New Bridge/Tailpiece for LP

[FourT6and2]

Looking to replace the bridge in an LP Custom. The saddles are notched incorrectly. Bridge is stock. I guess I could just replace the saddles. But with what kind? Brass? Titanium? Steel? I could also replace the whole bridge and/or tailpiece as well. I like the idea of locking ones. Tone pros? Faber? Callaham? I have Tone Pros on one of my guitars. I'm pretty happy with the stuff I guess. I don't think I noticed any real tone change. But I like having everything locked down.

Stick with a Nashville bridge or convert to ABR?

Too many choices.

And tailpieces: stock, aluminum, steel?

I don't want the guitar to get brighter, necessarily. I just want to use high-quality hardware. The stock pot metal Gibson stuff isn't the best to begin with. So I guess I might just go with Tone Pros unless there's a real benefit to the others.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Check out Faber ABR's. I have a couple of them and went with raw brass saddles. I had a Nashville on my Trad + and they have conversion kits and inserts I went with the ABRL which is locking. I have a Callaham Steel TP on my trad as well. Stock TP on my historics. My BB7 is stock ABR and my R7 has a Faber non locking ABR-1
http://www.faberusa.com/

 

[FourT6and2]

Would an ABR on a Custom be weird?

And looks like I have three options with Faber:

1. ABR bridge that fits on the stock Nashville posts.
2. Insert kit that replaces the stock bushings and posts. But still only works for Nashville bridges or the Faber ABR bridge that fits on Nashville studs.
3. Replacement thumb wheel posts that use the stock bushing. But still only works for Nashville bridges or the Faber ABR bridge that fits on Nashville studs.

Seems like the simplest is number 1, because it's just a bridge replacement. But do I want/need an ABR? that's the main question. And do I want just a replacement bridge or to also replace the bushings/posts?

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Nope, vintage LPC's have ABR's as well the re-issues. It is the other way around for some people, Nashvile;s look weird

57 RI 3 PU LPC and it is far from looking weird to my eyes

 

[FourT6and2]

Too many options out there. Tone Pros also has a conversion ABR bridge that fits on Nashville studs, just like Faber. Only it locks and the Faber doesn't. Both seem to be made from the same material (Zinc, just like the stock Gibson bridge).

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Too many options out there. Tone Pros also has a conversion ABR bridge that fits on Nashville studs, just like Faber. Only it locks and the Faber doesn't. Both seem to be made from the same material (Zinc, just like the stock Gibson bridge).

incorrect dude. Did you bother hitting the Faber link? ABRL from Faber is a Locking bridge, they also have ToneLock TP studs that lock the TP so its cool string change without parts falling off the guitar . You pick saddle materials...I have unfinished brass

 

[FourT6and2]

Too many options out there. Tone Pros also has a conversion ABR bridge that fits on Nashville studs, just like Faber. Only it locks and the Faber doesn't. Both seem to be made from the same material (Zinc, just like the stock Gibson bridge).

incorrect dude. Did you bother hitting the Faber link? ABRL from Faber is a Locking bridge, they also have ToneLock TP studs that lock the TP so its cool string change without parts falling off the guitar . You pick saddle materials...I have unfinished brass

Yeah, I looked at all the Faber products.

The ABRL requires conversion posts/bushings. It will not work on a Nashville-equipped guitar without changing the bushings and/or studs. That's not a huge thing. But the ABRN is a simple drop-in. But it doesn't lock. My main question is: beyond the locking feature of either brand, what is the difference? Same materials. Same ABR-style bridge. I'm talking about the Faber ABRN vs Tone Pros AVR2.

I guess I could go with the ABRL and conversion studs as well. But that's an added cost over the Tone Pros AVR2, which is locking and doesn't require additional parts to work.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

yeah but the saddles are not zamak, you can pick brass nylon, titanium etc.

On the one pictured above its the locking version. I first did the conversion post only...several months later they supplied a to tool to remove existing Nashville inserts/bushings which I did and it made a noticeable difference, almost as much of a difference from when I replaced the Nash to ABR.

Whatever rout you go with seriously consider going with locking myself...the bridge stays on the guitar and wont fall off while you string change so you don't have to dick with finding the right height each ans every time you change your strings. I keep my R7 and BB7 non-locking as I like the historics to look right and locking ABR wasn't around in 1957

 

[FourT6and2]

yeah but the saddles are not zamak, you can pick brass nylon, titanium etc.

On the one pictured above its the locking version. I first did the conversion post only...several months later they supplied a to tool to remove existing Nashville inserts/bushings which I did and it made a noticeable difference, almost as much of a difference from when I replaced the Nash to ABR.

Whatever rout you go with seriously consider going with locking myself...the bridge stays on the guitar and wont fall off while you string change so you don't have to dick with finding the right height each ans every time you change your strings. I keep my R7 and BB7 non-locking as I like the historics to look right and locking ABR wasn't around in 1957

Well either way I'd go with the standard brass, nickel-plated saddles. I'm not looking for a huge change in tone here. Got a new (used) LP and the saddles are shot. I was going to just replace the saddles with new ones. But figured I'd try an ABR bridge for the hell of it because none of my LPs have ever had one. I've read the Callaham bridge is nicer because it's cut from a solid block of steel, rather than cast from zinc like the Faber and Tone Pros. But I've also read that it's much much brighter. So I'm going to pass on that one for the time being.

Can you elaborate on the differences you heard from just the conversion studs and then the bridge, compared to the bridge you had on originally?

I have the locking Nashville bridge from Tone Pros on one of my LPs. Another LP is all stock. And this new one is getting an ABR. That way I can sort of compare everything.

 

[FourT6and2]

Ok, I went with the locking Faber bridge and the N studs (not the insert ones), the ones that just screw into the stock bushing. I wanted to make sure that if I don't like it, it would be easy to remove. The insert bushings seem like they would take a special tool to get out of the guitar.

 

[bananaladonpcp]

resomax bridge with graph tech saddles are in my LP Standard. Also have the resomax tail piece. Pretty different approach than what is typically used. They are super light but have resonate properties. I think they are really great. The LP has alot more.... dick... with that bridge and tail piece than the stock tone pro.