Byrdland Elitist Playability

[bohemian]

I have owned my Elitist Byrdland for about 7 months. I really like this guitar.

Quality is the highest, fit finish fantastic however..

I can not play it well.. and today after months of owning it.. I have finally figured out why.

 

I am primarily a fingerpicker, some pick use playing rhythm. I can easily play my Gretsch Pearl Jet or my Godin or my Gibson wm-45 and a few others.. no problem.. but the Byrdland.. I am clumsy and sloppy and inarticulate and it is not fun to play.

 

The why...

The string spacing at the nut is my acceptable lower limit of 1 11/16ths, I prefer 1 3/4 or wider... but the string spacing at the bridge is 2 inches.. all my other electrics are 2 1/8th and my acoustics 2 3/16ths to 2 5/16ths...

I simply can't get my fingers in between the strings. I am to a point where I do not play it and close to offing it... my last option would be replacing the bridge.

 

I really like stock instruments and try to keep them that way. So a replacement bridge would need to be something that looks appropriate, if not an original look. I am wondering if the Broadway Elitist bridge is wider or where I might source something with at least 2 1/8th that would be a slip in slip out unit; not affect the look and improve playability.

Would it be possible to replace only the top metal portion ?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I would prefer to keep it.

 

Thanks

[SamBooka]

You dont have to replace all the top part (we call it a tune-o-matic or TOM). You can set the spacing yourself. Here is how

 

http://dmiemail.stewmac.com/t/666604/114822748/4010219/0/

 

The spacing on my ES165 is pretty generic. I think that is typical of a mass produced guitar. I just changed the TOM for an ebony bridge and TP and not only does the spacing work better for my feeble atkins attempts, I like the tone more.. more of a richer darker JoePass-Virutoso tone.

[StreakyPete]

You can set the spacing yourself. Here is how

 

http://dmiemail.stewmac.com/t/666604/114822748/4010219/0/

 

 

 

Excellent site!

Saved in favourites

[smips65]

 

Yeah that 23 1/2" scale on those can be real problematic. I've played 3, and could not get a decent chord at the nut.

I have breakfast sausage fingers, so all my gits have the larger scale.

 

I hope that tweaking the TOM works for you.

 

Might try letting picking nails grow out a little more, so you don't have to go with fingertips so much.

[SamBooka]

One thing they dont mention (and I dont like) is how to set the outside strings. They say align it to the outside of the polepieces but that is a HUGE area. Here is what I do (inspired by Robert Benedettos book).

 

1) At the nut measure from the edge of the fingerboard to the outside edge of the string. It should be 1/8"... lets assume it is.

 

2) With the E strings "not tight" .. that is with some tension but not tuned to pitch get the stings roughly in the right place. Do the same measurement as 1) but at the last fret. Bob recommends 5/32nds. Who am I to argue? So basically by the time you get from the first fret to the last (21st?) fret you shoudl be 1/32nd further from the edge of the fingerboard.

 

3) Who am I to argue? I am me. Because of the way I fret I actually run 5/32s at 21st fret but 4/32nds (i.e. 1/8) on the bass string because I know when I fret those strings I pull them in a hair towards center. I dont worry about them falling off the edge of the fingerboard. That DOES happen if I am too close to the edge on the treble strings.

 

 

Hope this helps. I had a hard time finding this info until I read Roberts books.

[SamBooka]

Oh.. and another thing. You dont need a stewmac ruler to set the spacing. Dial calipers are all you need (and a little trial and error)

 

Get all the strings with some tension (again.. tension.. but not tuned to pitch). I set my caliper at some arbitrary number .25" for example. And set the spacing for the e and b string by moving the b string. Next, b and g by moving the g string. Go on until the a and e string. Since you cant move the E string you look at it like this:

 

If after all the strings are done the gap between E and A is BIGGER than .25, try it again with .26" Still too big? Try .027

If after all the strings are done the gap between E and A is LESS than .25 try .24 .. or .23.

 

 

This works REALLY well for me. I have tried in a several guitars and think it is great.

 

Final note: I spent most of my life playing fenders. They dont have compenstated string spacing. I never lost an eye, or a finger, or killed anyone. Spacing is VERY subjective, some people notice, some people dont. Take my advice at the price you paid for it

[SamBooka]

Ok.. so I am doing the spacing for the TOM on my EmpReg.

It is a a Gotoh from Stewmac and already has grooves GRRRRRRRRRR.... Anyway. Here is Exactly what I did. Not quite the way I usually do it but worked out VERY well.

 

Get the bridge centered and in place.

 

Using a caliper I set it to 5/32 and lock it in place.

 

I move the high E string to 5/32 from the edge of the fingerboard at the last fret.

 

Mark the location on the bridge and cut a VERY shalllow groove to temp hold the string.

 

Move the low E string to 5/32 from the edge of the fingerboard. This is the distance from the outside edge of the FB to the outside edge of the low E. A digital caliper has a useful little tang that sticks out. That is what I use. Again put a groove for the low E string.

 

Look at the E strings placements. All good? Excellent.

 

Measure the distance from the INSIDE edge of the low E to the INSIDE edge of the High E. In my example it was 2.101 inches.

 

Add together the diameters of the B,G,D,A strings. .018 + .021 +.031 +.041 = .111

 

subtract .111 from 2.1 => 1.99

 

Divide 1.99 by 5 (5 is the number of spaces between the strings) = .398

 

I dial this number into my calipers and lock them in place. I then set the spacing for the B , then A , D and G. At the end, if you did it right the distance between D and G should be .398 (or whatever your number is)