Does a two-point bridge stay in tune better?

[jeremy]

i dont disagree in general, i was referring to the prs in the quote. fender and gibson both do some silly things for big $$$$$ but they are big legacy companies. the poorly designed gibson headstock is iconic. there are epi models that have much better string angles but people want the gibby headstock

 

[fretburner]

I was actually thinking about the 3x3 string angles on most Gibsons. Doesn't matter how high end the guitar is, the G string won't stay in tune as well as on other guitars because of that design choice. There are ways to mitigate the problem, but it's fundamentally a poor design, kept only for tradition.

I never had tuning issues with all my Les Pauls. The only thing I would recommend Gibson do as a "design/engineering" change to their 3x3 design, are higher gear ratios for their Kluson tuners. But even with the "traditional" 14:1, I never had issues with staying in tune.

 

[jeremy]

the angles on the g & d strings out of the nut arent great but it is what it is

 

[Chistopher]

The g string on Gibsons sure gets picked on a lot for how rare the problem is. Across all the Gibsons and Epiphones I've played with the "bad" headstock design, I haven't particularly had any issues with it excepting the case of instruments that were poorly made regardless of the headstock design.

 

[Ascension]

One guy on another forum said a two-point bridge (Fender) does not stay in tune any better than a properly set up vintage six-point bridge.
What do you guys think?

With the right 2 post they have a smoother feel and hold tune better in my experience. My favorite 2 post right now is the Ghoto 510. Holds tune with a good set of locking tuners as a Floyd will.
Set up and having a straight string pull to the tuners is key to any non locking trim staying in tune. Have had good luck with some 6 screw systems like the US PRS Mann trem. However the 2 post Ghoto 510 on my new Kiesel Delos has now spoiled me with how smooth and articulate it is.

 

[Ascension]

I was told that the Gotoh 510 is even better than the Wilk.

Have both systems on guitars. The 510 is in a whole other class from 100. Like both but the 510 is a vastly superior system by far to the 100 in both feel and stability.

 

[fretburner]

Have both systems on guitars. The 510 is in a whole other class from 100. Like both but the 510 is a vastly superior system by far to the 100 in both feel and stability.

Wow. That big a difference eh? Here I was thinking a Wilkinson VS100 paired with a Graphtec nut was the best aftermarket system there is.

I almost scored a used 510, but the seller backed out at the last minute. I hope to purchase one soon...

 

[fretburner]

the angles on the g & d strings out of the nut arent great but it is what it is

I think for as long as the nut is properly cut, and while it's not an ideal angle, it still works as it should and stays in tune -- I only replaced 2 LP nuts with Graphtec (I'm a big fan), but there rest are the stock Corian and 1 with Nylon (traditional, but I later sold when I got an LPC).

I wonder how the Joe Perry signature with Wilkinson holds its tuning?

 

[jeremy]

ive played bigsby gibsons that have stayed in tune just fine though some did need a quick pull back of the trem to get things where they should be. i agree as long as there is a well cut nut, it shouldnt be much of an issue but after some heavy bending, ya never know

 

[Ascension]

Wow. That big a difference eh? Here I was thinking a Wilkinson VS100 paired with a Graphtec nut was the best aftermarket system there is.

I almost scored a used 510, but the seller backed out at the last minute. I hope to purchase one soon...

Have Wilkerson 100's on 3 of my mid 90's USA built Chicago Custom Washburns and like the system. However this 510 on my new Kiesel Delos is at a whole other level. It's much smoother and more precise and very noticeably so. Really impressed with the 510!

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I find the mount, whether two or six, is not related to tuning at all. There are two point systems made out of cheap metal where the blade of the bridge wears and it affects the position and stability of the bridge system as a whole. A six point system (traditional Fender) can stay in tune fine if the saddles are set up right and the nut is cut right and the string is wrapped/tied/set in the tuning post correctly/well. EVH did their first album with a normal Fender-style bridge on his vibrato guitar. He 'abused' it and it returned to zero and sounded in tune just fine.

So one guy on the whole internet says something, and you just believe him?

I've been doing this for 45 years, and there is no hard and fast rule for anything having to do with guitar. It depends on the condition of the instrument, how well it was setup, and how the player uses it. Almost anything can be made to work well.

Never forget - the first 3 Van Halen albums were recorded before the Floyd Rose ever existed.

I don't think Eddie was using them yet but the Floyd Rose existed and was already a known thing in '78.
I got my first one in early '79; Floyd was still making them himself at that point but the patent was already pending.

Speaking of which, I knew there'd been a patent lawsuit over the Kahler but didn't realize Rose won a judgement of more than $100 million!
How did I never hear about that? Of course there was no Internet yet. Plus I was gigging six and seven nights a week at the time...
Still, you'd think I would've encountered that factlet at some point over the decades since.

Not sure exactly when Eddie began using Floyds - some know his gear in great detail year to year, while I'm no expert on the subject.
Still, when it comes to EVH there's a lot of questionable info on the Web - even some of Eddie's own comments aren't trustworthy.
He could be secretive and also seems to have indulged in a bit of mythmaking at times.

Anyway, I'd be surprised if it's confirmed that he never used a Floyd until the fourth album.
Not saying it can't be so - just that to me it doesn't seem likely.

 

[ICTGoober]

Speaking of which, I knew there'd been a patent lawsuit over the Kahler but didn't realize Rose won a judgement of more than $100 million!

Excuse me? Who did he sue, and why? Also - $100 mill? I call bullshit.