Flat bridge?

[mrjamiam]

I picked up a player-condition MONEL from craigslist last month.  I owe an NHD post on it, but I've been working on sorting it out.  I knew it wouldn't be in perfect condition, but so far I'm pretty pleased with it.  I was warned that it might need a new nut since there was some string buzzing going on, but I don't think that's the case now.  I determined that the neck was adjusted to be dead flat, so I tweaked the truss rod to allow a little relief - better.  I adjusted the bridge height to raise it a tiny bit - better still, and the action isn't objectionable at all.

Now it only buzzes above the 12th fret or so, and not on the E strings.  That is, the highest and lowest strings ring pretty well, but the middle four buzz a bit.  It took a while, but it finally occurred to me that the bridge might be of a flatter radius than the fretboard, and according to my reading of my radius gauges, that appears to be the case.  The fretboard seems to be a solid 12" radius, while the bridge seems to be above 14", probably 16".

The bridge is a TOM type, kind of pitted from whatever abuse it's taken.  When I've looked at bridges in the distant past, I don't recall them being rated or gauged by radius.  However, the saddles are not adjustable, are they?  Other than by filing them?  I know that there are replacement saddles available - Graphtech and whatnot.  Can you specify radius with them?  What do people do to get the radius matched?

[Jeff R]

Sounds like the bridge has sagged a little in the middle from string tension over time. My '76 LP Standard's original TOM sagged horribly when I got it. You can file the saddles to re-establish a proper radius (individual saddle height is preset and not adjustable) if there is enough meat on the saddles to do that without cutting through or so deep into the saddles that you have an oversized contact point.

Or you can invest in a new modern bridge that will likely be a little more robust. I did the latter, I went with a Schaller replacement. Love it. I like Gotoh's TOMs too.

Most TOM replacements are 12" radius and I'd suspect if a flatter radius isn't clearly spelled out in a product description, it's going to be a 12.

[Jeff R]

And to elaborate on filing the existing bridge's saddles to re-radius and the potentially oversized contact points ... you want the strings to still sit "on" the saddles, not "in" the saddles if that makes sense. If you're strings are sitting "in," the bridge replacement option is your best bet.

[geoff_hartwell]

I agree with Jeffro.

Take the supplied bridge and throw it in a ziploc bag in the case compartment for posterity (or future sale) if you wish, but a new bridge seems in order. They can absolutely collapse, or be f'd up by an unscrupulous car-packing job, or jolt...

"The world's an imperfect place"

I haven't tried the full Graphtech bridges, but I've had great success with a "stock replacement" bridge and run-of-the-mill replacement GT tune o matic saddles. (Btw auto correct just fought me to replace that with "tone of magic"...)

My Artist, for example, travels and flies all over with me and never breaks strings  

[mrjamiam]

4 hours ago, geoff_hartwell said:

I haven't tried the full Graphtech bridges, but I've had great success with a "stock replacement" bridge and run-of-the-mill replacement GT tune o matic saddles. (Btw auto correct just fought me to replace that with "tone of magic"...)

Now someone is going to use that as an advertising slogan.

It also occurs to me that a Faber sale might be coming up soon.

[murkat]

post a pic of the bridge, level shot with straight edge resting on top post to post.

Most TOM type bridges are 12" radius.

Or if your in town, swing by, I can take a look at it for ya.