Bridge to add a bit of twang to my Les Paul?

[Rex_Rocker]

My Les Paul sounds perfect. I love it.

But you guys know how I am. I love trying out new stuff. And if there's anything I'd change about my Les Paul is giving it a bit more spank when I beat on the strings, I'd love to give it a try. I understand that twang is more of a Fender thing, but I've heard Les Pauls do the Tele on steroids thing pretty well. And mine kinda does, but I'd love it to have a bit more high-mid bite rather than top-end airiness.

So what kind of bridge or bridge material should I be looking at? Aluminum? Brass? Titanium? Steel?

I was looking into this. What do y'all think?

I understand the bridge won't transform my Les Paul into a Tele, but I don't need it to. Like I said, I already love how it sounds. It's just the icing on the cake. Opinions?

 

[LRS]

I’d think the biggest difference you’d notice would be if you ‘d put a very low output humbucker in the bridge position, or even better, a humbucker sized P90, instead of tinkering with other bridges and tail pieces. But that’s’ just me.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[Seashore]

When I've replaced pot metal bridges with aluminum, I've noticed a little more high end afterwards, but I'd call it more of a "zing" than a "spank".

 

[GuitarDoc]

I'd think that a bucker-sized P-90 would do you better than changing the bridge material. But you say it sounds pretty good right now...what pup is currently in your LP?

 

[ICTGoober]

I think lighter strings and playing closer to the bridge will sound closer to a Tele than installing a new pickup.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Telecaster.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'd think that a bucker-sized P-90 would do you better than changing the bridge material. But you say it sounds pretty good right now...what pup is currently in your LP?

Fishman Fluence Classic.

 

[Mincer]

A stock Les Paul doesn't sound like a Tele on steroids at all. And if you love your LP, I don't suggest tinkering with it for the sake of it. If you change anything, it will change the sound you love. Learn some Tele-ish licks, and Tele-ize a different guitar.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Well, I'm not really trying to transform my Les Paul into a Tele. I'm just looking to change it up a 1-2%. If I wanted to change it more, I'd swap the pickups. But I love the sound of the pickups. And I thought it would be a good idea to start experimenting with bridge materials.

First time I ever noticed a change in tone by changing a bridge was with an Epi LP that I swapped the stock crappy Epi bridge to a Graphtech Resomax. That made a MASSIVE difference, but then, I did change the worst Tune-O I've ever tried to the best Tune-O I've ever tried.

I wonder what I should start with that's a bit more specialty, I guess? I notice a lot of praise for Faber, Muller, and Callaham.

I don't want to transform my Les Paul. I just want to see what new thing try in it that can perhaps help improve it even further because playing the same guitar over and over without making any changes to it over time, kinda makes it slightly boring after a while for me. But I do love that guitar.

 

[beaubrummels]

The common formula is aluminum tailpiece, steel tailpiece stud screws to anchor into the body, low wind pickups with offset coils. As far as the bridge itself, I've only swapped chrome saddles for nylon, but that goes the other way away from twangy.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The common formula is aluminum tailpiece, steel tailpiece stud screws to anchor into the body, low wind pickups with offset coils. As far as the bridge itself, I've only swapped chrome saddles for nylon, but that goes the other way away from twangy.

The stock tailpiece is already aluminum. It doesn't feel as nice or light as the Gotoh aluminum tailpiece that my Epi has right now, but it's not full-weight for sure. I have TonePros brass locking studs for the tailpiece. So I think the tailpiece is already decent, but I do think I might chage it for a Gotoh at some point but keep the lockign studs. They're locking and they're brass.

The bridge is the stock API bridge. I took a magnet to it, and it looks like it sticks to the posts, so I suspect those are steel. It doesn't stick to the bridge itself, so I suspect the bridge is aluminum since it's light, but I'm not sure about the saddles. It doesn't stick to the saddles either, but I'm not sure those are aluminum. I remember reading somewhere those are zinc? They certainly don't look brass from the little indents the strings made on them over time.

