Leaning Tailpiece Post

[SabbathFan0220]

Here's my newest problem. This is on my Epiphone Elitist SG, which has an ABR-1 bridge with the vintage style threaded posts. I noticed the post on the bass side was starting to lean (only slightly, but still). So I thought I'd top wrap on the tailpiece to decrease the break angle of the strings over the bridge, which seemed to work. But in doing so, the tailpiece post on the bass side started to lean forward and sink into the finish slightly. So I raised it up and strung straight through, to avoid damage to the finish, and that's where I am now. I have pics that (hopefully) show the leaning forward. I'm in standard tuning with 10's.

With flash:

Without flash:

 

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Oh, and I switched the stock tailpiece posts to Tonepros locking posts, thinking that might stabilize something (clearly it didn't)

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Leaning relative to what?

In theory, on a set neck guitar, you want your bridge and tailpiece posts to be perpendicular to the sounding portion of the strings. Find out the neck pitch angle on your SG. The posts should lean towards the neck by the same angle (relative to a line perpendicular to the flat front of the guitar).

 

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Oh, wow...really? I was always under the assumption the bridge and tailpiece posts were supposed to be perpendicular to the guitar's top. If you're right about this, then I'm worrying about nothing.

In that case, any tailpiece posts that are tightened down against the guitar's top are going to be slightly more sunken into the finish on the neck side (assuming the guitar has an angled neck joint like an SG or LP). Or if the post was tightened just enough to touch the body on the neck side, it would be slightly lifted off the body on the bridge side...right?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Correct, in theory.

As you can see from your own photographs, even if the posts are sitting perfectly perpendicular to the strings, there is a small margin of slop in the way that the bridge and tailpiece sit on their posts. String tension will draw the hardware towards the neck-side limit of this slop/tolerance margin.

 

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

So this 'slop' factor is considered normal?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Unless you wish to build to aerospace technology tolerances, yes.

 

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

Well, ideally...

Thanks for your help, Funkfingers. I guess my last question is what to do about it. I don't want it to lean any further, I was worried it would over time. Should I leave it raised up off the body like it is now, tighten it down, or tighten it down and topwrap?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

To my way of thinking, the whole point of a height-adjustable stopbar tailpiece is that you can use it to set your preferred string tension.

The only other consideration is that the break angle between the saddles and the tailpiece should not cause the strings to foul the edge of the T-O-M/Nashville bridge.

Finally, the metal parts of your guitar bridge are set into wood. Atmospheric moisture causes wood to expand and contract over time. The only way to completely avoid this phenomenon is to have a guitar that is not made from wood.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Leaning Tailpiece Post

I'm worrying about nothing.

Exactly. Just play it and fugheddaboudit!