Session 2 string misalignment!

Finally sourced a Session 2 which has been at the top of my wish list for a long time. 
The guitar arrived in great shape and looks and plays fantastic. 
On setting it up, tuning, intonation etc noticed that the strings do not run true from the tail piece to the bridge which after a short tome while playing actually makes the bridge move downwards pulling the guitar out of tune and edging the treble E string close to the edge of he fret board. I have readjusted this a few times now but it continues to slip down. It looks on closer inspection that the tail piece has either been attached off true or it has become distorted. 
I have considered removing the strings and trying to gently bend the tail piece in to the correct position. I have read that these tail pieces are rather fragile and would like your collective opinions on this situation before attempting this.

Thanks in advance.

Fraser

Fraser

If the bridge is slipping, smear a little silicone sealer on the underside, let it cure and put it back on. It adds a bit of friction to stop the bridge moving.

Graham

Firstly I'd lap the feet of the bridge to the body.
Might have high spots which won't help.
Also I'd do this anyway.



A little double sided tape will also help hold it.

It sounds like it's askew though. Just reposition the tailpiece, easy enough... 

Need close up pics. The silicone glue idea doesn't get to the root cause and bedding in the bridge will probably make it slide more.
Heres what mine looks like:-

grogg wrote:and bedding in the bridge will probably make it slide more.

Rubbish, give me one good reason why?

Double sided tape is all I do. No muss, no fuss, no slipping.

Thanks for all the advice chaps. I went with the double sided tape option as it was a quick and risk free fix and its done the job.
I did try to gently bend the tail piece into the correct position but its made of springy metal which retains it original shape. 
It looks as though this has been slightly miss aligned from new. The base plate with the three fixing screws is positioned dead center so I guess its the wire and bar arrangement that's off center.
Once again thanks for a speedy response to my inquiry and all have a very merry Christmas and hangover free New Year.

Just a quick thought Fraser. The bridge should probably sit at an angle with the bass side behind the treble side as it were. This would reduce the overall E to E distance and may overcome the problem if any still exists.

Hoax

Good thinking Graham but on trawling through as many photos of this guitar that I can find the bridge looks parallel to the end of the fret board and the pickups so I am still of the opinion that the tail piece is some how off plumb! Incidentally the bridge on mine looks different to the others I have seen in that each saddle is adjustable with a threaded roller for intonation adjustment. Others looked fixed. Its an 84 model. 
Just been playing it again and everything is rock solid so apart from the string angle from the tail piece to the bridge looking slightly off all is well.
Jazz on bro's.................

Fraser

I play jazz on a Spectrum SP1012.... with a judicious use of EQ, sounds just like a big box guitar!   

corsair wrote:I play jazz on a Spectrum SP1012...

 

Hey, if Canadian jazz guitarist Ed Bickert can play jazz on a Telecaster anything's possible eh?

Westbone wrote:

grogg wrote:and bedding in the bridge will probably make it slide more.

Rubbish, give me one good reason why?

Should have read might rather than probably, I agree with you that bedding in the bridge is a must for tonal quality.
I really don't like the idea of putting something between the bridge and the body eg tape for the same reason, unless of course theres no other cure.

north-west-one wrote:Good thinking Graham but on trawling through as many photos of this guitar that I can find the bridge looks parallel to the end of the fret board and the pickups so I am still of the opinion that the tail piece is some how off plumb! Incidentally the bridge on mine looks different to the others I have seen in that each saddle is adjustable with a threaded roller for intonation adjustment. Others looked fixed. Its an 84 model. 
Just been playing it again and everything is rock solid so apart from the string angle from the tail piece to the bridge looking slightly off all is well.
Jazz on bro's.................

Fraser

Mine is more or less parallel and each saddle has its own intonation adjustment.

Bet your roller bridge is 52mm string  spacing?

The original is 50mm.

Heres the string spacing and bridge:-

This guitar was setup by a luthier in London, all Ive done is buy and play. As can be seen there is a slight lengthening of string on the low E side of the bridge so its not quite square to the pup which is in line with what Hoax suggested.

i think the slight angle to the bridge is for proper intonation, rather than string spacing.

It is Mike, but it will slightly affect string spacing. I have to say that I am with Grogg on the use of double sided tape as the stuff I have come across is glue in a foam sandwich. You are effectively placing a mild damper under your bridge.

As with most things, we all have our own opinions and we use whichever fix suits us.

Hoax

Setting the intonation on the bridge will not effect your string spacing, come on now!

What you on about .000001mm... 

Westbone wrote:Setting the intonation on the bridge will not effect your string spacing, come on now!

What you on about .000001mm... 

Slanting your bridge will - Remember that old Pythagoras guy.

Hoax

Yeah, like make it parallel to the neck.. 

Westbone wrote:Yeah, like make it parallel to the neck.. 

Exactly - When it is parallel to the neck, your string spacing is approximately zero, give or take a gnats chuff!!

Hoax 

Anyway to get back on a serious note.

Having a slightly tilted bridge will make no difference to your string spacing not even a gnats cock in real terms.

A 52mm string spaced bridge with a slightly offset tailpiece will exaggerate any problems.

That's if it is 52mm??? north-west-one.

Here's a slightly askew tailpiece. It does not, on this particular guitar, make any difference. The bridge spacing is 50mm

Cant find anything to measure in gnats chuffs or gnats cocks! but using the baw hair scale of measurement (which incidentally is the equivalent to mm) this bridge measures 52 baw hairs from E to E string.
Its interesting to see that Westbone's Session 2 tail piece is also off center just like mine. Could this be a deliberate offset for some reason. It still influences the bridge to migrate downwards during play which inturn throws the tuning out and places the treble E string too close to the fret board edge. 
I guess I will just stick with the double sided tape which does the job and doesn't seem to affect the tone noticeably.

Fraser

I remember convincing a Polish Civil Engineer years ago that the bawhair was a legitimate Scottish unit of measurement.  Oh how we laughed at that site meeting.

Can always buy a replacement...  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281224209838?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Now that did make me go