Just replaced my rosewood bridge with a tune-o-matic---some thoughts

[jazzrat]

I've got a very nice sounding and playing Eastman AR403CE. My string of choice is the TI J-111 BeBop set.
Don't mind the plain G but it does not intonate as well as I like.
Another issue with TI's I've encountered and read about here is a difficulty getting balanced output from
the wound vs plain strings.

Had a gold tune-o-matic laying around so decided to try it on this guitar.

Tone---not quite as woody but not harsh at all. String balance is much better with the loud G string tamed considerably. Also the D string and high E which tend to be quiet are louder.
Net result is better string balance with a very pleasant modern tone.

Not everyone's cup of tea I'm sure but I prefer a little more sustain with a slightly brighter tone.

Very pleased with the results.

Caveat: a Tune-o-matic and bridge foot will likely be taller than the stock bridge.
I spent considerable time fitting the bridge foot to the top.

[floatingpickup]

I was just thinking about starting a thread called "just replaced my tune-o-matic with a rosewood bridge". Seriously, I actually did replace the TOM's on my L5CES's with rosewood and ebony saddles yesterday. I go back and forth and am never sure which I like best. As you said, the sustain and intonation of the TOM is great. But I like the percussive attack that you get with wood saddles. Generally, I have used wood more often than TOM's on my guitars, but they both have their pros and cons. Thankfully, it is really easy to switch back and forth.
Keith

[floatingpickup]

What about TOM bridges made of Stainless Steel or Aluminium or their saddles made of different materials like Titanium, Brass or Nylon? Has anyone tried a combination of those?

I had graphtech string saver saddles in the ABR-1 TOM on my L5-CES for the last few years. I really liked them. They sounded fatter and less bright than the original brass saddles. As I said earlier, I generally prefer wood, but when I do use a TOM, I the graphtech saddles really sound great to me. Here is the exact version I use:

product-detail

Keith

[Frank67]

I have a brass Compron bridge on my modded Country club and love it. I generally prefer metal bridges as I like the tone a bit brighter. I always feel that wood bridges eat up the tone and 'deaden' it. But I also guess it should be possible to find TOM bridges with more wood like saddles (generally I also love graphtech stuff)

[xuoham]

... I generally prefer wood, but when I do use a TOM, I the graphtech saddles really sound great to me

Same here, very happy on my AF105 with a Tonepros TOM fitted with Graphtech saddles : almost as warm as the rosewood bridge, better sustain, tuning stability on bends, no buzz at all, and of course great intonation.

All the other TOMs i used were buzzing and rattling, even the Tonepros roller bridge, whose saddles i replaced with the Graphtech ones.

[wintermoon]

most of my electric Gibsons from the 60s have the stock nylon saddles.
they sound warmer than metal but not as warm as an all ebony saddle.

[Jimmy Mack]

Really appreciating this thread.

Bought a 1981 L5 CES at a store. Before I picked it up, someone walked up to it and snapped the original ebony bridge out from under the tuned strings, and walked out with it. The store could not believe it, and could NOT get a replacement from Gibson! Thanks Gibson !!!!!! What a bunch of jerks!

So they put in a TOM with the ornamented wooden base from another guitar. Thank you.

I like the TOM, but always wonder what the original Ebony bridge would be about ?

[wintermoon]

the ebony bridge would definitely warm up the sound of your guitar.
someone probably stole it because they bring a lot of money when they do come up for sale.

[SamBooka]

Which graphtec saddles?

[oldane]

What about TOM bridges made of Stainless Steel or Aluminium or their saddles made of different materials like Titanium, Brass or Nylon? Has anyone tried a combination of those?

http://www.graphtech.com/products/br...-matic-bridges

It does sound like a cross between an ebony bridge and a normal TOM bridge - leaning towards the normal TOM. I still like the warmth of an ebony bridge better. I have used the TOM to get the intonation right on each of my archtops with its particular setup and have then had custom ebony bridges made with that compensation.

BTW, some have mentioned fitting the bridge base to the guitar. But if the bridge has standard Gibson string spread (2 29/32''), one can just put the new bridge on the existing (and hopefully well fitting) bridge base.

[Woody Sound]

I was just thinking about starting a thread called "just replaced my tune-o-matic with a rosewood bridge". Seriously, I actually did replace the TOM's on my L5CES's with rosewood and ebony saddles yesterday. I go back and forth and am never sure which I like best. As you said, the sustain and intonation of the TOM is great. But I like the percussive attack that you get with wood saddles. Generally, I have used wood more often than TOM's on my guitars, but they both have their pros and cons. Thankfully, it is really easy to switch back and forth.
Keith

Many years ago, as an experiment, I put a rosewood saddle on my 335. Definitely sounded "jazzier."

[xuoham]

I'm curious to know whether some rosewood/ebony saddle users actually do some bends.
The only reason i ditched my rosewood saddle is that after a whole tone bend the string would not return to its original pitch a get a bit stuck in the saddle's notch.
Since many of you guys are versatile guitarists, i guess i'm not the only one in this case.

