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Just curious, how difficult would it be to convert a trem guitar to a fixed bridge? I have fairly good woodworking skills and the tools to go with it. Having said that I have always worked on a larger scale, i.e. furniture and stuff. I assume you would have to measure each part of the cavity, ( the top side where the trem sits and the bottom where the springs are located) cut the pieces of wood to fit then glue them in.

Has any of you done this type of work? If so can you give me any advise?

thanks in advance for the help.

Scott

You´re more or less on the right track... preferable is a matching tonewood (alder to alder, mahogany to mahogany and so forth....

The advice I would give is: DON'T! You'll probably ruin your guitar and spend endless hours doing it. I'd just get a new body if you like everything else about the guitar. Lew

I'm gonna have to side with Lew on this one. You could compromise by blocking the trem. This is done by putting a piece of alder (or whatever the body is made of) in the space between the back of the trem block and the body.

You're definately right about hacking up a guitar if it goes wrong. I was thinking of buying a body of e-bay, maybe an Ibanez, I own a fixed bridge Ibanez now and I like it fine. I wouldn't mind owning another one but most of them have trems. Seeing that you can buy a used rg body for cheap, I figured i'd buy one, convert to hard-tail and be done with it. Seeing as they're basswood though would I still want to go with a basswood insert? how difficult is basswood to work with? I know it's VERY soft. would another type of wood work or would it mess with tone / sustain?

A 'soft' hardwood, like Alder or Poplar will be fine. Good luck.

I have done this and have alot of experience doing this sort of thing along with alot of luthier skills to boot. I suggest that you do not do it for the reasons already stated!