String Thru conversion- Best (and cheapest) bridge to get?

[cameltoe]

I've already posted about possibly changing the neck on my CV Precision, and something I've always wanted to try is coverting to thru body stringing.

I have a freind who can carry out the work for me, he's very skilled and this would be no problem, however he does specialise mainly in metal work. He has all the tools needed to do this though, so was hoping for some further instructions.

Aside from a suitable bride, what other parts would I need? I know I'll need some string ferrules, but don't know where to get 'stock' fender ones, or at least true fender fitment ones.

Is it just the ferrules for the end of the sring that are needed or do I need a metal 'guide' for the strings that goes through the body? The string could just pass through the wood I guess, but I don't have an Am. St to hand to check.

Is the hole for the string the smae diameter throughout it's depth? I.e, it doesn't start off narrow, then step out wider where the ball end would be does it? Like a countersunk hole (when viewed from the back)

My plan is to buy a Fender or Gotoh bridge with string thru, possibly a High Mass Vintage (at least standard fender fitment) and fit this to the Squier, and using this as the guide for where to drill the holes.

I'm presuming that the strings do not pass through the body at an angle other than 180 degrees to the length of the body? If they do, it shouldn't be a problem so long as I can find out what the angle is.

Hopefully with a few tweak this bass should end up being a fun project, with some great little mods.

I'll get some pics up if I pull this off.

Edited September 4, 2010 by cameltoe

[Ou7shined]

All you need are the ferrules. The holes are the same all the way through (the ferrules catch the ball end as they narrow inside) and are normally perpendicular to the body.

[synaesthesia]

Not to rain on your parade but look into it a bit more and you may save yourself a lot of grief, money and trouble finding strings long enough. There is no appreciable gain in sonic terms though some claim they can hear a difference. All power to those who can hear a difference, I own commercially made string through basses and guitars and have even built at least 3 basses with string through body tailpiece arrangements and I say there is no sonic difference. The backs look cool though.

Edited August 31, 2010 by synaesthesia

[Ou7shined]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-x-THROUGH-BODY-BASS-GUITAR-STRING-FERRULES-CHROME-/200258888322?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories"]These'll[/url] do ya and if you can wait for US shipping [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-FENDER-American-Standard-BASS-String-Ferrules-/300454406846?pt=Guitar_Accessories"]these[/url] will be better.

[cameltoe]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='941593' date='Aug 31 2010, 11:56 PM']All you need are the ferrules. The holes are the same all the way through (the ferrules catch the ball end as they narrow inside) and are normally perpendicular to the body.[/quote]

Excellent cheers.


[quote name='synaesthesia' post='941594' date='Aug 31 2010, 11:57 PM']Not to rain on your parade but look into it a bit more and you may save yourself a lot of grief, money and trouble finding strings long enough. There is no appreciable gain in sonic terms though some claim they can hear a difference. All power to those who can hear a difference, I own commercially made string through basses and guitars and have even built at least 3 basses with string through body tailpiece arrangements and I say there is no sonic difference. The backs look cool though.[/quote]

Yes you are raining on my parade!

It'll only cost me parts.

Where do all the American Standard Precision players get their strings from then?

I usually have to cut a decent amount off the end of my strings, as they're too long and have too much wind round the string post otherwise.

This is a fun project intending to add some decent upgrades to a Squier bass, so if I don't get blown away by the sonic difference it won't matter too much. I wouldn't have thought I would hear much difference from Basswood anyway.

Who knows? At least it'll look cool, like you say.

[cameltoe]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='941600' date='Sep 1 2010, 12:02 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-x-THROUGH-BODY-BASS-GUITAR-STRING-FERRULES-CHROME-/200258888322?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories"]These'll[/url] do ya and if you can wait for US shipping [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-FENDER-American-Standard-BASS-String-Ferrules-/300454406846?pt=Guitar_Accessories"]these[/url] will be better.[/quote]

Great! Once I've sortedt= the new tuners for my Road Worn I'll get the bridge on order.

Will get the Am ferrules now!

And then, I guess, just drill the hole all the way through the body to the same diameter as the width of the ferrule.

[Ou7shined]

The pain in the arse bit isn't so much the amount of spare you can cut off but how much usable length you get before the taper or the silks come in. It's no biggy though, just buy long strings.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='cameltoe' post='941613' date='Sep 1 2010, 12:10 AM']Great! Once I've sortedt= the new tuners for my Road Worn I'll get the bridge on order.

Will get the Am ferrules now!

And then, I guess, just drill the hole all the way through the body to the same diameter as the width of the ferrule.[/quote]
Yep but you have to have a drill press to do it. No matter how skilled you might be the holes will look sh*t when they come through the other side if you do it freehand.

[cameltoe]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='941615' date='Sep 1 2010, 12:14 AM']Yep but you have to have a drill press to do it. No matter how skilled you might be the holes will look sh*t when they come through the other side if you do it freehand.[/quote]

This is where my friend the fabricator comes in.

He'll have no problem doing this

[neepheid]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='941615' date='Sep 1 2010, 12:14 AM']Yep but you have to have a drill press to do it. No matter how skilled you might be the holes will look sh*t when they come through the other side if you do it freehand.[/quote]

+1

Drill press essential. I did a Squier Bronco and attached the bridge, drilled through the small hole all the way using the holes in the bridge as a guide, then took off the bridge, flipped it round and then centred the big drill bit on the small holes and drilled the recesses for the ferrules.

A tip from the voice of bitter experience - make sure you drill down far enough for the recesses, it's devilishily difficult to get the big bit back into an existing hole exactly if you need to go back. Measure the ferrule, mark the drill bit with tape at the appropriate depth, or use the depth gauge on the drill press if it's good enough. No problem if you go a bit deeper, but don't end up shallow!

I'm guessing that your friend won't need told this though.

Edited September 1, 2010 by neepheid

[cameltoe]

[quote name='neepheid' post='942324' date='Sep 1 2010, 04:40 PM']+1

Drill press essential. I did a Squier Bronco and attached the bridge, drilled through the small hole all the way using the holes in the bridge as a guide, then took off the bridge, flipped it round and then centred the big drill bit on the small holes and drilled the recesses for the ferrules.

A tip from the voice of bitter experience - make sure you drill down far enough for the recesses, it's devilishily difficult to get the big bit back into an existing hole exactly if you need to go back. Measure the ferrule, mark the drill bit with tape at the appropriate depth, or use the depth gauge on the drill press if it's good enough. No problem if you go a bit deeper, but don't end up shallow!

I'm guessing that your friend won't need told this though.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm sure he will need to be told this, seeing as he would have never done this before. but he does have a drill press.

[cameltoe]

I don't follow you.

Do you mean a metal plate, recessed into the body, to act as the string ferrules?

I'm sure he could do this, but I'm not up for being a guinea pig!

Yeah he's a great fabricator and welder, with access to a load of tools.

[cameltoe]

I see!

That actually looks pretty cool. I'll see if he has any spare brass kicking around!

[cameltoe]

Can anyone point me in the direction of where to get a standard Fender fitment bridge that allows for string-through? Most of the ones I've seen on ebay don't look like they cater for it.

Cheers