Members WRGKMC Posted December 27, 2017 Members Share Posted December 27, 2017 The only nagging thing right now is how loose the bridge and bridge posts are, and whether that's going to cause a lack of stability. The little bit I've been able to play it so far, it hasn't seemed too bad, but I really haven't gotten to play it too much since I set it up. That's pretty common with all TOM bridges. The vintage type were the worst because they were simply screws bored into the wood with adjustable nuts. Thay did produce a great tone however. Better then then the ones with large bushings. If it will fit it, the Gotoh bridges are real tight. Not only the bushings and how they fit but the bridge saddles are machined superbly. They are my favorite on builds requiring TOM bridge and I think I've tried most of them. I did try one on my LP but it changed the tone. Its a harder metal then what Gibson uses and made the strings sound brighter so I stick with the stock Gibson bridge. The difference may not matter on your LP however. You already have that steel nut instead of bone which is going to give the guitar a more metallic tone so your pickups were likely matched to that kind of string tone. The other bridge might be one of those Tone Pros which lock the bridge to the posts. I haven't tried them simply because of the added cost. I wouldn't want to lock it anyway. The whole beauty of the thumb screws is you can make minor tweaks as needed, especially as strings break in or you need a little extra height for playing slide. The worst TOM's are those roller bridges. Its understandable you need one when using a Bigsby but the tone goes right down the toilet and that rattle badly. Maybe with heavier strings (which is why you'd use a Bigsby in the first place) it might minimize rattle. I tried a Shaller bridge on my first LP back in the 70's and one of those fine tuner tail pieces. At first I thought they sounded good but after the newness wore off I realized I the instruments tone wasn't like it was supposed to be. The aluminum tailpiece isn't bad however. I used mine with the strings through for the fist two sets of strings. I went back to wrapping the strings over the tail with the tail locked down to the body the best option for that particular LP. Its a 40th anniversary model and either the neck tilt or the body curvature is greater at the tail. If I run the strings through the tail I have to adjust the tail up nearly half way so it clears the edge of the bridge. Maybe with an original TOM which are narrower then the modern I could adjust the tail lower with strings through. Wrapped over the tail there's no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andyville99 Posted December 27, 2017 Author Members Share Posted December 27, 2017 Great info - thanks for sharing that with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 I know it is a setneck but the one thing that sharpens both e strings is a loose sided neck socket. So check everything is rigid and that there is no unusual flexing between the headstock and the body like from a fine crack or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 Oops. Sorry. I never set it not to take pms. It's totally screwed-up. I'll pm you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 here's the latest update............. Time will tell I suppose! Lets see, Sweetwater no longer shows that guitar as being available. Gibson gives its list price at $2649, I'm going to guess that you paid somewhat less, but in my book that is still an expensive guitar. I'm not sure you truly have identified the problem but it sounds like it is now "fixed" after a sizable amount of work. I'm curious whether the guitar had the Gibson QC check list in the case and if everything had been checked off? I'm curious whether you think this is acceptable? However I'm glad you got it figured out. ps - I am sure not an ToM expert but I have installed several in guitars that I have built and I've worked on a few more. The new style stud bridges do seem to have some play, and older ABR bridge can have worn out posts. However among those people who claim to be able to hear such things, the post bridges are supposed to sound "better" (whatever that means). However once you load the bridge with a little down tension it should be solid - once again I question how that could make things go sharp as you tune up. Some of the best bridges have locking setscrews that hold them against the post (a minor advantage is that they don't fall off if you take all the strings off). I wouldn't consider a roller bridge on a non-vibrato guitar but I have installed them with Bigsby's and can't hear any rattle. Your bridge apparently has titanium saddles to match the nut I guess, that must be better than plain old steel, eh? My point is that I have never seen or heard of the problem you are describing, ToM bridges in a variety of forms have been around for 50 plus years and most people seem to not have problems with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andyville99 Posted December 28, 2017 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thanks Freeman - I'd agree that I don't think the bridge is/was the cause of the strings going sharp. I was just surprised when I took everything apart that there was that much play in the bridge. As I get to play it more (just haven't had much time with it yet, which is frustrating!) I'll get a better idea if the problem is truly fixed. I have to think that the nut was "rocking" on the center screw, with it acting as a bit of a fulcrum from not being fully tightened, and perhaps that was the root cause. As for whether I think the overall guitar and situation is acceptable... well, I'd certainly like to think that with the purchase of a fairly expensive guitar it would arrive in pretty solid playing condition, and that wasn't the case. If Sweetwater had truly performed their "55 point inspection" I'd think that would have, at a minimum, resulted in a better setup than existed