Members sxyryan Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 After some experimenting, I've finally found a setup that works for my Tennesee Rose. I run 11's on everything, but on this one, I have to run a wound G, otherwise the slightest bend throws the G out of tune. I've checked the nut, and tuner, so I assume the bridge is the culprit. Anyone have any luck with other bridges on their Gretsch? For now, mine is working well and I can deal with the wound G, but I prefer the plain one. This is my main standard tuning guit, so I don't mind pricier options, I want to get the best thing I can. Thanks all. Here's a picture, as I don't know what this bridge is called. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 you might be able to fit a tune-o-matic on the wooden base or put a complete ES-175 bridge on itthere is also the Schaler roller bridge which is good with the Bigsbybut I don't know if you could mount it on the wooden base Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 you might be able to fit a tune-o-matic on the wooden base or put a complete ES-175 bridge on itthere is also the Schaler roller bridge which is good with the Bigsbybut I don't know if you could mount it on the wooden base Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Nice Tenny! My first gretsch was one. For my current lineup. My 6120AM came with an ABR-1 tuneomatic. I had to add a bit of nail polish to quiet the rattles, but it's fine. My 6128TCG came with the Melita, which I hated. Too much lateral movement, even hand bending the little pieces. It's now got a brass TruArc, and I play it more than anything. I'll probably get one for the 6120 too. I play a 10-46 set, plain G. No issues. I use the bigsby a lot. Oh, and roller bridges are tone suckers for the same reason as the Melita. They might make sense if you had a lot of bridge break angle, like with a tension roller bigsby, but even Neil Young and Billy Zoom don't bother with them either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Nice Tenny! My first gretsch was one. For my current lineup. My 6120AM came with an ABR-1 tuneomatic. I had to add a bit of nail polish to quiet the rattles, but it's fine. My 6128TCG came with the Melita, which I hated. Too much lateral movement, even hand bending the little pieces. It's now got a brass TruArc, and I play it more than anything. I'll probably get one for the 6120 too. I play a 10-46 set, plain G. No issues. I use the bigsby a lot. Oh, and roller bridges are tone suckers for the same reason as the Melita. They might make sense if you had a lot of bridge break angle, like with a tension roller bigsby, but even Neil Young and Billy Zoom don't bother with them either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Comptonhttp://www.comptonbridges.com/My 5120 intonates perfectly, 11-49s, unwound G. Just measure your post spacing carefully, and know the fretboard radius. Tell Wayne what string to cut it for.Tru Arc will work too. A little more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Comptonhttp://www.comptonbridges.com/My 5120 intonates perfectly, 11-49s, unwound G. Just measure your post spacing carefully, and know the fretboard radius. Tell Wayne what string to cut it for.Tru Arc will work too. A little more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 5, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Originally Posted by Kap'n Nice Tenny! My first gretsch was one.Oh, and roller bridges are tone suckers for the same reason as the Melita. They might make sense if you had a lot of bridge break angle, like with a tension roller bigsby, but even Neil Young and Billy Zoom don't bother with them either. Thanks! I wanted a Tenny forever but the price new was a bit much for me, and Gretsches in general seem tough to come by around here used. My tax return last year came it, and one showed up used at the local Guitar Center. I had to jump, it was like fate. I've tried rollers before, with other Bigsby guits. I've had better luck with properly cut nuts, with a bit of graphite thrown in for good measure, along with minor spring mods on the Bigsby. Originally Posted by Kap'n Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. That would explain the setup issues I had when I first got it. I never measured the radius, I just assumed it would be right due to it all being factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 5, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Originally Posted by Kap'n Nice Tenny! My first gretsch was one.Oh, and roller bridges are tone suckers for the same reason as the Melita. They might make sense if you had a lot of bridge break angle, like with a tension roller bigsby, but even Neil Young and Billy Zoom don't bother with them either. Thanks! I wanted a Tenny forever but the price new was a bit much for me, and Gretsches in general seem tough to come by around here used. My tax return last year came it, and one showed up used at the local Guitar Center. I had to jump, it was like fate. I've tried rollers before, with other Bigsby guits. I've had better luck with properly cut nuts, with a bit of graphite thrown in for good measure, along with minor spring mods on the Bigsby. Originally Posted by