Is my bridge/ trem in the wrong place?

[crabapple]

Hi guys, I recently picked up a cheap squier stratocaster as a base for modifying and practicing my "tech" skills.
When I got it I noticed that the strings were out of alignment with the neck- Usually an easy fix by loosening the neck bolts and realigning the neck.
The problem is that it won't stay in place and there's not really any room to maneuver in the neck pocket.
I did see that there was a lot of paint buildup in the pocket (pretty amateur refinish I think) so I sanded it out back to the wood, thinking that this would give me the wriggle room I needed..... nope!

The only thing I can think now is that the bridge has been installed wrong. It has been upgraded to a wilkinson trem and while there appears to be no evidence of any filling and re-drilling going on, I'm wondering if it's been placed wrong. There is a larger gap between the high e end of the bridge and the pickguard but.... the original pickguard was an 8 hole and a newer 11 hole one has been fitted... out of alignment i think so it's skewing my perception. I should probably add that it's pickups are HH configuration. the pickups are attached to the pickguard so I can't look at the pole pieces for alignment clues as if the pickguard is skewed then so are the pole pieces!

I have limited photos at the moment but feel free to request more specific photos if it will help with diagnostics!

Alignment at nut (apologies, I snapped the high E earlier)


Alignment at 12th fret. Notice how the strings don't line up with the fret inlays


Bridge/ pickup alignment (it's hard to see the gap either side of the bridge


This shows the dodgy pickguar mounting


If anyone has a nugget of information for me then I will forever be grateful!

Cheers,
Crabby

[zenguitar]

It does look like the best solution would be to remove the bridge, plug the screw holes properly, and then relocate the bridge so that the strings align properly to the neck. But that assumes that the rout for the trem has enough room. Beyond that it's difficult to come to any opinion from photos, this is the kind of thing that I would need to have on my bench to investigate in detail.

Andy

[crabapple]

It does look like the best solution would be to remove the bridge, plug the screw holes properly, and then relocate the bridge so that the strings align properly to the neck. But that assumes that the rout for the trem has enough room. Beyond that it's difficult to come to any opinion from photos, this is the kind of thing that I would need to have on my bench to investigate in detail.

Andy

Thanks for the input Andy, I knew it was a long shot going by the photos.
I should have mentioned actually that the inside of the trem cavity looks a bit skewed but it also looks as though it had a bit of routing done to accommodate a full sized block so it's hard to tell. I'd say the routing was well done though.
I've basically got the leftovers from someones modding project and unfortunately some of it is a hack job.
If I can't sort this easily I may part it out as it's had some good upgrades. I really love the neck- It's a 1997 squier affinity (before they turned them matchstick thin) and the profile is a soft v type profile. Much chunkier than the modern C profile I'm used to but it's so comfortable!

[Wonks]

It may be worth first trying to reposition the neck slightly (it's easier than filling and drilling). Easier with an assistant but simply loosen the four neck screws until the neck can just move, then pull sideways on the headstock (to the right if the top of the guitar is facing you with the headstock at the top [if this makes it worse, then it's to the left!] ).

If there's sufficient movement available in the neck pocket, you'll find that the strings should now run parallel with the neck. This may not work, but if it does, then tighten the neck screws whilst keeping the neck in this position (which it's why it's easier to have someone doing the neck pulling for you). If you're lucky, then the neck should stay in that position and hopefully everything is better aligned. If not, then it's back to the filling and drilling option.

[crabapple]

It may be worth first trying to reposition the neck slightly (it's easier than filling and drilling). Easier with an assistant but simply loosen the four neck screws until the neck can just move, then pull sideways on the headstock (to the right if the top of the guitar is facing you with the headstock at the top [if this makes it worse, then it's to the left!] ).

If there's sufficient movement available in the neck pocket, you'll find that the strings should now run parallel with the neck. This may not work, but if it does, then tighten the neck screws whilst keeping the neck in this position (which it's why it's easier to have someone doing the neck pulling for you). If you're lucky, then the neck should stay in that position and hopefully everything is better aligned. If not, then it's back to the filling and drilling option.

Thanks Wonks but I have already tried that. I said in my OP that the pocket was full of paint. I believed this to be the reason that I couldn't align the neck with the method you used. I actually lied when I said that I'd sanded it back to wood- It's almost there but I ran out of sandpaper
I'll tackle it once more and make sure I get nice wood on wood contact which may hold it in place.
I really don't want to go down the road of having to relocate the bridge. It's a shame because it's actually a nice sounding guitar for a squier

[4TrackMadman]

Is the Wilkinson installed at the right angle (paralel to neck)? It seems to be a little off...

[Dynamic Mike]

If you end up filling & drilling, enlarge the holes before you start plugging them & use a pillar drill. If you don't it's very easy to put a lot of effort in and end up back where you started.

An easier option might be to file off the right hand edge of the top E saddle & use a shim on the far left of the bottom string saddle. I'm sure Zen would have sleepless nights at the thought of such an amateur bodge, but if it's cheap & playable what's to lose?

[Wonks]

Just a thought but it may be easier to swap to a 2-post bridge. You may have to do some hole filling to start with, but the holes for the two posts will be larger than the existing screw holes, so you shouldn't end up with new screw holes that are part body wood and part filled wood.

[Studio Support Gnome]

issues i spotted

well it's hard to be sure given only a 5 string view…… but

yes, you could have a misalignment, but the OTHER possibility is that the string spacing on the bridge is wider than the original , and as such, it has been inappropriately fitted to the guitar in the first place……

I'd also opine that the string spacing at the nut is a tad too narrow ….

the combination of these could explain it all.

that said, neck misalignment is common….

the thing no one has mentioned is that it's usually necessary to shim the edge of the neck to the pocket side wall, to prevent the thing moving back to the out of alignment position….

and frankly, on cheap necks, the strings rarely align with the dots anyway

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

The only thing I can think now is that the bridge has been installed wrong. It has been upgraded to a wilkinson trem and while there appears to be no evidence of any filling and re-drilling going on, I'm wondering if it's been placed wrong.

Yes, it's not the original bridge so it's probably just the wrong spec for the Squier. MIght be easier just to replace it with a proper one that's made for the guitar's spec. I'm sure you can pick up a million Squier strat bridges on eBay.

[Wonks]

^^^
Very true. On a Fender bridge, the strings line up with the centre of the screws, whereas on this bridge, they are offset.

[crabapple]

Hi guys, sorry for the delay in replying, I've been busy moving house!
I've just got my hands on an actual affinity bridge for nothing so I'll wait until that arrives before deciding to go ahead with any major work.
I'll keep you posted with how it goes but thanks for the info!