Thinking about modding my Comanche Tribute..

[DanDoulogos]

A few weeks back I picked up a Will Ray pup for the bridge position, and haven't got around to dropping it in just yet. I was planning on doing that soon - maybe even this weekend, but I just came across an SRV signature Strat on ebay that reminded me of a mod I had been wanting to do (and had shelved) many years ago - the left-handed tremolo on a right handed guitar mod (similar to the SRV signature strat).

I know the G&L online store has 'em (ie. left handed G&L DF Vibratos) for just under one Benjamin (look at me, a Canadian, using slang American money lingo!), but I wondered if dropping a lefty in would require more work than just setting up the saddles etc.

Anyone ever do a mod like this?

I've neglected using a vibrato for just over 30 years now, so perhaps it's high time to see what all the fuss is about? I like the idea of having the vibrato above the strings (where there are no knobs), and (am I a sadist?) I kind of like having a guitar that would annoy other players to play...

Anyway - anyone here know if (other than setting up the saddles) a lefty will drop straight into a righty?

[Craig]

A few weeks back I picked up a Will Ray pup for the bridge position, and haven't got around to dropping it in just yet. I was planning on doing that soon - maybe even this weekend, but I just came across an SRV signature Strat on ebay that reminded me of a mod I had been wanting to do (and had shelved) many years ago - the left-handed tremolo on a right handed guitar mod (similar to the SRV signature strat).

I know the G&L online store has 'em (ie. left handed G&L DF Vibratos) for just under one Benjamin (look at me, a Canadian, using slang American money lingo!), but I wondered if dropping a lefty in would require more work than just setting up the saddles etc.

Anyone ever do a mod like this?

I've neglected using a vibrato for just over 30 years now, so perhaps it's high time to see what all the fuss is about? I like the idea of having the vibrato above the strings (where there are no knobs), and (am I a sadist?) I kind of like having a guitar that would annoy other players to play...

Anyway - anyone here know if (other than setting up the saddles) a lefty will drop straight into a righty?

No, sorry but the routing for a lefty is different than a righty. See the third body down, which is routed for a right-hand trem:


Hope this helps.

[JagInTheBag]

Both Jimi Hendrix and SRV used left handed vibrato bars. I use it on my Skyhawk because it is fitted for both. The handling dynamic is different, and the bar hangs across the saddles, to me this make it easier to rest by palm, grab the bar, and less intrusive to the control knobs. I prefer it.

1987 G&L Skyhawk by Patrick Krook, on Flickr

[DanDoulogos]

No, sorry but the routing for a lefty is different than a righty. See the third body down, which is routed for a right-hand trem:

Hope this helps.

That's what I was afraid of.

Both Jimi Hendrix and SRV used left handed vibrato bars. I use it on my Skyhawk because it is fitted for both. The handling dynamic is different, and the bar hangs across the saddles, to me this make it easier to rest by palm, grab the bar, and less intrusive to the control knobs. I prefer it.

I am pretty sure I'd prefer it too - and for all the reasons you've noted.

After seeing the bridge on your Skyhawk, I immediately checked the G&L online store to see if they had a bridge like that for sale - thinking, maybe if I routed out the other side I could drop something like that bridge in... but they didn't have any, and given it's a different bridge altogether, it probably doesn't have the same dimensions etc. even if I could find one.

Oh well, can't have everything.

Thanks guys.

[FZTNT]

Dan, if you want to rout the guitar to fit the double whammy vibrato, why not just rout it and put the left handed one in? Am I missing something here?

BTW, I actually have one of those double whammy bridges, actually called the Leo Fender Fine Tuner Pat. Pending Vibrato, (there's a mouthful), brand spanking new, shiny in a box and it's a work of art. It's amazing how heavy it is. They did used to sell them separately but have not for many years. I'm sure there are more out there, it's just like a lot of G&L obscurities, they surface eventually and if you are patient you can snag them.

Good luck with the project and like I said, any reason you couldn't rout the other side and use a left handed one. Of course that might leave a visible hole where the right handed rout for the trem boss was...

Tom

[Elwood]

You'll have to keep an eye out for late 80's examples,
they'll turn up on many models.
(...and often are priced much better than this Invader:
https://reverb.com/item/1990118-g-l-invader-1988-yellow )

I ended up liking the bottom position better, especially when the tensioner
is in the sweet spot. I like having the solid feel of the saddles under the palm.

[DanDoulogos]

@Tom - Yeah, the reason I wouldn't drop a lefty in there is because of, as you guessed, the hole for the boss on the bottom would be exposed. It would be interesting to know if the measurements for the Fine tuner bridge are similar enough to the DFV that I could (with just routing another boss hole) drop one in. But I don't hold a lot of hope out for that possibility -- I looked around at patent drawings and whatnot to see if I could find some measurements, but I couldn't not find any. It would be very promising if in fact the fine tuner p.p. bridge could be swapped in (avec boss hole), but that is probably very wishful thinking.

That said, it would make perfect sense, from a production perspective, to have all the floating bridges share the same cavities and measurements, with the sole exception being the placement of the boss holes for the tremolo arms. So it might be possible, but unless someone shows that this is the case, I'd be hard pressed to buy a fine tuner bridge to "see for myself". I just don't have that kind of money-to-curiosity ratio.

@Elwood - I'll do that.

