What's The Purpose Of Putting Strings Over The Tailpiece On A LP?

['56Goldtop]

My thoughts on sustain is that it's increased by creating a more solid contact point between the string and bridge saddle. Anything that would lessen this contact point is going to reduce the sustain. I don't believe the tailpiece has much to do with sustain, per se, since the vibrations of the string essentially stop at the bridge saddle.

Generally, you create a better contact point by having more downforce applied to the saddle. If you have too much downforce though, you'll start breaking strings. By raising the tailpiece or wrapping the tailpiece, the same thing is essentially occuring: the angle at which the strings cross the bridge saddle is reduced, which reduces the downforce on the saddle, reducing sustain. It may be noticeable, or not.

My 2 cents.

[LaXu]

IMO there is only a very slight difference in the sustain with the tailpiece raised vs. all the way down. However, the raised tailpiece does change tone in my experience. It seems to make the guitar sound softer and warmer - but this translates into muddy and indistinct if you play through a cranked amp. It can also cause the bridge to collapse in the middle or tilt (on TOMs with thin posts screwed straight into the wood).

In any case the raised tailpiece is a by-product of crap fitting of the neck, causing too much neck angle. This image illustrates the effect:



As you can see, when there is less neck angle the bridge lays close to the body along with the tailpiece. This is how the tune-o-matic + tailpiece setup was designed to be. With the right neck angle you have just the right amount of adjustment range on the tune-o-matic and the tailpiece can be screwed all the way down. No top-wrapping is needed either.

[one4rich]

Originally posted by LaXu IMO there is only a very slight difference in the sustain with the tailpiece raised vs. all the way down. However, the raised tailpiece does change tone in my experience. It seems to make the guitar sound softer and warmer - but this translates into muddy and indistinct if you play through a cranked amp. It can also cause the bridge to collapse in the middle or tilt (on TOMs with thin posts screwed straight into the wood). In any case the raised tailpiece is a by-product of crap fitting of the neck, causing too much neck angle. This image illustrates the effect: As you can see, when there is less neck angle the bridge lays close to the body along with the tailpiece. This is how the tune-o-matic + tailpiece setup was designed to be. With the right neck angle you have just the right amount of adjustment range on the tune-o-matic and the tailpiece can be screwed all the way down. No top-wrapping is needed either.

I've never seen a tilted or collapsed bridge, I haven't had a problem with muddy or indistinct tone, and I don't think Gibson made a mistake when making my guitar. My opinion is that you don't know what you're talking about.

[relva2]

unfortunately gibson made mistakes with the guitars they made that i've had:mad:

[LaXu]

Originally posted by one4rich I've never seen a tilted or collapsed bridge, I haven't had a problem with muddy or indistinct tone, and I don't think Gibson made a mistake when making my guitar. My opinion is that you don't know what you're talking about.

I didn't say it's going to happen to every guitar, but it can happen and the tilting is mostly a problem with guitars that have the ABR-1 type tune-o-matic bridges that screws straight into wood and doesn't use bushings. The Nashville bridge found on the production line stuff has thicker posts and bushings so they might suffer from the collapsed bridge symptom over time.

Do you realise that every Gibson Historic guitar (as well as most guitars with tune-o-matics from other brands) is like the correct neck angle example? Now, why would the neck angles on the production line Gibsons vary from "perfect" to "too much" neck angle if it wasn't sloppy craftmanship? Remember, as little as one degree can be the difference in too much and just right neck angle so it is one of the most difficult parts of the guitar to get right.

Okay, it's not an end-of-the-world flaw, but a flaw anyway. A flaw you shouldn't find on expensive guitars. I'm not surprised to see it on a Chinese Epiphone, but on a Gibson costing 2000+

[one4rich]

Well, I haven't gone to a music store measuring neck angles, so I can't dispute your claim...I can tell you that my Explorer is freaking awesome!

[_pete_]

Here's a side shot of my $300 Wolf LP.
The tail is screwed all the way down, the bridge is about 1/8" off the body, and the strings are not even close to touching the back of the bridge. The action is very low with no buzzing or fretting out anywhere on the neck. This one has a perfect neck angle.