mounting the bridge

Peppe Platania

Hey there!
I was trying to learn gypsy jazz when I had the opportunity to buy a new Gitane 250M for something like 550€, and i thought it wasn't that much. However when the package arrived I noticed the bridge wasn't mounted on the guitar, also the mustaches weren't. Thus I had no idea what was the right position for the bridge. I mounted it roughly, seeking to set the action as I wanted it. There's a way to know if I did it right? how can I stick mustaches in a non-definitive way (so that I can change the position)? Do you suggest to bring the guitar to a lutist?
Sorry for the amount of questions I asked
thank you for your time

p.

juanderer

quick way: there should be some sort of indentation on the finish of the guitar from where the bridge was previously.

other way: measure the distance from the nut to the twelfth fret. The bridge should be at that same distance from the twelfth fret (in the opposite direction of the nut, obviously).

from there, you will probably need to play around with fine-adjusting your distances to get good intonation. once that is to your liking, you could set the mustache pieces.

or just avoid the guesswork and take it to a luthier that has experience with the type of guitar. it will be money well spent.

Peppe Platania

Thank you for answering
I didn't find any indentation, or at least I wasn't able to find them. Measuring the distance it should be quite correct, even if I'm not sure about the straightness of the bridge. Anyway I'm trying to contact a luthier but I don't if i can find a local luthier knowledgable about this particular kind of guitar.
Any suggestion on how I can stick the mustaches in a non permanent way?

t-bird

I bought a used 250m a few months ago as a project guitar. The intonation on mine is good and the apex of the bridge measures almost exactly 6.5" from the back of the plastic bump the tailpiece comes over.

First, watch this video from Bob Holo.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=q4AsILK_kH8

Next, starting at 6.5," move your bridge until the intonation is on, then attach the mustache pieces.

wim

As @juanderer mentioned, the 12th fret should be approximately the midpoint between the bridge and the nut. The position of the mustache ends is not always reliable.

So you can use the 12th-fret halfway measurement as a first guess, and then you should check intonation by ear [or, preferably, with an electronic tuner] to adjust for a more precise positioning. To expand on this point - you should be comparing the 12th fret natural harmonic with the 12th fret fretted pitch. These should be equal. And here the rule of the three F's is helpful: if the fretted note is flat, move the bridge forward^†.

Ideally they should be equal on every string, but many gypsy guitars just come with a straight bridge and it's not really possible to get it exactly right. You can always get them equal on both the high and low E's, then hope for the best on strings in-between.

It's advisable not to be a perfectionist with these guitars. If the setup is ok and you're tuned-up correctly, but you're still hearing some bad intonation, then the usual solution is just to play faster licks so there isn't enough time for it to bother the ears

^† forward = towards the neck

Bones

Sounds like you should take it to a luthier that knows how to set up selmac style guitars.