when I received it. And sure, temperatures etc can affect the relief and other aspects, but that wouldn't account for the tailpiece being installed out of kilter, and the action being SOOO high on the low E side. (the relief was actually ok when I received it)... there was a checklist in the case when I received it. Bottom line for me is that if I can get the guitar set up properly and there's no true defects that prevents it from being an excellent playing instrument, then I'll be happy and move on. So if the sharp string issue is now resolved, and the play in the bridge presents no problems (and it sounds like that amount of play must not be that unusual), then I think everything is going to be fine. The neck itself seems near perfect in terms of fret finishing and levels... so I'm thinking it will be all good if the sharp string issue doesn't reoccur. Thanks for your post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thanks for the update. It must have been the nut lock screw as you said. As for the wobbly tom, ive come across quite a few like that and it never seemed to cause a problem once string tension was applied. I wouldnt worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thank you again for your reply. I applaud you positive outlook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 28, 2017 Members Share Posted December 28, 2017 Let's hope you've solved the problem, whatever it was. Best of luck with your new guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted December 29, 2017 Members Share Posted December 29, 2017 Strange thing cognitive dissonance, I must admit I repaired a rather handsome car I bought recently when I should by rights have taken it back. Other faults emerged over the next couple of months. (faulty computer module and a wiring bypass under the dash ). I think most of us have this tendency to work with what we have got rather than deal with a 'consumer dispute'. Hope you are luckier than I was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andyville99 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2018 Well, I certainly hope I don't end up regretting it, so I get what you're saying! But at this point, I'm feeling more confident that it's going to be fine... great actually after the last few days. I've continued to play and tweak the setup over the last few days (at this point mostly the action at the bridge end) and I now have it set up really nicely. Pretty low action without any string slap or string buzz anywhere along the neck. It still requires minor tuning adjustments after playing a song, but I'm attributing that to the new strings at this point (even though I've stretched the heck out of them!)... It's definitely much better than when I received it, and it pretty much where I'd hoped I could get it to. To buy this LP I sold a 2009 PRS Custom 22 which was as close to a perfectly made guitar as you'll ever see, and it played like an absolute dream, but the PRS tone just never grabbed me. It was fine, and had a unique tone of it's own, but I just wanted the LP tonal capabilities, and I've got that now. I used to have six guitars, which was pretty crazy for me, but now I'm down to this new LP, a 2007 Custom Shop Custom Classic Strat, which is close to perfect, and my 74 Vintage Jazz Bass. So I'm pretty well set for what I need... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted January 4, 2018 Members Share Posted January 4, 2018 Andy, my local tech just sms'd me. Your robos fit and work just fine on my Les Paul Faded. I'll pick it up tomorrow. Eventually, I think I'll need a different nut. And that may be complicated.But the local tech guy says the G-Force works and fits perfectly on my LPF. Pics later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andyville99 Posted January 8, 2018 Author Members Share Posted January 8, 2018 Awesome! Glad to hear the installation was a success! Enjoy! I finally got to spend some considerable quality time with the new LP this weekend, and after all the fine tuning on the setup, it's now playing fabulously. Staying nicely in tune, action is great, and none of the wonky tuning issues I originally experienced. It's truly playing about as well as I could ever hope that it would, and I'm really enjoying the tone and lack of muddiness in this guitar. Really turning out to be pretty special, actually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andyville99 Posted January 31, 2018 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2018 Well, after all the drama I've been through with this guitar since receiving it, I have tweaked and tweaked the setup, and it now plays actually better than I ever hoped. The relief was easy to get set, and I haven't changed that. I've just tweaked the action and intonation and now it has nice low action with no string buzz anywhere and it is properly intonated everywhere along the neck. And there's none of the irritating out of tune results on the first 3 frets, since the adjustable nut allowed me to get the string height lowered enough to prevent that, without causing any string buzz. On a scale of 1-10 I'd truly say it's playing at 9.99 right now. Not sure what the remaining .01 might be, but hey, nothing's perfect! And the tone is ruly awesome.... makes me remember how my 1981 LP Custom sounded and played, which I stupidly sold long ago! As wonderful a guitar as my PRS Custom 22 was (that I just sold) in terms of setup and playability, the tone on this LP just sets it apart. Very happy now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted January 31, 2018 Members Share Posted January 31, 2018 That's good to hear. Sounds like it was worth the frustration of getting it up and running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted February 1, 2018 Members Share Posted February 1, 2018 Glad to hear you've gotten it straightened out. Play it in good health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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