[FZTNT]

@Tom - Yeah, the reason I wouldn't drop a lefty in there is because of, as you guessed, the hole for the boss on the bottom would be exposed. It would be interesting to know if the measurements for the Fine tuner bridge are similar enough to the DFV that I could (with just routing another boss hole) drop one in. But I don't hold a lot of hope out for that possibility -- I looked around at patent drawings and whatnot to see if I could find some measurements, but I couldn't not find any. It would be very promising if in fact the fine tuner p.p. bridge could be swapped in (avec boss hole), but that is probably very wishful thinking.

That said, it would make perfect sense, from a production perspective, to have all the floating bridges share the same cavities and measurements, with the sole exception being the placement of the boss holes for the tremolo arms. So it might be possible, but unless someone shows that this is the case, I'd be hard pressed to buy a fine tuner bridge to "see for myself". I just don't have that kind of money-to-curiosity ratio.

@Elwood - I'll do that.

Dan,

Without getting down to CAD drawings, what I will do for you is sometime this weekend I will hold my loose PP bridge up against a regular DF bridge and eyeball to see if the back of the bridge and the holes for the fulcrum screws line up. How close are the fulcrum screws to the bridge pickup on the Comanche? That may be the deal breaker too. Although if everything lines up on say my DF F-100 all should work for any other guitar with a regular DF bridge.

I'll let ya know.

Tom

[DanDoulogos]

Thanks Tom, until I get some deal-breaker info, I'll hold out some hope.

- Dan

[FZTNT]

Well Dan, it's not good news but will save your GAS money for better things. I compared my PPDF trem to a DVS on a Legacy and where the problem lies is in the length of the saddles, therefore the plate needs to be about a quarter inch longer on the PP trem. You could probably see this on the photo above posted by Jag. See the long skinny saddles. I'm not sure if there is a specific term for these but the regular saddles like what are on your Comanche are shorter.

Oh well, just buy a Leo era guitar with the PP bridge and you will be all set.

Tom

[DanDoulogos]

Well Dan, it's not good news but will save your GAS money for better things. I compared my PPDF trem to a DVS on a Legacy and where the problem lies is in the length of the saddles, therefore the plate needs to be about a quarter inch longer on the PP trem. You could probably see this on the photo above posted by Jag. See the long skinny saddles. I'm not sure if there is a specific term for these but the regular saddles like what are on your Comanche are shorter.

Oh well, just buy a Leo era guitar with the PP bridge and you will be all set.

Tom

Hey, thanks for checking that out for me anyway, a lot of guys wouldn't bother, and its great to be a part of a community that looks out for one another.

If the right Leo era guitar comes across my way, I will definitely pick it up. On my budget that's more realistic than a new custom order.

I'll content myself with the Will Ray pup, which I'll probably pop around Christmas - at which point I'll revive this tread and post pics.

[FZTNT]

No problem Dan, I'm glad to help the G&L community in any meek way that I can. You can find Leo era guitars with this bridge somewhat often. The problem is weather it's the guitar setup you want to begin with. If not, why bother. But, They tend to be in fairly good shape and therefore prices can be a bit high. Although, you can sometimes find one that's a bit beat up but still has plenty of play in it. Good luck hunting, I know it's probably not a big priority but that's when things pop up out of nowhere.

Tom

[DanDoulogos]

No problem Dan, I'm glad to help the G&L community in any meek way that I can. You can find Leo era guitars with this bridge somewhat often. The problem is weather it's the guitar setup you want to begin with. If not, why bother. But, They tend to be in fairly good shape and therefore prices can be a bit high. Although, you can sometimes find one that's a bit beat up but still has plenty of play in it. Good luck hunting, I know it's probably not a big priority but that's when things pop up out of nowhere.

Tom

Isn't that how it always works? The best deals seem to always come around when pockets are the most empty.

In any case, although I would have loved to drop a lefty DFV into my Comanche Tribute, not being hasn't provoked me enough to pursue another solution.

By the way, I loved how you set up your guitar with both vibrato arms... I smiled the first time I saw it and thought, Tom, you little stinker. That's just showing off now! But it did give me a good chuckle. I was going to mention it then, but I guess that got lost in an edit.

Thanks again Tom

[FZTNT]

Someone here asked my to put the two whammy's on it and I obliged. Aint nothin but a goof. I never did think about playing it with the bar in the upper boss like you want to. Maybe I'll try it one day.

Tom

[yowhatsshakin]

Someone here asked my to put the two whammy's on it and I obliged. Aint nothin but a goof. I never did think about playing it with the bar in the upper boss like you want to. Maybe I'll try it one day.

Tom

Tom,

For proper display, you should get a lefty arm to put into that other socket

- Jos

[FZTNT]

Someone here asked my to put the two whammy's on it and I obliged. Aint nothin but a goof. I never did think about playing it with the bar in the upper boss like you want to. Maybe I'll try it one day.

Tom

Tom,

For proper display, you should get a lefty arm to put into that other socket

- Jos

Now you're messing with me. Do they make a lefty Whammy bar?

Tom

[yowhatsshakin]

Someone here asked my to put the two whammy's on it and I obliged. Aint nothin but a goof. I never did think about playing it with the bar in the upper boss like you want to. Maybe I'll try it one day.

Tom

Tom,

For proper display, you should get a lefty arm to put into that other socket

- Jos

Now you're messing with me. Do they make a lefty Whammy bar?

Tom

Tom,

Go to this page in the G&L Online store for an early whammy bar (so with the correct imperial diameter) and select the Lefty option from the dropdown list.

- Jos

[FZTNT]

Ya know, that's funny! you would think they would actually make a left handed arm as it does have a slight compound bend. How this would effect playing, I don't know. But it should. I noticed that a left handed, gold plated arm is not offered.

Thanks for the laugh though!

Tom