![]() ![]() I start the 6th string slot with the nut file and then open it out using a round needle file.Īlthough minimising wraps around the posts is generally the convention with locking tuners, there is insufficient break angle with the baritone neck. Here I have to use the 6th string file for the 5th string, the 5th for the 4th and so on. ![]() That said, a regular 6th string nut file won’t be wide enough for the baritone’s 0.062-gauge string. Unless, of course, you already own a set, or you plan to swap necks on a fairly regular basis and can justify the expense and the time needed to learn how to do it. ![]() Nut files and a round needle file are used to slot the nut and a string tree is needed for the top strings Setting upĪ set of nut files can be expensive so it might be more cost-effective to delegate this part of the conversion to a tech. Swapping to a set of modern block-style saddles with screw holes that pass through the full depth of the saddle solves the problem, but I still have to raid my parts box for 3/8” screws for the two centre saddles. This is particularly apparent on the third and fourth string. When the action is jacked up as high as it needs to be, the height adjustment screws are barely inside the holes and are extremely unstable. The problem with vintage-style saddles is extremely shallow grub screw holes. This reveals an unexpected issue – the saddles all need to be raised to achieve a useable action and allow for the greater string movement that occurs with heavy string gauges in lower tunings at this scale length. The pre-installed nut on the neck has shallow guide notches for the strings, so I capo the strings at the first fret to roughly set the saddle heights. Vintage-style saddles are unsuitable for this conversion because they don’t provide sufficient support for the height-adjustment screws when set to the higher action a baritone requires Saddle sore Here I use a mahogany offcut and, once it’s in position, I loosen off each the claw springs a couple of turns before screwing the neck onto the body. It should be a fairly tight fit, but not so tight that it can’t be tapped into place quite easily. A block of mahogany of the correct thickness is tapped into the space between the bridge block and the body to disable the vibrato I then use digital callipers to measure the gap between the block and the body so I can cut and sand a wood block to the required thickness. My method is to crank the claw screws until the bridge plate is flat to the body, which is quite easy with no strings on the guitar. Though it’s a shame not to have use of the whammy bar, he also feels that the tuning is likely to be more stable this way. Despite the increased scale length, the guitar’s owner is concerned that it may be difficult to get the lowest strings to intonate accurately. The idea is to bring the bridge plate flat to the body so the saddles can be adjusted as far back as possible. Two of the ‘F’ badges on this set also need to be glued back on Blocking off The baritone neck comes pre-drilled for Fender locking tuners and their locating pins. Finger tight is fine because if you over-tighten, you’ll end up making circular indentations on the headstock from the washers. I use my Music Nomad multitool’s 10mm socket and because the tool is nylon, it leaves the metal plating unscratched. The bushings screw down onto the tuner housings to clasp the whole assembly together. They’re a tight fit too, so they all stay in place when I flip the neck over. ![]() They press into the holes and I just need to align the pins with the pin holes. Installing these tuners is about as easy as it gets. After marking the hole depth with blue tape and applying wax to the screw threads, the screw holes are tapped before fixing the neck to the body Tuner installation To ease the process, I apply wax to the screw threads before tapping the holes, and the low-torque setting ensures the screws stop turning once they reach the full depth of the pilot holes. I drive the screws into the pre-drilled holes using an electric screwdriver on a very low torque setting. To ensure everything will screw back together without drama, I remove the neck and mark the hole depth on the screw threads using masking tape. This confirms that everything lines up and the pilot holes have sufficient depth. With the neck in situ, I use a length of string to check the screw hole positions. The neck comes with six pre-drilled screw holes and they line up with very nicely with the screw holes in the body Happily, the neck has six pre-drilled screw holes that are designed to align with various screw layouts. It’s very tight in the pocket, but I’m relieved to discover that it presses home with no damage to finish and no risky modifications will be necessary. ![]()
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