Memphis EL300/Aria PE 180 bridge change...what a difference!

[Greentone]

For years and years, I have owned the Memphis EL 300 version of the Aria Pro II PE 180. The guitar was made by Matsumoku from about 1975 or so until the early 1980s, and was sold under various trade names, e.g., Aria, Memphis, Bradley, and Carlo Robelli, to name a few that I am familiar with. (2bornot2bop is another guy who has owned the EL300 version, while Lawson Stone owns the PE 180.)

I bought my guitar from a guy who had replaced the original L5/Super 400-style bridge with a Gibson Tune-o-matic. He promised to look around for the original, but you know how it goes.

I enjoyed the guitar, just fine, with the tune-o-matic, but longed to hear the guitar with the correct bridge. At not inconsiderable expense, I was able to procure a correct bridge and install it on the EL300. Once I dialed everything in, I checked out the results. I wasn't prepared for them to be so dramatically different from the "tuna-matic."

I must say, the Matsumoku guitar has now really stepped up. It now sounds more acoustically alive, even with TI flats on it. Importantly, the guitar now really has a definite L5-CES thing going on. Without exaggerating, I could actually see making this guitar my main guitar, not just my go-to gigging jazz guitar.

It is truly an outstanding jazz guitar, at this point. The TOM is now a permanent case neck pocket resident.

[wintermoon]

I saw a pic you had posted w the t.o.m. and thought you just liked it better than wood.
I've always preferred ebony saddles, my PE-180's are pretty loud acoustically and I'm sure the ebony helps.
I have stock t.o.m.s on a few 60s Gibsons but they have nylon saddles which are warmer than metal.

[Greentone]

Yeah. I got a very good deal on the tune-o-matic equipped Matsumoku years back. It came with a very vintage Gretsch case. I sold the case and more than recouped the price of the guitar. The Memphis EL300 is certainly the best "free" guitar I ever acquired. (It now resides in a newer TKL case.) I never worried about the bridge because of the Gretsch case.

You aren't kidding about the sound of the guitar with the ebony bridge! The electric voice of this guitar is now just tremendous.

[Greentone]

Here is the Memphis EL300 with the new/old bridge in place.

It's a real Wes monster.

[KirkP]

My more pedestrian Ibanez AF105 was greatly improved when I replaced the TOM with wood. The TOM gave the strings a metallic “ting” through the amp. It was gone with the wood bridge. It probably affected the acoustic tone as well, I never use that one unplugged.

[wintermoon]

I'm thinking of replacing the old tuners on my gigging 180.
The old D is kinda wonky, this guitar was heavily played when I bought it from the orig owner's daughter. Didn't even have a case, I've been using a 60s black/yellow Gibson/Lifton case all these yrs.
The old tuners look like Gotoh's, don't know what modern drop in tuners are available...

[rabbit]

Nice fiddle!

[lawson-stone]

I hadn't realized you had the TOM bridge. It's funny how it seems more L5ces like, since most the L5ces guitars have tune-o-matics! But still, I do know what you mean. I imagine the wood bridge and the laminate construction interact in a way that comes closer to the L5ces tone than the tune-o-matic does.

[Greentone]

Lawson,

I might not be explaining things accurately. The guitar now sounds better. Believe it or not, the TOM always had a bit of side-to-side squishiness when you dug into the first three strings. The fat strings held the metal bridge inserts in place well, but the skinny string inserts wiggled a bit. This is a tone killer.

The bird inlay ebony wood bridge is a Rock of Gibraltar. Great contact everywhere. Immediate tone improvement in a guitar that already sounded nice.

I really notice the difference when I let myself go on the Wes stuff. That used to rock the inserts.

[lawson-stone]

Lawson,

I might not be explaining things accurately. The guitar now sounds better. Believe it or not, the TOM always had a bit of side-to-side squishiness when you dug into the first three strings. The fat strings held the metal bridge inserts in place well, but the skinny string inserts wiggled a bit. This is a tone killer.

The bird inlay ebony wood bridge is a Rock of Gibraltar. Great contact everywhere. Immediate tone improvement in a guitar that already sounded nice.

I really notice the difference when I let myself go on the Wes stuff. That used to rock the inserts.

Wonderful! It's hard to imagine how the Matsumoku L5ces clone could be improved, but you found a way, restoring it to its rightful state.
Where did you find the bird-inlay bridge?

[Greentone]

Joe at JV Guitars sells his share of Matsumoku guitars. He has a couple of the bridges.

[lawson-stone]

Joe at JV Guitars sells his share of Matsumoku guitars. He has a couple of the bridges.

He was my source for my PE180.

[Greentone]

I thought I remembered that. Joe V has had a fine collection of Matsumoku archtops through the years. He had a neat, Matsumoku-made Epiphone Emperor that, like Ulysses, I had to lash myself to the mast to resist:

[lawson-stone]

I thought I remembered that. Joe V has had a fine collection of Matsumoku archtops through the years. He had a neat, Matsumoku-made Epiphone Emperor that, like Ulysses, I had to lash myself to the mast to resist:

I'm guessing that would actually a pretty good cut above even the Epi Elitist Broadway? That's already a pretty high bar!

[Greentone]

A couple of years ago, you and I exchanged messages on a thread about Matsumoku archtops. I attached a photo of my favorite Epiphone (by Matsumoku) then--the Emperor S. Here it is, again. You can really see the Aria Pro II PE-180 connections.

[lawson-stone]

A couple of years ago, you and I exchanged messages on a thread about Matsumoku archtops. I attached a photo of my favorite Epiphone (by Matsumoku) then--the Emperor S. Here it is, again. You can really see the Aria Pro II PE-180 connections.

Yes indeed. I sometimes wish I'd bought that, but it's hard to be dissatisfied with the PE180.

Meanwhile I can't get onto Joe V's website. Keep getting an error message.

[Greentone]

I get that, too. He's still selling...on eBay and on Reverb (less sure about the latter). He may be having some website trouble on his JVGuitars.com site.

[entresz]

Hi Greentone

After reading this I've contacted Joe and ordered an ebony saddle for my 83 Epi Emperor F.

It's one of my favourite sounding guitars already, but I feel like that ABR-1 bridge isn't doing much good for it tonally, especially on the plain strings. I really don't like the rattles and buzzes it generates.

Joe's a great guy, he responded super fast to me. The saddle is already on its way!

I think the wooden saddle with the Dynasonic pickups in it right now will be a real authentic 50's sounding combination. I'm sure Sal Salvador would approve!

[2bornot2bop]

JV website works fine for me. His guitars are so overpriced, imo.

Joe's Vintage Guitars.Com

[Greentone]

Entresz,

I think you will be pleased.