14 replies to this topic

[Spellbound]

Hello all! First post outside of the introduction forum, but I really need some help. I currently have this guitar:

http://www.musicians...mpstart-package (in blue though).

The bridge I would like to install, is a Leo Quan PAF Bad** Electric guitar bridge. http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1305wt_1185

I already bought one, but the above link is for reference. I was wondering if installation would be possible on the guitar I own? I have a friend who's willing to install it for free, btu I was just wondering if someone could give me insight as to whether it could work.

Thanks for reading. Help would be very much appreciated!

[Andy S]

You have a Strat style , the Leo Quan is for tune-a-matic bridges, like that found on Les Pauls or ES-335's and the like. it will not fit on your guitar. The two U-shaped areas on either side are for the posts that do not exist on your style guitar.

Hate to say it but you just wasted whatever you paid for it as the two are not compatible without major work. Add to that, the scale length of the strat style is usually different from the tune-a-matic bridge style. your friend would have to do some close calculating, measuring and drilling for the posts that this is supposed to sit on. And the link doesn't mention anything about those being included.

The time & money involved to utilize this on your current guitar would probably be more than the total cost of the package shown.

[Spellbound]

Well, I figure since I already paid for it, I'll see about doing the best I can to have it work, and if it doesn't I'll sell it. Also, about there not being posts, I believe that was the point of a Leo Quan. To install the bridge easily without drilling holes or anything. Is there any place I could buy the post for it to sit on/in my guitar? One of my friends has a Tune-o-Matic style bridge, and his just sits on the wood, I don't see any posts. Are they supposed to go in the guitar?

Thank you for your insight.

[Andy S]

Quote

......Also, about there not being posts, I believe that was the point of a Leo Quan. To install the bridge easily without drilling holes or anything

Not really. This piece is a combination of a tail piece and a bridge all in one. Google Paul Reed Smith guitars and take a look at some of their guitars. Some have a stop piece, others have this type of wrap around bridge.

Quote

. Is there any place I could buy the post for it to sit on/in my guitar? One of my friends has a Tune-o-Matic style bridge, and his just sits on the wood, I don't see any posts. Are they supposed to go in the guitar?

If your friends tune-a-matic bridge is set into a piece of wood that sets on the top, it is referred to as a floating bridge. These are found on arch-top guitars, mostly jazz type guitars. Or, similar to a Gretch guitar like th kind Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats and Brian Setzer Orchestra plays.

This Leo Quan does not fit onto a strat style without lots of work and drilling. The posts used for this are usually about 3/8" in diameter, if not more. Compared to the smaller posts the actual bridge sits on.

The Red Ibanez has the bridge on a piece of rosewood. It is the Floating bridge style.

The middle pic is a Paul Reed Smith. It has the wrap-around bridge and tail piece (or stop bar) in one piece, similar to the Leo Quan.

The last one is a Les Paul, The stop bar is separate from the bridge. So, your friend would have to calculate and measure very carefully the precise point to drill and place the posts, other wise intonation would be near impossible. And from the pic you showed of your current guitar, I personally don't think it would be worthwhile to invest money into that.

Sorry, just my opinion form working on guitars for the last 15 years.

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[eddiez152]

Spellbound,
Can you take a picture of the saddle area on your guitar. Post it here. Unless your guitar is setup like the one's Andy is showing, then I'm afraid what your trying to install wont work. A picture tells it all.

[Spellbound]

Andy S, on 26 January 2012 - 08:09 PM, said:

If your friends tune-a-matic bridge is set into a piece of wood that sets on the top, it is referred to as a floating bridge. These are found on arch-top guitars, mostly jazz type guitars. Or, similar to a Gretch guitar like th kind Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats and Brian Setzer Orchestra plays.

No, his guitar is a Les Paul Junior style guitar. It sits on the guitars body (saying it sat on wood must've sounded really confusing, sorry!)

Quote

This Leo Quan does not fit onto a strat style without lots of work and drilling. The posts used for this are usually about 3/8" in diameter, if not more. Compared to the smaller posts the actual bridge sits on.

Alright. How much work and drilling would be required to make it fit?

Quote

And from the pic you showed of your current guitar, I personally don't think it would be worthwhile to invest money into that.

Sorry, just my opinion form working on guitars for the last 15 years.

No worries. I appreciate the information and help. I know it seems pointless to try but I've nothing to really lose in doing so. Plus if it works, I'd be one happy camper.

eddiez152, on 26 January 2012 - 08:42 PM, said:

Spellbound,
Can you take a picture of the saddle area on your guitar. Post it here. Unless your guitar is setup like the one's Andy is showing, then I'm afraid what your trying to install wont work. A picture tells it all.

As of now, I cannot. My guitar isn't set up like the ones he showed, but I'll still get a picture up later in the day when I have some light.

[eddiez152]

Ok,
How much work will it take ? Well check out these Ibanez pictures of different bridges. See which one comes closest to your type.

http://www.google.co...iw=1324&bih=860

[Spellbound]

This is almost the exact bridge I have:

http://www.blind-sum...t-ibanez-02.jpg

[mattz196]

Hey Spellbound just curious what do you have hope to achieve with this mod.. playability , tone ??

[Spellbound]

mattz196, on 27 January 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Hey Spellbound just curious what do you have hope to achieve with this mod.. playability , tone ??

Tone. Specifically, the Malcolm Young tone. I've gotten used to 12 gauge strings, I beat them like they owe me money, right now I just need to install my new Filtertron and bridge.

I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that Bad*** bridges give strings a looser feel. That said, I'm not sure if the person who said it was referring to a real Leo Quan, or if he was talking about the ones that come on a Malcolm Young signature Jet. So better playability would just be a bonus.

[Andy S]

The looser feel is from the scale length. usually the type of guitar you currently have is slightly longer, somewhere around 25.5" while the tune-a-matic style (Gibson LPs, ES-335, most Gretch guitars) have a shorter scale length, around 24.3/4".
The pic you showed is a Strat style bridge, thus , a longer scale. The longer the string, the tighter it needs to be to make it come to the correct tuning. The shorter scale, the less tension needed. That is why Strat style guitars (like your) usually feel harder to play.

I have a Strat, I have a Dean Evo (which is similar to a Les Paul) and I have an Ibanez AG-75 (semi-hollow body with a short scale) The feel is substantially different.
That's all I'll say.

[Spellbound]

I just measured the scale length, and (I hope I didn't screw up measuring, I sat down and did it 6 times), the scale measurement is 24 and 14/17 of an inch (measuring the length of the tip of the nut to the middle of the 12th fret and multiplying by 2). It does have some really tight tension though.

Out of curiosity though, I have a a Jay Turser strat knock off, and it obviously has a strat bridge, but it has MUCH less tension on it compared to my Ibanez. Why is that if it's supposed to have a harder to play feel to it?

I've played different guitars, and mine is the hardest one to play due to tighter string tension and a fatter neck.

[eddiez152]

Spellbound,
Your measuring device should be in 1/16 - 1/32 or 1/64 increments. Did you mean (14/16) or 7/8 in short?
24 7/8

[Spellbound]

Ah yes, I made a typo. It was 14/16, not 14/17.

[Spellbound]

So, I just got my guitar today. It worked! The bridge is in, and it's sitting right between the filter'tron and the hole where my old bridge was. Attached is one pre-installation picture and many post-installation ones.

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