Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: pandi on January 03, 2009, 06:18:37 AM

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: pandi on January 03, 2009, 06:18:37 AM

Hi Alembic people. I wonder if someone could please help me with this question: I used to own an 89 MK bass, and i miss the bridge string spacing on that bass, so I'm thinking about custom building a new bridge for my 68 P-bass. Could someone please tell me the bridge string spacing on an 89 MK? Thanks/Andreas

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on January 06, 2009, 10:15:47 AM

Welcome to the board Pandi.
 
Since Alembic allows customers to choose the width of the nut and narrow/standard/wide spacing, it is hard to say.
 
Do you have the serial #?  Specs may be availible.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: pclifton2004 on January 06, 2009, 03:56:24 PM

Isn't it usually 16.5mm on a stock MK?

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: mica on January 06, 2009, 05:45:56 PM

Keep in mind that our standard bridge spacing in not center to center as many others make their bridges. A 1989 MK would likely have a classic tape fingerboard, and that's 1.75 x 2.25. This makes the spaces between the strings at the bridge about .61 inches or about 15.5mm.  
 
If you're trying to compare against center to center spacing, it computes to about:
string center 1 to 2 = 0.665   (16.891)
string center 2 to 3 = 0.6825   (17.3355)
string center 3 to 4 = 0.7025   (17.8435)

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: David Houck on January 06, 2009, 08:39:22 PM

Thanks Mica!!  I was about to dig my four string out of the closet and measure it, but I can't pull myself away from the laptop.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: bsee on January 07, 2009, 12:02:31 AM

I had written a lengthy response myself with a bunch of the data that came up when my bass was under design/construction, but Mica's post hit before I finished so I canned it.
 
Of course, the easiest way to know what the specs on a particular instrument are involves the use of a caliper and direct measurement.  Alembic basses, being hand made, may not 100% match even the specs under which they were intended to be built, custom or not.  Is accuracy to four decimal places even possible?
 
As a side note, I believe Mica's numbers are based on a 45-65-85-105 set of strings.  I'm not sure if it would matter, but the spacing would be less symmetrical if one were to switch to a less linear set of strings, say Jazz Flats at 43-56-70-100.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: terryc on January 07, 2009, 03:18:35 AM

pandi...what is wrong with the standard bridge?? it may devalue the bass if you put something else on. If the bridge is broken a better alternative would be an original fender replacement or a BADASS II as the screw holes line up perfectly on this unit.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: pclifton2004 on January 07, 2009, 04:09:41 AM

Won't your fretboard look really wide outside the margin of the strings if you add an Alembic style bridge?

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: white_cloud on January 07, 2009, 04:49:33 AM

For a vintage Fender P bass it just has simply GOT to be the Leo Quan Bad-ass 11 - nothing else compares on a Fender imho!
 
John.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: mica on January 07, 2009, 09:05:55 AM

The side to side spacing is for our .045 - .065 - .080 -.105 set of strings unless you order with something different. Note that the figures I provided for the centers are computed.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: pandi on January 11, 2009, 10:16:35 AM

Thanks for all the answers!
 
Much appreciated Mica, thanks!
 
I have quite small hands, so my idea is to build a copy of a vintage Fender bridge, with Alembic string spacing, to get the same right hand feel and flow.

Title: Bridge string spacing?
Post by: terryc on January 12, 2009, 01:29:08 AM

pandi..when you mean build a bridge, are you going to fabricate it from scratch??
If you want adjustable string spacing, Gotoh do side adjustment as well as height and intonation.
Seems like a lot of work when there are plenty of standard bridges that will do the same