String saddle travel distance on seven-string tune-o-matic (low B).

[caughtinamosh]

Does anyone have any experience with seven-string tune-o-matic bridges? I am considering having my new RG body routed for one. I love the feel of TOM bridges, but am concerned about the string saddle not having enough travel distance for the low B. aeolian has informed me that he hasn't run into any problems with his custom shop Jackson (using a .59). Any more responses would be very much appreciated.

I'm also a little unsure of the effect that the extended scale (28") will have on the intonation. Does having a longer scale length have *any* effect on the position of the saddles, or am I just worrying too much? Something tells me that I am, but I'll ask anyway.



James/ciam

 

[KungfuSheep]

Hey, i use a .68 on my 607b (27" scale & TOM bridge) without any trouble, intonation is fine & there aren't any tuning issues or strings snapping etc... I would think you'd be fine

 

[caughtinamosh]

Hey, i use a .68 on my 607b (27" scale & TOM bridge) without any trouble, intonation is fine & there aren't any tuning issues or strings snapping etc... I would think you'd be fine

Thanks, dude. .68 is considerably thicker than I'd want to use (I'm probably going to opt for a .56), so it's reassuring to know that it can be done.

Anyone else?

 

[MF_Kitten]

longer scales greatly aid the intonation, actually.

on shorter scales, you're trying to nail the position of the "sweet spot" that lets the 12th fret be the octave up perfectly. because the scale length is short, small movements account for large changes.

on long scales, small changes make small differences, and the "sweet spot" is larger, making it easy as hell to intonate.

the TOM on my baritone does just fine, and the TOM on my schecter did just fine as well. never had any trouble

 

[caughtinamosh]

longer scales greatly aid the intonation, actually.

on shorter scales, you're trying to nail the position of the "sweet spot" that lets the 12th fret be the octave up perfectly. because the scale length is short, small movements account for large changes.

on long scales, small changes make small differences, and the "sweet spot" is larger, making it easy as hell to intonate.

the TOM on my baritone does just fine, and the TOM on my schecter did just fine as well. never had any trouble

What size of string did you use for the low B on your guitar(s)? I seem to remember that you favour a .52.

 

[MF_Kitten]

on the baritone: .56 or .52 for the B (feels perfect, plays perfect, tension is perfect). right now i have a .75 on there for the low F/f#

on the 7: came with a .56 which felt nice, but i put a .70 on there tuned to low A/G. worked fine, though the scale was too short for me to like the sound and feel of the low G, plus it didn't intonate properly.

fast forward to me shipping it to mike sherman to alleviate said issues

 

[caughtinamosh]

on the baritone: .56 or .52 for the B (feels perfect, plays perfect, tension is perfect). right now i have a .75 on there for the low F/f#

on the 7: came with a .56 which felt nice, but i put a .70 on there tuned to low A/G. worked fine, though the scale was too short for me to like the sound and feel of the low G, plus it didn't intonate properly.

fast forward to me shipping it to mike sherman to alleviate said issues

I see. Do any of the seven-string TOMs looked more "angled" than they might be on a six-string? Seven-string TOMs might be angled a little more radically, or they might be mounted at the same angle (the extra spacing making enough extra distance alone).

 

[TemjinStrife]

I use a .56 Elixir on my Septor 727 (which has a TOM), and it intonates fine.

 

[Andrew_B]

Does anyone have any experience with seven-string tune-o-matic bridges? I am considering having my new RG body routed for one. I love the feel of TOM bridges, but am concerned about the string saddle not having enough travel distance for the low B. aeolian has informed me that he hasn't run into any problems with his custom shop Jackson (using a .59). Any more responses would be very much appreciated.

I'm also a little unsure of the effect that the extended scale (28") will have on the intonation. Does having a longer scale length have *any* effect on the position of the saddles, or am I just worrying too much? Something tells me that I am, but I'll ask anyway.



James/ciam

when in doubt, try shit out....

lol....
then again... its recessed isnt it?

if it wasnt recessed you could do it oldschool style and string it up pack some veneer under the bridge and put it in the best position to work with the low b...

 

[caughtinamosh]

when in doubt, try shit out....

lol....
then again... its recessed isnt it?

if it wasnt recessed you could do it oldschool style and string it up pack some veneer under the bridge and put it in the best position to work with the low b...

It has to be reccesed in order to be low enough for the neck (which has no angle, being of the Ibby replacement type).

If the worst comes to the worst, I'll use a Hipshot flat-mount instead.

 

[Andrew_B]

hmmm


simulate it on a scrap bit of wood...
rout the neck pocket and rout the bridge recess, string it up and see if it intonates!

the scrapcaster

 

[phaeded0ut]

I've been very happy with my three 7-string Les Pauls (the Raines guitar and two Epiphones) and all of them use a Tune-O-Matic bridge. String-wise, I'm using Stainless steel between 0.060 to 0.010's (low to high). Never had any intonation issues.

 

[caughtinamosh]

Your answers are all very encouraging. However, I must ask - do you feel that the angle at which your TOMs are mounted is more extreme than that of a typical 6 string TOM?

 

[loktide]

i currently have a .70 in my schecter C7 hellraiser (26,5") without any intonation issues

 

[caughtinamosh]

i currently have a .70 in my schecter C7 hellraiser (26,5") without any intonation issues

Woah, that's big...

 

[loktide]

Woah, that's big...

it fits the neck's feel better, imo. i use a .59 when i tune my 27" 7680 to Bb, which is the same i tune the hellraiser to using a .70

 

[caughtinamosh]

If it makes the tension feel constant across your guitars, then it makes sense.

I've always been one for ligher strings, simply because I think that they sound brighter, which is great for lower tunings.

Anyway, the point is that you have no issues with intonation. *Good!*

 

[MF_Kitten]

i don't think the TOM angle on my 7 was any special at all, it looked pretty standard... i think there's a clear limit where the angle will get too steep, and then it'll get nasty. so i don't think you can angle them that much.

 

[caughtinamosh]

That is also encouraging. I was afraid that Sims had written his program using the same angle as a standard, 6-string TOM, which might not have provided enough string compensation. It appears that it does.

 

[wannabguitarist]

The angle looks to be the same on my Epiphone and my COW7