# Can you put a Tune-o-matic bridge on a Tele



## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm planning on putting something close to a tune-o-matic on a tele (Schaller roller bridge - http://www.allparts.com/Schaller-Chrome-Roller-Tunematic-p/gb-8590-001.htm), but in my research I found this... 

"... a tun-o-matic bridge will not work on teles or strats unless the neck to body angle is changed, the tun-o-matic is not designed to work with a neck mounted parallel to the body..." 
http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-7739.html

Is this true? It's the first I've heard of it. I've also seen pictures of tele's with these types of bridges. Does anyone have any experience with this? 

Thanks!
Norman


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

deleted................


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

The Fender has string trees to pull down the E and B strings which are the last in the row of straight line tuners. The tun-o-matics are for the side by side tuners, which combined with angle of the headstock gives the proper string angle. Fender gets around this by cutting 5/8" relief ( or scoop ). This works for the first 4 strings. 

It may work but it might fail. If you can find a bolt on neck with an angled headstock and the right scale. 

Like this... not that I am recommending an Eden brand neck 
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/EDEN-Angled-...480?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item23195fc288


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

Hi shoretyus,

I'm not sure that I understand what you're saying. This is likely due to my inexperience with guitar building. Could you explain further?

Thanks!
Norman



shoretyus said:


> The Fender has string trees to pull down the E and B strings which are the last in the row of straight line tuners. The tun-o-matics are for the side by side tuners, which combined with angle of the headstock gives the proper string angle. Fender gets around this by cutting 5/8" relief ( or scoop ). This works for the first 4 strings.
> 
> It may work but it might fail. If you can find a bolt on neck with an angled headstock and the right scale.
> 
> ...


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

Found this. A little more info on putting a tune-o-matic on a Tele. 

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/156078-tune-o-matic-bridge-tele.html

I still don't quite get it though. Is it because the bridge will sit too high and throw your action off?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Ok..it's 1 am... and I had a few beers.... a Tele is flat. The neck pocket is cut parallel to the surface of the guitar. The break angle of the strings is achieved by the way the string comes over the barrels on the bridge and by scalloping the headstock 5/8" lower than the fretboard AND adding string trees to force the angle for the B&E strings. 

Gibson angles the neck pocket 3 to 5 degrees and angles the headstock 10 and later 17 degrees off of parallel.

So the T-O-M bridge sits higher off the surface of the guitar than the Fender bridges.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

the TOM sits higher. I suppose you could route a channel in the tele body to make the height match. It would be a permanent mod though, not for a collector or vintage piece.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> the TOM sits higher. I suppose you could route a channel in the tele body to make the height match. It would be a permanent mod though, not for a collector or vintage piece.


Or angle the neck pocket ....


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Jim DaddyO said:


> the TOM sits higher. I suppose you could route a channel in the tele body to make the height match. It would be a permanent mod though, not for a collector or vintage piece.


This is the way to go... recess the bridge into the body. If you angle the neck, you will find a new set of problems; from pickups that are to far from the strings, to finding a case that accommodates the neck angle, to problems with the neck pocket.


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## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> the TOM sits higher. I suppose you could route a channel in the tele body to make the height match. It would be a permanent mod though, not for a collector or vintage piece.


This appears to be the method that Carvin took when designing the DC400 featuring a T-O-M bridge. The DC400 being a strat type body w/ neck thru design, they've recessed the bridge into the body slightly. It looks quite sharp. It featured here, though not the greatest pic:









Carvin allows the option of having either a T-O-M bridge string-through design or bridge wrap (I believe) so maybe this could be a route you can take.


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks for the help guys. These are the kinds of things that novice builders like myself don't think/know about! Should I just go with another bridge and save myself a lot of headache? Does anyone out there have any good suggestions as to a bridge that I could use on a Tele with a Bigsby? One that would not require me to recess the bridge or angle the neck. 

Thanks!


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

After more research it looks like a lot of people are using a Mustang bridge on a Tele with a Bigsby. Anyone have any experience with one? Do you guys think this would solve my problem and get rid of the need to recess the bridge and/or angle the neck?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Some are using a regular Tele bridge with notches cut into it 

http://www.stormriders.com/guitar/telecaster/blue/blue guitar.htm


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> Some are using a regular Tele bridge with notches cut into it
> 
> http://www.stormriders.com/guitar/telecaster/blue/blue guitar.htm


Yeah, I thought about doing that at first, but I'm putting a TV Jones Classic in the bridge position, so the Tele bridge plate isn't going to work. A lot of people are cutting that pickup holding area off the bridge, but I think a Mustang bridge will look a little more finished/possibly better.

Here's a link to a mock up of the guitar I'm building. I was planning on using a tune-o-matic on it when I did the mock up, so disregard that...
http://www.guitarscanada.com/guitar...s/45220-what-best-bridge-use-bigsby-tele.html


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

how about this bridge?

https://tvjones.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=02-010-0100


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

Hey rollingdam, thanks for the heads up! I'm trying to avoid the Tele bridge plate look though. Also, I'd like to get a bridge that I don't have to hack up to use with the Bigsby.


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