[oldane]

Those string slots in the bridge and the nut should be kept lubricated. I have a little can of lube for that exact purpose which I bought from StewMac when I ordered other things. Before that I used bicycle chain lube of the thick gooey variety we used in the winter season. It also worked well enough. Use the lube VERY sparingly (apply it with the point of a toothpick) or you will have it all over the bridge.

[xuoham]

Thanks, i usually use Big Bends Nut Sauce but i seems like it's efficiency vanishes in a few days on non finished rosewood.
I tried to put a thin layer of crazy glue in the groove and then grease once its dry, but is seems it can't withstand the strings pressure.
I guess i'm too lazy to lubricate regularly instead of only doing it at strings change.
But those graphtech saddles are really an excellent alternative.

[floatingpickup]

Graphtech string saver saddles are available for the ABR-1 TOM or the Nashville TOM (and many other bridges). Here is the version that I bought for my Gibson ABR-1:


product-detail


Keith

[wintermoon]

A 1981 L5CES would have been delivered by Gibson with a TOM anyway. The ebony saddle on the ebony base is probably an aftermarket add-on by the original owner. Gibson wants you to send the entire guitar back to them for the bridge to be replaced with an original one. That's the only way to get an original Gibson tailpiece or bridge.

William Gagnon of Gagnon Guitars makes ebony bridges with the bowtie inlays, if you want it. You just have to do the final fitting to your L5CES. Antonio of Ultimaguitar sells African Blackwood ones which are also worth trying as well as regular ebony, brazilian rosewood, indian rosewood ones and ones made of other hardwoods.

Original Gibson ebony bridges fetch quite a premium on ebay, usually a few hundred dollars. Keep an eye on your Gibsons when you're out gigging.

I have to disagree there Jabberwocky, they switched to all ebony bridges on L-5's and Supers in the mid 70's and stayed that way for quite awhile. I know because I used to see them in music stores back then and owned a few from that era as well.

but you're right, they bring a few hundred when they come up for sale on ebay as you can't order them from Gibson anymore

[floatingpickup]

I have to disagree there Jabberwocky, they switched to all ebony bridges on L-5's and Supers in the mid 70's and stayed that way for quite awhile. I know because I used to see them in music stores back then and owned a few from that era as well.

but you're right, they bring a few hundred when they come up for sale on ebay as you can't order them from Gibson anymore

I bought a brand new L5CES in 1978 and it had a gold TOM on it. I picked it up right out of the box, from the Canadian distributor for Gibson at the time, so that was the way it came from the factory. I was able to buy an ebony Johnny Smith saddle for it, but it definitely didn't come with an ebony saddle.
Keith

[wintermoon]

interesting, all the ones I've seen had all ebony

[jazzbow]

I put this up ages ago....



It's a piezo wooden T-O-M

Here's the link Naturacoustic

I've thought of cutting out the top part of a TOM saddle and sticking on some rosewood. There's a picture in the Dan Erliwine book of this Strat saddle cut up with bone and rosewood.

[jazzbow]

Here's a clip

[floatingpickup]

interesting, all the ones I've seen had all ebony

Wintermoon is probably right about this. I just checked the Tom Van Hoose Super 400 book (the chapter on L5's). In his book, Tom said the T.O.M. was replaced with the Johnny Smith type bridge with an ebony saddle in the 70's, which is consistent with your comments. For some reason my 1978 came with a gold T.O.M. Not sure why, but as I mentioned earlier, I received that guitar right out of the box. I still have the packing slip from Norlin (don't have the guitar anymore though). I remember this quite well, because when I sold the guitar 20 years later, I put the T.O.M. back on it and kept my purchased ebony saddle, which I still have.
Keith

[wintermoon]

yeah floatingpickup, not that the Van Hoose book doesn't have mistakes, it does--but I re-checked around on the web just now and I could only find carved tops from that era w/all ebony bridges, interesting that yours had a t.o.m.

[floatingpickup]

yeah floatingpickup, not that the Van Hoose book doesn't have mistakes, it does--but I re-checked around on the web just now and I could only find carved tops from that era w/all ebony bridges, interesting that yours had a t.o.m.

Must have been a Canadian version! We're always a few years behind.
Keith

[floatingpickup]

Wintermoon's right. The 1975 Gibson Catalogue shows the L5CES with an ebony saddle:

Gibson L-5CES and ES-150DC - 1975 Gibson Electric Acoustics catalogue - Back Cover

Also, the 1978 catalogue indicates an ebony saddle:

http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/...es/1978_21.php

Keith

[wintermoon]

well floatingpickup, they were still making t.o.m.'s in '75 judging by the one on the 150DC next to the L-5.
maybe they had a gold one laying around and put it on yours. was your L-5 bridge base the standard rosewood t.o.m. or ebony?