LP bridge setup question

[Budweiser]

Is it really, really bad if your strings are touching the back of the bridge inbetween the saddles & tailpiece?

If it is not good, & the strings should only be contacting the saddles, what's involved in raising the tailpiece? Do I just turn the end screws? Which way(counter-clockwise?)

Do I need to loosen up the strings to do so? Will it effect intonation?

Sorry for probably such simple questions, but I'm still learning my way around my new LP.

Thanks- Rob

 

[NathanCahill]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Yes very bad. Turn The tailpeice screws counter clock wise. You will need to re-intonate your Les. Leave just enough space that the strings are not actualy touching the back of the bridge.

 

[GHWelles]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Why is it so bad?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: LP bridge setup question

It's best to loosen the strings first, and use your fingers to raise the height of the tailpiece.....just to avoid nicking and scratching them with a tool.
You want the strings to just barely clear the backside of the saddle, so the only contact made is the saddlepieces. You may not have to re-intonate, but it's best to check it anyway. Don't forget to intonate the open notes against all the frets above the 10th fret....not just the 12th. That fine tunes the intonation so the guitar rings like a bell and stays in tune always.

 

[rspst14]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Why is it so bad?

Because having your strings touching the bridge behind the saddles will hurt your sustain, and it will also cause the bridge to tilt, which throws off your intonation. I agree that the best way to set it is so that there is just a little space between the string and the back of the bridge.

Ryan

 

[Budweiser]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Cool. Thanks guys! Guess what I'm doing after work today?
And of course, any guitar adjustment work like this on a Friday after work will require a few cold refreshments & cigarettes!

I'm thinking, will I not have to raise the thinner strings end as much as thicker end, or does the tail piece have to be parallel to guitar?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Like I said I get away from this by screwing my screws all the way down and looping over the tailpiece. I won't saw whether or not it helps or hurts sustain b/c I never strung it the regular way with this guitar. It does give it a different look and feel.

Luke

 

[GHWelles]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Originally Posted by GHWelles
Why is it so bad?

Because having your strings touching the bridge behind the saddles will hurt your sustain, and it will also cause the bridge to tilt, which throws off your intonation. I agree that the best way to set it is so that there is just a little space between the string and the back of the bridge.
Ryan

You know, I just don't get this.

1. Why would there be less sustain if the string has more contact with the bridge (i.e. two points on contact, not one.); and

2. If you have a Tone-Pros locking bridge, tilting the bridge should not affect intonation. In fact, you intonate any bridge at pitch, so any tilt is there when you intonate.

:sad:

 

[rspst14]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Originally Posted by GHWelles
Why is it so bad?



You know, I just don't get this.

1. Why would there be less sustain if the string has more contact with the bridge (i.e. two points on contact, not one.); and

2. If you have a Tone-Pros locking bridge, tilting the bridge should not affect intonation. In fact, you intonate any bridge at pitch, so any tilt is there when you intonate.

:sad:

1. This is just something I've noticed myself. The general consensus is that the best results are obtained when setting the strings so that they are just above the back of the bridge. Also, screwing the tailpiece down so that the strings touched the bridge would put a lot of tension on the string, and the steep break angle would likely increase the amount of broken strings.

2. He didn't say he had a Tonepros bridge. Still, it's not the best idea to have your bridge tilting under string tension, no matter what kind of bridge you have.

Ryan

 

[Tweed]

Re: LP bridge setup question

Originally Posted by GHWelles
Why is it so bad?



You know, I just don't get this.

1. Why would there be less sustain if the string has more contact with the bridge (i.e. two points on contact, not one.); and

2. If you have a Tone-Pros locking bridge, tilting the bridge should not affect intonation. In fact, you intonate any bridge at pitch, so any tilt is there when you intonate.

:sad:

If the string is up against the back of the bridge, it can alter the way the string sits in the saddle itself. It can lift the string at the point where it enters the saddle. Loss of tone. Loss of sustain. That string can't rest in the saddle any old way, and it doesn't take much to screw things up.
Worse yet is the damage caused to the bridge itself. A leaning bridge will sag (bend) eventually. So will a non-leaning bridge, for that matter. This messes with the bridge radius, and it won't conform to the fretboard radius. You'll wonder why you're fretting out and getting funky sounds that can't be fixed with truss rod tweaks and raising/lowering the bridge. A leaning bridge will also bend the bridge lugs. Repair time.