italic zero
New member
I always hear the advertisement for string thru body being that it increases vibrations through the body and, in turn, increases sustain, but what are the advantages of stop-tail and wrap around bridges?
What are the advantages of different bridge types.
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rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: What are the advantages of different bridge types.
Tuneomatic bridges have the advantage of allowing you to adjust the string break over the saddles. A greater angle means more tension, and possibly better sustain. On the other hand, you can also wrap the strings over the tailpiece and screw it all the way down to the body. This provides better coupling between parts, and some people say it improves the sustain. There is a noticeably looser feel to the strings though due to the smaller angle over the saddles. As for wraparound bridges, The only real advantage I can think of is that they require less routing of the body.
Ryan
Tuneomatic bridges have the advantage of allowing you to adjust the string break over the saddles. A greater angle means more tension, and possibly better sustain. On the other hand, you can also wrap the strings over the tailpiece and screw it all the way down to the body. This provides better coupling between parts, and some people say it improves the sustain. There is a noticeably looser feel to the strings though due to the smaller angle over the saddles. As for wraparound bridges, The only real advantage I can think of is that they require less routing of the body.
Ryan
Re: What are the advantages of different bridge types.
wow, there's a nice selection of bridges, that can be typified by just looking at the Les Paul reissue line.
The 52 Goldtop uses a trapeze bridge (most often seen on hollowbodies). I've never been a big fan on these when it comes to solid body guitars. I played one that buzzed and rattled a bit. Probably just an off-brand, not the Gibson, but still it left me wondering why. It's mandatoryon a hollowbody since there's no center block to bolt the bridge into.
The 54 Goldtop Les Paul has the single bar bridge like the PRS in looks. That's where the similarity stops. The PRS bridge is milled out to stagger the actual saddles a bit. You can get really good intonation with the PRS because there are small screws that allow minute adjustments to the low E or high E sides. Once you get those two set, the other four intonate really nice and automatic. The 54 Goldtop though, just had a bar stop tail piece that was set a a bit of an angle. It was close, but it's like the difference between a 3 barrel Tele bridge and a six saddle Tele bridge.
The 56 Les Paul marked the introduction of the adjustable tuneomatic bridge that you see on all the modern Les Pauls (for the most part). six adjustable saddles and a height adjustment bridge and then a tail piece that anchor the strings. Wrapping the strings back up and around and screwing that tail piece all the way down to the body, less a quarter turn, really will help the guitar tone IMHO.
The Tone Pros guys figured this out and took it a step further. They came up with a system to lock the stop bar into place, considerably tightening up the connection between guitar and strings, especially where one does not want to wrap around their strings and screw the stop bar all the way down. They also put to little locking screws on the posts of the tuneomatic which heleped it become way more stable. The way most tuneomatics sit on the adjustment nuts, they have the ability to actually wobble a tiny bit. The Tone Pros thing takes that ability away. It also keeps things attached when you take off all the strings. That's a huge bonus. Once you get the action set, you won't monkey it up when you clean the guitar. (I've done that. You should have seen my face on my first string change on my first les paul when the bridge fell to the floor!) haha.
Then there's guys like Godin that combine the string thru Tele design with a tuneomatic bridge piece. what I really like about the way Godin does it is that instead of there being six little ferrules set into the wood on the back, they've routed out enough room to put a brass plate about the size of a tuneomatic, that holds each string in place. (It's screwed and recessed into the back). I think having that added mass back there helps with the sustain a lot on a string thru design that already enhances sustain.
Finally, there's the tele bridge where the strings attach to the bridge ashtray plate and do not go through the body. There are various debates about whether or not that type bridge will sustain as well as the traditional string -thru tele bridge.
I won't get into the various tremolo bridges, except to say that the PRS design is the most stable and effective when it comes to keep in tune and sustain IMHO versus whatever wilkinson or fender have come up with.
I hope that helps a bit.
My personal favorite is the tuneomatic Tone Pros ABR 1 bridge used on Gibson reissues with teh light weight aluminum tail piece with Tone Pros locking studs. It doesn't get any better to my ears. (with the exception of what Godin has done. not as good, but a strong 2nd place)
wow, there's a nice selection of bridges, that can be typified by just looking at the Les Paul reissue line.
The 52 Goldtop uses a trapeze bridge (most often seen on hollowbodies). I've never been a big fan on these when it comes to solid body guitars. I played one that buzzed and rattled a bit. Probably just an off-brand, not the Gibson, but still it left me wondering why. It's mandatoryon a hollowbody since there's no center block to bolt the bridge into.
