I need help regarding string spacing extremely badly!

[Nephilim]

As people know. Hardtail = 50mm; Trem = 53mm. That I know. The thing that has really confused me, and got me worried is that, when I get my new Epiphone, I'm going to replace the hardware, and every tail piece for them type of guitars (Gibson) say 52mm. I already have my MM Set in 50mm, so you can see why I'm worried :/ Help me please!

[marauder]

Don't worry.  I've got a Jackson with a floyd on it with a standard spaced HD, and it sounds fine.  It's more a cosmetic thing than a sound difference.

My Explorer has a standard spaced BD, and the spacing is slightly wider, thats probably like your LP will be.

[FELINEGUITARS]

If the spacing at the bridge saddles is 52mm then it narrows a bit by the time it gets to the humbucker - maybe about 50.5-51mm so standard HBs will work fine.
remember that the magnetic field is bigger than the polepiece size anyway - so you wont notice any problems

[Nephilim]

If the spacing at the bridge saddles is 52mm then it narrows a bit by the time it gets to the humbucker - maybe about 50.5-51mm so standard HBs will work fine.
remember that the magnetic field is bigger than the polepiece size anyway - so you wont notice any problems

Thanks very much. This is probably a good question to ask you since you make Les Paul Style guitars. But on my current Epiphone, I replaced the Tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge with official Gibson ones, and I found the Gibson metal cylinder things, which are in the guitar body, in which the posts screw into, had a slightly bigger diameter. I just wondered if you know of any other good bridges to replace my new Epiphone one with? Cheers

[Philly Q]

I just wondered if you know of any other good bridges to replace my new Epiphone one with?

TonePros.  Look for ones which say Metric fit, and Large Posts.  Simple as that!  :D

[FELINEGUITARS]

I just wondered if you know of any other good bridges to replace my new Epiphone one with?

TonePros.  Look for ones which say Metric fit, and Large Posts.  Simple as that!  :D

Which I keep in stock.......

[gwEm]

I just wondered if you know of any other good bridges to replace my new Epiphone one with?

TonePros.  Look for ones which say Metric fit, and Large Posts.  Simple as that!  :D

Which I keep in stock.......

... and work very well

Jonathan fitted some tone pro studs and an aluminium Gotoh bridge on one of my Vs a while back. Initially the jury was out on if it had made much of a difference. A few gigs down the line and I can say the difference is both quite clear and noticeable. A dollop of extra sustain and theres somehow a bit of extra touch sensitivity/mojo (call it what you will!).

[Philly Q]

Jonathan fitted some tone pro studs and an aluminium Gotoh bridge on one of my Vs a while back.

Aluminium bridge, or tailpiece?  :?

I think it does make a difference.  I haven't actually done a tailpiece swap on a guitar with a tune-o-matic (yet), but on my Junior guitars with wraparound bridge/tailpieces the aluminium seems to sweeten the tone a bit, maybe takes out some harshness in the mids.  I don't think it's increased the sustain, but the initial attack of the note is bigger and (to trot out a cliché....) "piano-like".

It's the sort of mod which might work on some guitars and not on others - but of course it's very easily reversible and you can always use the tailpiece somewhere else.

[gwEm]

tailpiece indeed

edit: its strange, because i could really feel the difference plugged in.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Yes - I have become somewhat of a fan of Aluminium tailpieces
Like PhillyQ says they do seem to sweeten and open up a guitar tonally

I have been using the Gotoh ones with good effect.

The other thing I do is use the tonepro studs that clamp down on the top of the tailpiece



I feel this gives much better transference of vibration from strings to body as it all locks down and give complete contact/coupling with the top and bottom surfaces of the tailpiece.

I much prefer these to the tailpieces with the grubscrews since I feel you get more solid contact and vibrational transfer

They are a popular option on my custom built Lion models and will be standard on my 20th anniversary model which will be out im the new year

This is a body shot of the prototype (fitted with Abraxas humbuckers currently)