Members mrbrown49 Posted February 17, 2007 Members Share Posted February 17, 2007 Hey,Wondering if any of you had any input. I have an ibanez artist that has a bigsby on it, but I need a new bridge. Should I go for a roller bridge or graphtech saddles. Also, if I go with a roller bridge, what are the pros/cons of a wilkinson style vs the tuneamatic ones? Intonation is very important. Any specific recomendations? I need one with a 12" radius. Thanks,Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 I installed a roller bridge on my Gretsch 6120. From my experience I would not recommend them. They kill sustain and can rattle a bit. After using the roller bridge for a month, I finally replaced it with the old OEM rocking bar and the difference in sound was remarkable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 I installed a roller bridge on my Gretsch 6120. From my experience I would not recommend them. They kill sustain and can rattle a bit. After using the roller bridge for a month, I finally replaced it with the old OEM rocking bar and the difference in sound was remarkable. Interesting. I forgot about those. How is the intonation with a rocking bridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xStonr Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 I have an Ibanez Artcore that I now use a roller bridge on and I've had no issues with at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 anybody use one of these? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_Tune-o-matic_bridges/Locking_Roller_Bridge.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted February 18, 2007 Moderators Share Posted February 18, 2007 Hey,Wondering if any of you had any input. I have an ibanez artist that has a bigsby on it, but I need a new bridge. Should I go for a roller bridge or graphtech saddles. Also, if I go with a roller bridge, what are the pros/cons of a wilkinson style vs the tuneamatic ones? Intonation is very important.Any specific recomendations? I need one with a 12" radius. Thanks,Scott Stick with a nashville style bridge with Graphtech stringsaver saddles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 I prefer the Graphtech saddles. Like docjeffery I find roller saddles just have too many (mostly moving) parts that were a hassle to deal with and seemed too inefficient to transfer vibrations to the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 Do Graph tech saddles really help with tuning? Seems to me that it the strings, especially the wound ones, get caught in the slot when using a tremelo, they would get caught no matter how slippery the surface is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cylon Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 have on and its great it doesnt fookin kill sustain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 have on and its great it doesnt fookin kill sustain What kind did you get, a wilkinson type or shaller type? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted February 18, 2007 Moderators Share Posted February 18, 2007 Do Graph tech saddles really help with tuning? Seems to me that it the strings, especially the wound ones, get caught in the slot when using a tremelo, they would get caught no matter how slippery the surface is. Not when they are cut correctly....just the same as a nut:wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 have on and its great it doesnt fookin kill sustain What kind of trem does the guitar have? I noticed that on my 6120, the rollers never really rolled. The pressure from the Bigsby was mostly downward. I tired everything to get the rollers to actually roll, but they never did. The rollers had a significantly effect on the tone and sustain of the guitar. The big hollowbody definitely lost sparkle in the high end it was less punchy. Sustain, which can be negatively impacted by a Bigsby, just fizzled altogether. Notice that artists like Brian Setzer prefer the regular tunomatics. I should probably point out that I use 12-56 roundwounds on my 6120. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 I appreciate the input guys. Is graphtech stuff worth the extra price, or should I stick with traditional saddles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted February 18, 2007 Members Share Posted February 18, 2007 Do Graph tech saddles really help with tuning? Seems to me that it the strings, especially the wound ones, get caught in the slot when using a tremelo, they would get caught no matter how slippery the surface is. Strings hang up on the hard edges of rigid saddles, not in the slots, which should be super-shallow on a TOM, stirngs should set on top of a saddle and nut (nut slots should be 1/2 the diameter of the string), not inside of it. And yes, Graphtech help phenomenally with tuning stability t the bridge with a Bigsby. It is also important that the nut be well-cut and from a good material. Strings saw right through plastic, the nut should be Graphtech, Tusq, polished bone or Corian, or just about anything but plastic. There is a tonal change with Graphtech saddles, they are warmer than steel, but brighter than brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 19, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 Strings hang up on the hard edges of rigid saddles, not in the slots, which should be super-shallow on a TOM, stirngs should set on top of a saddle and nut (nut slots should be 1/2 the diameter of the string), not inside of it. And yes, Graphtech help phenomenally with tuning stability t the bridge with a Bigsby. It is also important that the nut be well-cut and from a good material. Strings saw right through plastic, the nut should be Graphtech, Tusq, polished bone or Corian, or just about anything but plastic.There is a tonal change with Graphtech saddles, they are warmer than steel, but brighter than brass. Great info. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 Strings hang up on the hard edges of rigid saddles, not in the slots, which should be super-shallow on a TOM, stirngs should set on top of a saddle and nut (nut slots should be 1/2 the diameter of the string), not inside of it. And yes, Graphtech help phenomenally with tuning stability t the bridge with a Bigsby. It is also important that the nut be well-cut and from a good material. Strings saw right through plastic, the nut should be Graphtech, Tusq, polished bone or Corian, or just about anything but plastic.There is a tonal change with Graphtech saddles, they are warmer than steel, but brighter than brass. Wow, I type way too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Minibucker Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 Just wanted to give this a bump... I'm also curious if anyone out there had had a chance to compare rollers vs Teflon for nuts/saddles. BTW... despite the name, GraphTechs do NOT have any graphite... they're impregnated with Teflon! (there's also a teflon version of Delrin too, which I think the Earvana's use) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 19, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 bump .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mercer Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 So. If graphtech uses tefflon, what are Rainsongs made of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members peavey_impact Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 So. If graphtech uses tefflon, what are Rainsongs made of? Carbon Fiber bodies with graphite necks I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 19, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 any scpecific recomendations for a bridge to replace my TOM for a guitar with a bigsby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jackamo Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 anybody use one of these? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_Tune-o-matic_bridges/Locking_Roller_Bridge.html I put that on this: The original, on mine anyway, had some of the strings were laying on the back edge of the TOM, and I understand this is not supposed to be the case. The roller you show (I think I got mine from GFS) alleviates that problem. It also locks down as opposed to the OEM floater. I find if anything I got a touch more sustain out of it, and I do not have any problem with rattling of the rolloers. It DID NOT, however solve my tuning issues, as it turned out, they were all related to the nut - not cut well at all - took a lot of work for me to get it right, and I ended up overdoing it on one string - now I will replace the nut with graphtech nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cold Gin Posted February 19, 2007 Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 GRAPHTECH! Sweet fucking saddles. Have not broken a single string since I installed them on my Warmoth strat which was > 2 months ago. Still playing these strings just to see how long they'll last.. They feel really good against my picking hand too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 19, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 19, 2007 I put that on this: The original, on mine anyway, had some of the strings were laying on the back edge of the TOM, and I understand this is not supposed to be the case. The roller you show (I think I got mine from GFS) alleviates that problem. It also locks down as opposed to the OEM floater. I find if anything I got a touch more sustain out of it, and I do not have any problem with rattling of the rolloers. It DID NOT, however solve my tuning issues, as it turned out, they were all related to the nut - not cut well at all - took a lot of work for me to get it right, and I ended up overdoing it on one string - now I will replace the nut with graphtech nut. Sounds like your situation is very similar to mine. I already took care of the nut problem. I am not having that many tuning issues, and I am pretty sure the issues I do have are because of the bridge. It came stock with a really crappy TOM with saddles that must be pretty soft, because the strings dig into the metal and leave grooves where the windings are. I can see that being the problem. Thanks for your input, its a big help. For $25 I suppose I should just try it and see if I like it. I get a ton of sustain already, so even if I lose a touch, I can't believe I am suggesting it, but it might be a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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