Les Paul modification advice

[mniel8195]

Hey guys. I have a 2019 les paul standard I have decided to keep. I am making some modification to the guitar so it suits me better. I am installing Gotoh mag lock vintage tuners on the guitar as well as BKP rebel yell pickups. The only two things I don't care for on the guitar are the small frets and the Nashville style bridge. I like to have the tail piece as low as possible. This means having to top wrap 10-46 gauge strings. After trying 11's the guitar I prefer the sound and size of the 10's. Is there a bridge replacement that would allow me to string it up normally without the high strings pressing against the back of the bridge? I have to have the tail piece pretty high for them not to touch.

Also do you think it is worth re fretting or should I wait until I wear the stock frets down?

 

[Findthetone1]

If top wrapping bothers you, look at the Faber stuff. They come with 3 different size bushings for the tail piece. I personally like top wrapping but also have A Bacchus LP Custom that I put Faber hardware on and its great without top wrapping. As for the fret size, only you can make that call. If the tone and feel of the guitar are for you then maybe it's worth it. It'd be a good reason to go stainless if you like them.

 

[mniel8195]

If top wrapping bothers you, look at the Faber stuff. They come with 3 different size bushings for the tail piece. I personally like top wrapping but also have A Bacchus LP Custom that I put Faber hardware on and its great without top wrapping. As for the fret size, only you can make that call. If the tone and feel of the guitar are for you then maybe it's worth it. It'd be a good reason to go stainless if you like them.

Op wrapping doesn’t bother me I just was not sure if your suppose to do it with 10 gauge strings. I e typically seen it done with heavier strings.

 

[Findthetone1]

If top wrapping bothers you, look at the Faber stuff. They come with 3 different size bushings for the tail piece. I personally like top wrapping but also have A Bacchus LP Custom that I put Faber hardware on and its great without top wrapping. As for the fret size, only you can make that call. If the tone and feel of the guitar are for you then maybe it's worth it. It'd be a good reason to go stainless if you like them.

Op wrapping doesn’t bother me I just was not sure if your suppose to do it with 10 gauge strings. I e typically seen it done with heavier strings.

Nah, you're good to go with 10s. My gold top has been top wrapped with 10s for about 15 years and I've never had an issue with strings jumping out of the saddles, breaking or tuning issues. You will start to get notches cut into the back of the tail piece eventually but they are cheap enough if you ever need to replace it. If you don't know the top wrapping trick, cut the ball ends off old strings and run the new strings through with the ball end as a spacer in the front of the tail piece. It keeps the wrapped end inside the tail piece.

 

[fek]

I top wrap all my LP's with 10's. No worries there.

Just had a fret dressing on my 2009 LP and because the cowboy chord area had some pretty big dings in the frets, they took off more than I would have liked. If it didn't play so incredibly easy now, I would be looking for a refret myself. Going to give it a go and get used to it for now but will be looking into who does the best stainless fret work probably within about a year or so and send it off.

 

[rottingcorpse]

I know a guy who has had several Les Pauls refretted with jumbo stainless steel frets(new nut,bridge etc). IMO they kick all sorts of ass. He uses big strings and tunes down a whole step(as do I). Great big tone out of those guitars. They just pound sound and ring out hard. Seriously like totally different animals than any Pauls I have ever played or heard. Purists on the internet bash him for it,but I can tell you for certain if I was gonna do up a Paul,I would do what he did.

 

[fek]

I know a guy who has had several Les Pauls refretted with jumbo stainless steel frets(new nut,bridge etc). IMO they kick all sorts of ass. He uses big strings and tunes down a whole step(as do I). Great big tone out of those guitars. They just pound sound and ring out hard. Seriously like totally different animals than any Pauls I have ever played or heard. Purists on the internet bash him for it,but I can tell you for certain if I was gonna do up a Paul,I would do what he did.

Yeah my 2009 is a go to the grave guitar and I don't want to have to refret it again so stainless it is. Just need to remember who the master is at doing the work. Have heard of one name that gets the nod more than others but would need to do a search to find it.

 

[BackCrack]

Nashville bridges are wider than the ABR1, so the tailpiece has to be top-wrapped to maintain a shallower string break angle if it's being screwed all the down. There's a couple options that I know of to eliminate top-wrapping and keep the steep string break angle: (1) Replace the Nashville with an ABR1 by using conversion posts; (2) use a conversion bridge like Faber's ABRN.

 

[CEG85]

An ABR-1 style replacement bridge would be the best option.
Being narrower then a Nashville bridge (which allows for better string clearance) they have slightly less intonation range.
Just make sure its a drop in replacement for Gibsons equipped with Nashville bridge posts.

 

[thenine]

If you don't know the top wrapping trick, cut the ball ends off old strings and run the new strings through with the ball end as a spacer in the front of the tail piece. It keeps the wrapped end inside the tail piece.

Oh my! Have not heard of this! How interesting!

 

[reilly]

I can’t speak on wrapping the strings over the bridge but the Faber stop tail and bridge are great, i added them to my 2019 standard.

Originally put dimarzio Paf Masterbuilds in but just switched to a Super Distortion and Paf 36th Anniversary.

 

[Findthetone1]

If you don't know the top wrapping trick, cut the ball ends off old strings and run the new strings through with the ball end as a spacer in the front of the tail piece. It keeps the wrapped end inside the tail piece.

Oh my! Have not heard of this! How interesting!

Yep. Works great. Just have to remember to save to ball ends. Wish I could remember where I learned it so I could give proper credit. Probably from the MyLesPaul forum. Absolutely the best source for Les Paul info.

 

[stratjacket]

So is that just for aesthetic purposes or is there some other benefit?

 

[SpiderWars]

I used a Dremel and cut grooves in two Nashvilles pretty much just like that Faber above (I've never seen those until now). I've since sold both of those guitars and wish I would have kept those Nashvilles but I didn't have anything to swap it with. It's not hard at all you just need the right bit (it was a cylindrical metal cutting bit, they make a few sizes) and a good vise to hold the bridge.

Regarding top-wrapping, that's a personal preference. It sounds different and it feels different and your vibrato will be ever so slightly less extreme. For me it's a definite no but some guys love it.

 

[SpiderWars]

Found a pic, you have to zoom in, you'd prob never know until you changed strings that I had taken a Dremel to it.

 

[mniel8195]

I think I am going to stick with the Nashville and top wrap. I can always pickup a new bridge later. As far as the frets I have not made that decision yet.

 

[bionicmark]

The best bridges and tailpieces out there.

https://abm-guitarpartsshop.com/ABM-GUI ... anguage=en

Best tuners...which style is up to you. make sure you get 14:1 ratio not THE 18:1 ratio unless you like winding the tuner for 20 minutes to tune one string.

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... stone-knob

Wind your strings like this and it'll never go out of tune. Fast forward to the 1:53 mark:

https://youtu.be/Uo5eCWQAXSA

Also.. if you have competent luthier, get yourself a true bone nut. That LP will have all the tone and never go out of tune.

Best of luck!

 

[Purpleibby]

Shit I top wrap and I don't have problems like you mentioned...I like it set up that way/preferred setup!....Plays slinkier! Top wrapping FTW!