Radius?

[seenoevil II]

So, my Guild jazz box has had some struggles with intonation. It's resulted in me carving and recarving a bridge saddle. But no matter how I reposition it, I still have to "strategically" tune to get through some songs.

Anyway, I broke down and ordered an ABR-1 to go on the bridge. The issue is that while Guild love gibson scale length, they also love fender radius. So, a 12" bridge will go on a 9.5" neck.

I'm aware J Masics has put 12" ABRs on vintage 7.5" JMs, and even prefers them.

My questions are these:

Will it even be that noticeable a difference between 9.5 and 12?

And.

Does fender do a 9.5" bridge? I read somewhere that J rejected the first prototype of the JMJM because it had a matching bridge. I've looked everywhere, I cannot find an "adjustomatic" bridge in 9.5 for sale anywhere.

Does fender just put stock 12" TOMs on their guitars with 9.5" (or even 7.5") necks?

[Larry Mal]

It would really piss me off.

Not sure if it would work, but a Tru Arc bridge can be purchased at a 9.5" radius:

https://www.truarcbridgeworks.com

Also you can have the 12" TOM bridge filed down to be a perfect 9.5".

[ludobag1]

the mismatch radius is not really problematic ,i have a 12 bridge on a 9,5 neck and the difference was small ,the outer string are a little more high but i really don't feel it when playing

[Logrinn]

You could get a TOM with height adjustable saddles. Gotoh makes one.

[adamrobertt]

It’ll be fine if you like high action. I disagree that it isn’t noticeable though. Even a 9.5” bridge on a 7.25” neck causes notes to choke out in the higher frets with what I consider a normal action.

It’s a compromise that I wouldn’t make tbh.

[HNB]

I don't have an issue with mismatched bridges. A luthier could file the grooves in a 12" TOM to 9.5" if you needed it. If you have a file set, you could do it as well. I would just make sure to go slow and check often. You can always file more, but putting it back can be a problem.

Some people actually use the miss match all the time. Cobain had TOM's on a lot of his guitars and I am pretty sure he didn't have them adjusted to vintage radius. I don't know if Mascis has his adjusted. He has high action anyways, so maybe he doesn't care.

The punk attitude would be "f' it. Just play it." Different musicians have different needs though. I would try it out. If it bugs you or impacts your playing, it can be adjusted. If you don't notice it or it doesn't effect you, I would just roll on. No need to fix something that isn't an issue to you.

(For example, all the different ways people ((including me)) change their Jazzmaster bridges to "fix" them when plenty of people have no problem with the way the stock bridge works.)

[adamrobertt]

I’m firmly in the “decent Mustang bridge” camp (matched to the radius of course). The OG bridge design is fine - it’s actually the threaded saddles that cause all the problems.

The Mastery is nice and it works well, but is overkill IMO.

I do personally think that TOM style bridges are basically the worst possible choice for an offset though.

[Moo-Stang]

Does fender do a 9.5" bridge?

Not that I have seen, but Guild does apparently. I'm not sure how or if it would work for you or not though. Might need some mods

https://shop.guildguitars.com/product/n ... 16fd43adaa

[HNB]

Fender's version of the TOM is 10.5" if that helps. Much closer to 9.5". (Adjustomatic bridge.)

[HNB]

This is an illustration of 12" / 9.5" / and 7.5" radius. It is super exaggerated because necks aren't as wide as the picture, but you can see the low and high e string height is higher, but not hugely off. I think someone said that a 12" on a 9.5" is only 0.02" off. Easy to adjust it if you need to.

[seenoevil II]

Does fender do a 9.5" bridge?

Not that I have seen, but Guild does apparently. I'm not sure how or if it would work for you or not though. Might need some mods

https://shop.guildguitars.com/product/n ... 16fd43adaa

That sound you heard was my palm passing through my head to the other side....

[seenoevil II]

This is an illustration of 12" / 9.5" / and 7.5" radius. It is super exaggerated because necks aren't as wide as the picture, but you can see the low and high e string height is higher, but not hugely off. I think someone said that a 12" on a 9.5" is only 0.02" off. Easy to adjust it if you need to.

Thanks. I like that chart. I'll likely go after the Es with a file if it bugs me. I have radius gauges.

Well, I can order the Guild part if I need to (just plum forgot that half their line come with TOMs on rosewood bases).

The action on this guy is relatively high to start. The reason I think it might be noticeable is that on my Sheraton, the TOM has collapsed a little. If you site(sight?) down it, you see a maybe... 20 thousanths dip. And that's enough to give the G and D strings a lisp up past the 7th. Not quite the same thing as an under radius, but similar.

I actually initially bought a korean JM bridge that I was gonna saw the legs off of and expand the holes to accept the ABR posts. Like a Coronado. I actually love and never had issues with JM bridges. But, looking at the break angle, I'm afraid the strings would run into the back of the frame on their way to the saddles, and on a jazz box, I'm worried that any buzzing or resonances would be annoyingly loud.