The 54 Goldtop Les Paul has the single bar bridge like the PRS in looks. That's where the similarity stops. The PRS bridge is milled out to stagger the actual saddles a bit. You can get really good intonation with the PRS because there are small screws that allow minute adjustments to the low E or high E sides. Once you get those two set, the other four intonate really nice and automatic. The 54 Goldtop though, just had a bar stop tail piece that was set a a bit of an angle. It was close, but it's like the difference between a 3 barrel Tele bridge and a six saddle Tele bridge.
The 56 Les Paul marked the introduction of the adjustable tuneomatic bridge that you see on all the modern Les Pauls (for the most part). six adjustable saddles and a height adjustment bridge and then a tail piece that anchor the strings. Wrapping the strings back up and around and screwing that tail piece all the way down to the body, less a quarter turn, really will help the guitar tone IMHO.
The Tone Pros guys figured this out and took it a step further. They came up with a system to lock the stop bar into place, considerably tightening up the connection between guitar and strings, especially where one does not want to wrap around their strings and screw the stop bar all the way down. They also put to little locking screws on the posts of the tuneomatic which heleped it become way more stable. The way most tuneomatics sit on the adjustment nuts, they have the ability to actually wobble a tiny bit. The Tone Pros thing takes that ability away. It also keeps things attached when you take off all the strings. That's a huge bonus. Once you get the action set, you won't monkey it up when you clean the guitar. (I've done that. You should have seen my face on my first string change on my first les paul when the bridge fell to the floor!) haha.
Then there's guys like Godin that combine the string thru Tele design with a tuneomatic bridge piece. what I really like about the way Godin does it is that instead of there being six little ferrules set into the wood on the back, they've routed out enough room to put a brass plate about the size of a tuneomatic, that holds each string in place. (It's screwed and recessed into the back). I think having that added mass back there helps with the sustain a lot on a string thru design that already enhances sustain.
Finally, there's the tele bridge where the strings attach to the bridge ashtray plate and do not go through the body. There are various debates about whether or not that type bridge will sustain as well as the traditional string -thru tele bridge.
I won't get into the various tremolo bridges, except to say that the PRS design is the most stable and effective when it comes to keep in tune and sustain IMHO versus whatever wilkinson or fender have come up with.
I hope that helps a bit.
My personal favorite is the tuneomatic Tone Pros ABR 1 bridge used on Gibson reissues with teh light weight aluminum tail piece with Tone Pros locking studs. It doesn't get any better to my ears. (with the exception of what Godin has done. not as good, but a strong 2nd place)
Fresh_Start
New member
Re: What are the advantages of different bridge types.
IMHO the more solid the connection between the strings and the body, the better the sustain and tone transfer should be.
A regular Tune-o-Matic seems close to the worst of all worlds as far as that goes, but lots of great guitarists play Les Pauls, so what do I know? TonePros products seem overpriced, but the concept is excellent.
Scott, that back plate on the Godin's is an interesting design.
Still, I wonder if you take a thick metal plate bridge like the Schaller below, where the saddles all lock together with a cam after intonation so it's like a solid block the strings attach to, then put three 1-1/4" screws into the body, wouldn't you get a better string-to-body connection than even a string-thru?
BTW this thing isn't pretty like the Hipshot products, and G&L makes a similar bridge that has a block underneath it that fits into a routed cavity for more weight & better sound transfer without the Schaller's funky roller saddles. I'll ask again - anybody know how I can buy one (or three... ) of those G&L bridges?
Chip
IMHO the more solid the connection between the strings and the body, the better the sustain and tone transfer should be.
A regular Tune-o-Matic seems close to the worst of all worlds as far as that goes, but lots of great guitarists play Les Pauls, so what do I know? TonePros products seem overpriced, but the concept is excellent.
Scott, that back plate on the Godin's is an interesting design.
Still, I wonder if you take a thick metal plate bridge like the Schaller below, where the saddles all lock together with a cam after intonation so it's like a solid block the strings attach to, then put three 1-1/4" screws into the body, wouldn't you get a better string-to-body connection than even a string-thru?
BTW this thing isn't pretty like the Hipshot products, and G&L makes a similar bridge that has a block underneath it that fits into a routed cavity for more weight & better sound transfer without the Schaller's funky roller saddles. I'll ask again - anybody know how I can buy one (or three... ) of those G&L bridges?
Chip
Re: What are the advantages of different bridge types.
And we see the reason Scott F. has a Gandalf picture P. That's a great write up Scott. I need to upgrade my Epi LP bridge to a good Tone Pros one. I can never seem to get this one to intonate right or stay quite in tune. (at least to my ears and I'm SUPER picky)
And we see the reason Scott F. has a Gandalf picture P. That's a great write up Scott. I need to upgrade my Epi LP bridge to a good Tone Pros one. I can never seem to get this one to intonate right or stay quite in tune. (at least to my ears and I'm SUPER picky)