 

[Mincer]

Well, I'm not really trying to transform my Les Paul into a Tele. I'm just looking to change it up a 1-2%. If I wanted to change it more, I'd swap the pickups. But I love the sound of the pickups. And I thought it would be a good idea to start experimenting with bridge materials.

First time I ever noticed a change in tone by changing a bridge was with an Epi LP that I swapped the stock crappy Epi bridge to a Graphtech Resomax. That made a MASSIVE difference, but then, I did change the worst Tune-O I've ever tried to the best Tune-O I've ever tried.

I wonder what I should start with that's a bit more specialty, I guess? I notice a lot of praise for Faber, Muller, and Callaham.

I don't want to transform my Les Paul. I just want to see what new thing try in it that can perhaps help improve it even further because playing the same guitar over and over without making any changes to it over time, kinda makes it slightly boring after a while for me. But I do love that guitar.

For 1 or 2%, I'd get an EQ pedal.

 

[Securb]

I think it would be easier turning a Smart Car into a Ferrari than trying to get Tele tones out of a Les Paul

 

[Rex_Rocker]

You're misreading me, LOL. I don't want my Les Paul to sound like a Tele. I just want to know what bridge material is the twangiest. Not all guitars that twang are Teles. Nor do I need to completely transform my Les Paul. I just have some money to spend on trying new stuff out on my favorite guitar, and I think trying out new stuff and getting to know more stuff first hand is fun.

 

[Mincer]

Keep in mind that if you change the bridge material, it will most likely change the sound you love about your LP. So, ideally, come up with a solution that allows you to get both sounds easily. Perhaps a Triple Shot for parallel and 1 coil operation for the bridge pickup?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

It's Fishman Fluences, so no parallel, I'm afraid. I do have the option of selecting what coil I can split to, but I don't want to go THAT far into a Tele sound, LOL.

But honestly, I'm starting to realize the consensus is that bridge materials don't make all that much difference?

I'm not disagreeing. The only experience that I've had that suggested otherwise was when I switched the worst Tune-O I've tried to the best Tune-O I've tried, but that's an EXTREME case.

 

[JMP/HBE]

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Steel bridge will make a noticeable difference - Callaham offers a milled steel ABR-1, if you can catch one when they're in stock.

You might also consider trying titanium saddles; they're snappier than the usual nickel-plated brass.
One of my Faber bridges has the 'HyBridge' option: regular plated brass saddles under the plain strings and titanium under the wound ones.
It gives more snap & punch - not exactly twang but more of a piano attack on the low strings. I like the effect.

One easy (and free) experiment would be to try swapping the tailpieces between your Gibson and your Epi.
The stud threads are different but I believe the stud spacing should be the same, yes?

IMO brass tailpiece studs seem a little warmer while steel ones are a little brighter. It's subtle, but IMO perceptible in a guitar with responsive pickups.
I like Faber's locking steel studs myself; have installed them on two guitars and was happy with the result.

I know you're happy with the pickups you have so I'm not going to suggest changing them.
But it's only reasonable to point out that swapping pickups is likely the simplest change that'd make the biggest difference.

 

[orpheo]

A stock Les Paul doesn't sound like a Tele on steroids at all. And if you love your LP, I don't suggest tinkering with it for the sake of it. If you change anything, it will change the sound you love. Learn some Tele-ish licks, and Tele-ize a different guitar.

Disagree. If you have an LP made out of lightweight mahogany, with a maple cap from North America (the super-hard stuff), with paf pickups (low wind, low output), it's very reminiscent of a tele. I have tried a few dozen of those kind of LP's, from the 50s as well as modern replicas and they all give me tele-vibes, tonally, but with more balls (which I chalk up to the humbuckers plus shorter scale).

 

[orpheo]

From my experience, titanium is great to fatten up the tone, aluminium brightens it all up, brass is like a built-in booster, and steel adds more highs. Sometimes just swapping hardware brings you closer to the tone you have in your mind than changing pickups.