Kap'n Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. That would explain the setup issues I had when I first got it. I never measured the radius, I just assumed it would be right due to it all being factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 5, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 And thanks to the bridge suggestions guys. I'll read up on them. I did some research but it seems like a lot of mod parts for these (or any other vintage style instrument) tend to hover in the "snake oil" realm. I needed some trustworthy accounts before I threw the money down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 5, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 And thanks to the bridge suggestions guys. I'll read up on them. I did some research but it seems like a lot of mod parts for these (or any other vintage style instrument) tend to hover in the "snake oil" realm. I needed some trustworthy accounts before I threw the money down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kit_strong Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by Pine Apple Slim Comptonhttp://www.comptonbridges.com/. Another vote for the Compton. I have one on my 6128 and I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ugameus Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 gonna get me a compton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jw10 Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Comptons do look slick. However, make sure you get some pencil in that nut before concluding that its automatically the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by jw10 Comptons do look slick. However, make sure you get some pencil in that nut before concluding that its automatically the bridge. True. But the Compton is still worth it for the tone, over a tunomatic anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by sxyryan Tennesee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 6, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by jw10 Comptons do look slick. However, make sure you get some pencil in that nut before concluding that its automatically the bridge. That's my standard practice when I restring. I even dealt with the nut slots, as this guitar came from it's previous owner with 9's and I run 11's. Originally Posted by Pine Apple Slim True. But the Compton is still worth it for the tone, over a tunomatic anyway. I wanted something different from a tuneomatic anyways. It looks kind of odd to me on a Gretsch. I'm used to guitars that don't precise ways to intonate, so I don't really need a bridge with adjustable saddles. At least eh Compton looks like it should be there. Originally Posted by D Carroll Can't be perfect all the time, haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 All things considered, the Gretsch Rocking Bar bridge, like most bridges on hollowbody archtops, is a floating bridge. And a replacement will most likely be a floating bridge. Floating bridges need tension to help keep them in place. Heavier strings provide that tension. The extra tension also works well with a Bigsby. Your best bet is to just keep using heavier strings. You might want to try some 12s with a wound third and/or flatwounds. Or if you don't want a wound third you could try a heavier 11 set such as Ernie Ball Beefy Slinkys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 7, 2013 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 ^ I'm pretty sure the issue is the bridge only working with wound G's. A lot of Gibson wrap arounds are like that too, but there isn't motion on those so it has more to do with intonation. A wound G was a norm when these were designed. I've been doing setups for years, so it wasn't too hard to figure out. It has rock solid tuning with 11's and wound G. I bought a single wound G and swap them, and the problem fixed itself. You're right about tension being a big part of stability and stuff especially with vintage trems. That's one of the reasons I don't like the Vibramate kits. It puts the Bigbsy too close to the bridge and break angle is a bit sharp for my liking. This post isn't so much about how to set up the guitar, but a reputable upgrade for the bridge. I'd hate to spend 40+ bucks on a bridge to find it doesn't work the way the maker says it does, so I came here to find some first hand accounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted January 7, 2013 Members Share Posted January 7, 2013 I've tried several on my 6120. The roller bridge killed sustain. An ABR style bridge made the Bigsby hard to work smoothly. I went back to the original rocking bar and widened the nut slots--mine has a zero fret, so the nut just keeps the strings in line. I like the sound and feel of the rocking bar best. Tuning stability is good with Pyramid round wound 10's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted January 7, 2013 Moderators Share Posted January 7, 2013 Originally Posted by Kap'n Oh, your bridge is what Gretsch calls a "Rocking Bar Bridge." They're OK, but the radius is flatter than your fingerboard. TruArcs take care of that. I actually thought it might be a TruArcBit difficlt to tell visually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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