Looking for bridge replacement... (Fender Strat style bridge)

[JEngelking]

So I have a bit of a guitar project going on, and I'm trying to find a black bridge that will be a drop in replacement for the one that I've already got. If I'm measuring it right, the distance from the middle of the low E hole to the middle of the high E hole is 49 mm, at the widest point it looks to be 77 mm wide, and the string spacing looks to be about 9 mm.

For this project I was thinking about taking the opportunity to try out a couple GFS pickups, and was hoping their USA spec brass block bridge might work but it doesn't look like the measurements will line up, and nor will any of their other Strat bridges. Any idea where I might be able to find a bridge that will be a drop in? My internet searching thus far hasn't brought anything up, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

The Hipshot .125" hardtail is a direct replacement for strat bridges, and is available in black.

Guitar Parts Resource: Hipshot Hardtail Bridges

 

[cardinal]

9 mm would be very narrow spacing. What type of guitar is it?

 

[JEngelking]

The Hipshot .125" hardtail is a direct replacement for strat bridges, and is available in black.

Guitar Parts Resource: Hipshot Hardtail Bridges

Hmm, those are really well priced but I forgot to specify that it's a tremolo that just came out of the guitar.

9 mm would be very narrow spacing. What type of guitar is it?

An old Strat knockoff, one of my first guitars. It says Grand Prix on the headstock and a plywood sandwich body. But it sounds and plays decently, and hopefully will play and sound even better once I finish this revamping.

The only thing I know as far as age is that it came with a custom neck plate that said the previous owners name and a date ending in '82, which, by the look of the pickguard and pots aging, may be when the guitar was put together.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Guitar Parts Resource:: Bridges

They have strat treks in black too....scroll down.

 

[cardinal]

Since it's an older off-brand, it's possible that you won't be able to find a direct replacement. Everything now seems to center around the two different Fender specs (narrow spacing around 10.5 mm and wider spacing around 10.8 mm). But back then, it was a bit of a free for all.

 

[JEngelking]

Guitar Parts Resource:: Bridges

They have strat treks in black too....scroll down.

Oh, so there are! Thank you. Although unfortunately it doesn't look like any would be a drop-in...

Since it's an older off-brand, it's possible that you won't be able to find a direct replacement. Everything now seems to center around the two different Fender specs (narrow spacing around 10.5 mm and wider spacing around 10.8 mm). But back then, it was a bit of a free for all.

Ah I see, thanks for the insight. I've yet to find anything, and I assume that it probably wouldn't be possible to just get one with the same baseplate width without messing up the intonation/needing to buy a different neck to match or something like that. Maybe I could look in to just cleaning up the baseplate and then buying black saddles to get towards the look I'm going for.

 

[JEngelking]

Gonna give this a , I've been researching replacement parts all week and have yet to come up with anywhere where it's possible to get a 9mm spaced bridge, let alone saddles for the same spacing.

Would anyone have a source for any of this? Or maybe somewhere that would powder coat saddles?

 

[cardinal]

Is this a 6-screw trem? Any room on the neck for a wider string spacing?

It might be easier to just buy a black 2-point trem and have a competent tech/luthier install it.

 

[JEngelking]

Is this a 6-screw trem? Any room on the neck for a wider string spacing?

It might be easier to just buy a black 2-point trem and have a competent tech/luthier install it.

It is, yeah. I'll have to measure the neck when I get home, that might be a good idea!

 

[JEngelking]

It is, yeah. I'll have to measure the neck when I get home, that might be a good idea!

Alright, at the high end of the neck the width is about 2 5/32" and 1 11/16" at the nut.

 

[cardinal]

So a typical fender neck is 2 3/16 (or 2 6/32), so a touch wider than your neck. But the narrow Strat bridges are going to be 2 1/16 spacing, so you should be fine.

 

[JEngelking]

So a typical fender neck is 2 3/16 (or 2 6/32), so a touch wider than your neck. But the narrow Strat bridges are going to be 2 1/16 spacing, so you should be fine.

Okay cool. So might something like this work? I'm skeptical of the elongated part being enough to compensate for the difference in sizes, but of course GFS isn't the only place I can look for a replacement so there's other options.

 

[JEngelking]

Gonna give this one more bump. I've continued looking and have yet to find any hint of a solution for just a drop in replacement, I'm desperate.

Though I may end up doing the two point trem solution.